Faculty and Staff FAQs - Accounts and Passwords

What should I do if I've forgotten the password for my UNI or email?

Please contact the Information Commons at extension 5-Help, or come to the IC help desk on the 2nd Floor of the Health Sciences Library. We will need valid Columbia ID in order to reset your password.

Why do I have to change my UNI password so frequently? Why are the rules for picking a password so difficult?

If you access your pay stub and employee information on my.columbia.edu, you must change your password every 90 days. Since very sensitive personal information such as your social security number is displayed on this site, maintaining a high level of security by frequent password changes is required. This is also why a certain level of complexity is required when picking your passwords, so it will be hard for any person or program to guess what your password is.

How do I get access to my department's network or computer?

Access to your departmental network or server (generally the logon you will use for your work computer itself), requires that you have a Domain Account assigned to you. A Domain Account Request Form must be submitted online. Anyone requiring a Domain Account must already have a UNI account.

This request must be approved by your Departmental Administrator or other Chair. When the online form is submitted, the DA will receive an automated email requesting approval. They must reply to this email before we can process the Domain Account request.

Please be sure that the proper network drives and/or folders are noted on the form if you require access to these as well. The request should be completed within 2 business days upon receipt of approval by your DAF or Department Administrator, who will be contacted with your logon and initial password once the account is created.

Who gets a Domain Account?

Every person who requires access to network resources is required to get a unique Domain Account regardless of their status (full time, part time, casual, or consultant). Network resources can include a logon to a department's computer and access to a department's network drives.

Can I let someone else use my Domain Account to access network resources?

Sharing of IDs to access network related resources is strictly prohibited in the University. In the event that the user is a casual employee or consultant, a sponsor name is required and that field gets filled within Domain Account.

I've forgotten my Domain Account password, what should I do?

Contact the Information Commons Help Desk at extension 5-Help (212-305-Help). We will need your logon and the name of the Server you log on to. Your logon is typically your UNI, or if it was created a while ago it may be your three initials and then a 4 digit number that begins with a 7 or 9. The Server name should be displayed below the password field on the computer logon window, and is probably the name of your department. If you don't recall either or both of these, we will still be able to assist you.

If you log on to a Novell Client (this will be listed at the top left of the logon window) please call NYP's Help Desk, 4-Help (212-746-Help) as they manage these computers and accounts.

How do I get an account for other programs, like WebCIS or FFE?

Many of the programs that Faculty and Staff access at CUMC require a separate logon, in part because they are managed on separate systems. Please see our Request an Account or Access page for more detailed information.