Your UW NetID

The information below is from a KB in the UW DoIT KnowledgeBase. The link to their KB is also provided at the end of this KB.

A NetID is your username which allows access to University services, such as Office 365 email, MyUW, calendaring, student records, payroll information, etc. The NetID username is not case sensitive when used as a login credential. Your NetID username is randomly generated from University records and typically includes some combination of your first, middle, and last name. Your NetID username is not the same as your campus ID number or your email address.

Eligibility for NetID

Your NetID will remain active for the entirety of your time at the University. It may also remain active after leaving the University, but this depends on your affiliation. For more information about NetID eligibility, please see NetID - Eligibility Policy

Activating Your NetID

New students, faculty, and staff must activate their NetID before it can be used. For instructions on activating your NetID, please see NetID - Activating Your Account.

Students, faculty and staff who leave and later return to the University may need to activate their NetID upon return. Otherwise, if you are still able to login when you return, login to the NetID Modification utility to activate missing NetID services.

Changing your NetID username

Due to the volume of users in our system, there are limited circumstances under which you can change your NetID username. Please see NetID - Changing Your NetID for more information.

Changing your NetID Password and Setting Recovery Questions

If you need to change your NetID password and you know your current password, or if you need to set recovery questions, you can do so at the NetID Account Modification Utility.

If you are unsure of your current NetID password, you can reset your password with the Password Recovery Utility. If you are unable to reset your password using this tool, call the Help Desk at (608) 264-HELP or appear in person at the Onsite Help Desk (7:45am-5:00pm Mon-Fri) to have your password reset.

What if I've forgotten my NetID?

If you are unsure of your NetID, you can obtain it via the NetID Recovery Utility. If you have difficulty recovering your NetID, you can call the Help Desk at (608) 264-HELP or appear in person at the Onsite Help Desk (7:45am-5:00pm Mon-Fri) to obtain it.

NetID - What is a NetID?

Note:  UW DoIT manages UW NetID.

Computer Sciences Computer Accounts, User Names and @cs.wisc.edu Email Addresses

1. All CS employees need a CS account in addition to their UW NetID. Due to integration with the campus email system, new CS accounts can not be created until the new employee has been issued a NetID and has activated their campus email.
   
2. New employees (hired by UW HR) are issued a UW NetID through regular processes.
3. CS HR notifies the CSL of the new employee when the new employee is entered in the HR system
   
4. The CSL will invite the new employee to create their CS account (if one does not already exist) via email to their campus email address.
   
5. CS usernames can by up to 20 characters long, and any available name can be selected by the new employee. Please choose carefully, as this username will be part of your department and professional identify.
6. Your CS email address will be your CS username @cs.wisc.edu, and will be attached to your campus email account as an "alternate address" (email alias). You can select any of your email addresses as your primary email address.
   
7. The CSL will also contact the new employee's supervisor(s) as needed for additional information to complete IT setup for the new employee
   
8. For people not in HRS, we have some special cases that we can use.
   
   Note: questions about CS IT systems should be directed to the CSL via email to lab@cs.wisc.edu
   

Send an email to CS Hiring if you have questions about this UW NetID language.