Overview of Network/E-mail Resources for Union Students

Overview of Computer Account Resources

for

Union University Students

You must be currently enrolled in classes at Union in order to have access to these accounts.

September, 2007

As a student who is fully enrolled in classes at Union, you have access to private file storage space on Union’s network and a personal e-mail address which is used for official university communication. You can also check your grades online using WebAdvisor and can search the library’s online databases.

Union uses Novell Netware to provide network accounts and Novell GroupWise for e-mail, so if you see “Novell” or “GroupWise” you’ll know it relates to network or e-mail issues. (Note: When you are no longer enrolled in courses during a major academic term (fall or spring) your network accounts/files and email address/messages will be deleted automatically.)

How to Change Your Password and Access Your Accounts

In order to successfully access your Union student network accounts the first time you will need to follow three steps below to change your password. Once this password has been changed, you will use that password to access all network/e-mail/WebAdvisor/Blackboard/library resources. This includes your on-campus computer login to your network account, your GroupWise e-mail account, your Virtual Office account for remote access to these services, and your WebAdvisor account for grades and other information. (See information located at the end of this document for more information concerning Blackboard if you have a professor who uses it.)

Step #1:

It is necessary for you to log into your Novell network account and change your password. This can be done in one of two ways. You do not have to perform both. Choose one option.

Option A: Use a university-owned Windows computer on the Jackson or Germantown campus to change your password.

At the startup screen, you will be prompted to enter your username and password:
Username – the lowercase letter s followed by your ID number (example: s1234567). Depending on when you first enrolled as a Union student, your ID number will range from 4 to 7 digits. If you are looking at your ID card, leave off all preceding zeros and the last digit that hangs to the right. All digits lying in the middle of these comprise your ID number, to be used as your username with the lower case letter s on the front. If you do not have an ID card, contact your academic program director for assistance in learning your ID number.
Password – Your temporary default password is the following 6 digits: The fourth and fifth digits of your Social Security Number followed by your two-digit birth month, followed by your two-digit birthday. For example: SSN = 123-45-6789, DOB = 05-03-75 (mm-dd-yy), Temporary Password = 450503. If you are an international student and do not have a Social Security Number, contact Computing Services (see phone numbers in step 2).
Once you log in with this information, a grace login box will appear telling you that you must change your password. Click Yes and change your password. Your new password should be at least 6 characters and/or digits long.
After you change your password, all of your other accounts (except for WebCT) can be accessed using the same username and the new password.
Skip Option B and proceed to Step #2.

Option B: Use a computer at home or work, or any other computer that has Internet access and log into Virtual Office at vo.uu.edu to change your password.

In order to avoid problems while using Virtual Office you will need to disable your pop-up blocker before attempting to log in.
At a computer that has Internet access, enter the vo.uu.edu web address in the URL address bar – do not put www in front of this web address.
Username – the lowercase letter s followed by your ID number (example: s1234567). Depending on when you first enrolled as a Union student, your ID number will range from 4 to 7 digits. If you are looking at your ID card, leave off all preceding zeros and the last digit that hangs to the right. All digits lying in the middle of these comprise your ID number to be used as your username with the lower case letter s on the front. If you do not have an ID card, contact your academic program director for assistance in learning your ID number.
Password – Your temporary default password is the following 6 digits: The fourth and fifth digits of your Social Security Number followed by your two-digit birth month, followed by your two-digit birthday. For example: SSN = 123-45-6789, DOB = 05-03-75 (mm-dd-yy), Temporary Password = 450503. If you are an international student and do not have a Social Security Number, contact Computing Services (see phone numbers in step 2).
Once you are logged in, you may notice a popup box that says that your password has expired. If this “password has expired” box does not appear, click on the round blue button with the picture of a lock on it, located at the top center of the page.
Change your password. Your new password should be at least 6 characters and/or digits long.
After you change your password, all of your other accounts (except for WebCT) can be accessed using the same username and the new password.
Proceed to Step #2.

Step #2:

It is important to know that from time to time you will be required to change your password for security purposes. Be sure to remember your password so that you don’t lock yourself out of your account. When you are asked about every six months to change your password you must choose a new password each time. If you ever find that you are locked out of your account, please contact 731-661-5400 (Note: If you are on the Germantown campus, call 901-759-0029 x126. Information will be collected from you about your identity before your account will be reset. Once your password is reset you must follow either of the options in Step #1 again in order to change your password to something only you know, before trying to access your other network/e-mail/WebAdvisor/Blackboard Learning System resources.

Once your password has been changed, you will have access to the following Union accounts, using the same username and the new password:

GroupWise e-mail account:

Check this e-mail account regularly. E-mails from various academic offices and from your professors will be sent to this e-mail account. It is considered an official means of university communication.
You can access this on campus at any computer, once you are logged in, by double-clicking on the GroupWise icon on the desktop.
You can also access your e-mail via the Internet at vo.uu.edu (use the round blue envelope button after you log in) or at mail.uu.edu
When accessing your e-mail using either web site, your username will be the lower case letter s followed by your ID number (example s1234567) and your password will be the new one you created by following Step #1 above.
Your e-mail address will be your username@uu.edu (example s1234567@uu.edu)

WebAdvisor:

Once you are logged into WebAdvisor you can access your grades, class schedule, financial records, etc. This is the only way you will receive grades unless you request a printed transcript.
You can access this via the Internet at webadvisor.uu.edu (best viewed using Internet Explorer).
Your username will be the lower case letter s followed by your ID number (example s1234567) and your password will be the new one you created by following Step #1 above.

Novell network account:

Once you are logged into your Novell account you have access to a personal drive or “G Drive” on the network, where your own files can be stored securely. You also can access various network drives that are available to all students. When you are logged in, these drives can be accessed inside programs such as Microsoft Word by opening “My Computer” on the Start menu. Your professors will let you know if there is a particular drive where they may store class assignments etc. for you to access.
You have already learned how to access this account in Step #1. Your Novell network account can be accessed by simply logging onto a campus computer or logging into Virtual Office at vo.uu.edu.
When away from campus, you can access these drives using Novell’s Virtual Office at vo.uu.edu. For help with using Virtual Office, use the following tutorial - www.uu.edu/computing/virtual_office
If you need assistance while working in the labs on campus, please ask a student worker for help if you are on the Jackson campus or see Tabitha Washburn if you are on the Germantown campus.

Blackboard Learning System: (Updated August 2007)

This is Union's course management software which is used by faculty and student for fully and enhanced online coursework.
You can access the Blackboard system via the Internet at elearn.uu.edu.
Your Login username and password is the same as for the other university systems.
If your instructor has requested a Blackboard course for your class section, and you are registered in that course, you will have access to the course in Blackboard by 12:30 a.m. on the official Start date of the course.
Student course access will be removed at midnight based on the course’s official End date.

Step #3:

Remember to keep your information secure by logging off each time you are finished working.

It is also good practice never to share your password with anyone.

If you are finished using your account at this time, log off now.

If you are logged in on campus, go to the Start menu and click Log Off.
If you are using vo.uu.edu, click the Logout link at the top right; close the browser window.