Agreed. When I went to Eastern Michigan, all you had to do was register your name, dorm address, and student number automatically. This entered you into their database and then you were granted an IP lease. Whole thing was automated and did not install any spyware crap (and IMO anything that checks your system for crap like this is spyware). If problems arose they just checked the database and, since the IP was only ever given to you, they could shut it off and contact you.
You might also consider making a Windows LiveDVD with their crappy software on it. That way you can boot with it, do their moronic check, and then reboot into your real Windows installation for work.
Another avenue you have too is to contact Merit.Net which, last I knew, had a life-time contract to provide Michigan's universities with internet access and they have to abide by Merit's policies.
Bottom line though is CMU is probably not the place for you. I've met a lot of people who started out there and left ASAP for State, UMich, and even EMU. The saying "Mt. Pleasant - Neither a mountain nor is it pleasant" is quite apt.