South Plains (SPU) Proxy

Quickly access resources off-campus through the South Plains College proxy.

Proxy Bookmarklet

Whenever you are on a site that requires licensed access, click on the "South Plains proxy" bookmarklet. You will be asked to login, and then redirected to the "proxified" version of the site.

What is OpenAthens?

OpenAthens provides a simple and secure way for students, faculty, and staff at South Plains College to connect to academic resources from anywhere in the world. After signing in with your South Plains account, you’ll have full access to the university’s licensed content—without needing to use a VPN or change device settings.

Why use OpenAthens?

Because of publisher restrictions, online academic resources at South Plains College often require users to be on the university network. OpenAthens bypasses that limitation by using your South Plains credentials to authenticate access—so whether you're on campus or not, your access stays the same.

What’s the difference between EZproxy, OpenAthens, and VPN?

When comparing EZproxy, OpenAthens, and VPN, it’s helpful to think about what each tool is designed to do. VPNs are great for full network access, allowing staff and faculty to use internal tools as if they were on campus. EZproxy and OpenAthens, however, are designed specifically for accessing library and academic resources. OpenAthens improves on EZproxy by using modern identity-based access instead of relying on IP ranges, making it easier to manage access permissions across different publishers and platforms.

Looking for another institution?