The University of New Mexico

Frequently Asked Questions

I am new to UNM. What do I need to do first to gain access to UNM systems? (StudentInfo #3057)

The first thing to do is create your NetID.

Please note that that if the Admissions office finalized your application today you will need to wait overnight before your information is added into the database used to create NetIDs. You will be able to create your NetID tomorrow. If by the following day you still cannot create your NetID please contact IT Customer Support Services.

Your NetID is your passport to many useful UNM applications and web pages.

What is a UNM NetID and how is it used? (FastInfo #3058)

The UNM NetID provides students, faculty, staff, retirees, and affiliates access to a large number of campus services. This access can vary depending on an individual's Banner roles.

These services include the following:

  • access email,
  • publish a personal Web page,
  • download UNM software,
  • access the myUNM portal,
  • access various library services,
  • access some parking services,
  • participate in academic programs via WebCT,
  • access employee Learning Central,
  • as well as other UNM computer and network services,
  • with more coming all the time.

The NetID maintenance page is where you initially go to create your NetID or to reset/change your NetID password.

For complete information on the NetID (such as how to choose one, account deletion, policies, and password creation) please see the IT Website.

NOTE: The UNM NetID is not the same Login and PIN that a prospective student creates when filling out an Online Application. If you applied online but have not been admitted yet and would like information on this Login and PIN please contact the Admissions Office at 277-8900. The UNM NetID is also not the same as the UNM ID/Banner ID which replaced the Social Security Number for identification purposes.

How do I obtain a UNM NetID? (FastInfo #1)

You can create your UNM NetID by going to https://netid.unm.edu. Click the blue I am new - I need a NetID button. Follow the prompts to enter your information. You will need your birth date and social security number to complete the application process. International students and faculty who have not yet been assigned a permanent social security number should use their UNM assigned 999 number instead. Be sure to enter both your date of birth and SSN exactly as listed in the format example.

It is important to choose an appropriate NetID. A NetID is the user name you will use to access various systems at UNM, including email. When you create a NetID a UNM email account is automatically created for you with the NetID listed as the first part of your email address. For example, Lucy Lobo chose the NetID of "lucylobo." Her email address is lucylobo@unm.edu. Students, faculty, and staff should create a NetID when they join the university.

Students must have been fully admitted to UNM at least one day prior to attempting to create their NetID. Staff and faculty must have had their information entered by Human Resources at least two (sometimes more) days before attempting to create a NetID.

If you are associated with the UNM Hospital or School of Medicine your NetID is created for you by the Health Sciences staff and they should tell you what it is. If you fall into this group please call the Health Sciences Help Desk at 272-1694. You should NOT attempt to create your own NetID.

What is a valid UNM NetID password? (FastInfo #3559)

This information is about UNM NetID passwords. Hospital IDs have a different standard. Please refer to your hospital documentation for more information.

For a UNM NetID your password must follow the appropriate rules.

If you HAVE NOT been given an Oracle account these are the rules:

  • Must be between 8 and 20 characters in length
  • Must contain characters from at least THREE of the following character sets:
    • Numbers
    • Upper case alphabet letters (A to Z)
    • Lower case alphabet letters (a to z)
    • Any of these special characters: ! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? @ [ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~
  • Must not have any character repeated more than twice in a row (e.g. RR is ok, but RRR is not)

If you HAVE been given an Oracle account these are the rules:

  • Must start with a letter
  • Must be between 8 and 20 characters in length
  • Must contain characters from at least THREE of the following character sets:
    • Numbers
    • Upper case alphabet letters (A to Z)
    • Lower case alphabet letters (a to z)
  • Either of these special characters:
    • _ #
  • Must not have any character repeated more than twice in a row (e.g. RR is ok, but RRR is not)

You cannot re-use a previously-used password.

What are challenge response answers? (FastInfo #3556)

The challenge-response system is designed to help you reset your NetID password if you forget your password.

To enable challenge response you must enter some answers to security questions at the NetID Maintenance page. You must know your NetID and password to enter these responses.

If at some time in the future you forget your password you will be able to return to the NetID Maintenance page and, after successfully answering your challenge questions, be allowed to select a new password.

When can I start using my new NetID? (FastInfo #3423)

There is a time delay before the NetID can be used on certain sites due to "behind the scenes" processing.

Service URL Processing Time
Demographic Self Service

www.unm.edu/dss

 15 minutes or less
FTP Access n/a 15 minutes or less
Help.UNM

https://help.unm.edu

 24 hours
Learning Central

https://learningcentral.health.unm.edu/plateau/user/login.jsp

 24 - 48 hours
myUNM Portal / LoboWeb

my.unm.edu

 1 hour or less
University Libraries

elibrary.unm.edu

 15 minutes or less
WebCT

vista.unm.edu

 1 hour or less
Webmail

webmail.unm.edu

 15 minutes or less
How can I reset or change my NetID's Password? (FastInfo #2)

You may change or reset your NetID's password from the NetID Maintenance Page, even if it has expired.

If you know your current password go to the NetID Maintenance page and click the dard green I know my old password button.

If you have forgotten your password and have previously set up challenge/response answers, go to the NetID Maintenance page and click the red I don't remember my password button. To use this option, you will need to answer your challenge response questions.

Your new password will work immediately on most sites but an exception is WebCT which may take about 15 minutes to update.

If you have forgotten your password and do not remember your challenge-response answers you will need to call IT Customer Support Services to have your password reset. You will have to provide proof of identity (Date of Birth and UNM ID number, or, as a last resort, Social Security Number).

I can't remember my UNM email address, NetID, and password. How do I get a new one? (FastInfo #108)

You will not be able to obtain a new NetID in this situation.

You can find your existing NetID and email address by searching the UNM Online Directory. Enter your name and then click search. If you are listed in the directory you will see your name in the returned list. If you are not listed you can also search on part of your name or use the asterisk (*) to allow for initials and middle names such as (fred*smith); this will return more search results.

When you have found your entry click on your name under the heading NAME. On the next page you will see entries for your email address and NetID.

With your NetID and date of birth you can use the Challenge-Response system at the NetID Maintenance page to reset your password.

I forgot my password for my UNM NetID; how do I reset the password? (FastInfo #4073)

Challenge-Response security questions are set up when you first create your NetID. You can update them at any time using the NetID Maintenance page.

To reset your NetID password using the Security Questions go to the NetID Maintenance page and click the red I don't remember my password button.
  • You will be asked to answer three of your Challenge-Response Security Questions. If you answer any of them incorrectly then the system will select another three from your established questions and present you with a different set of three questions. The more answers you set up ahead of time, the more chances you will have to reset your password through this system.
  • The challenge-response system is the fastest way for you to reset your password.
  • If you are unable to reset your password using Challenge-Response please call IT Customer Support Services.

To change your security questions click the gray Change my security questions button near the bottom of the NetID Maintenance page. You must know your current password to change your questions.

How long after graduation will my email account be deactivated? (FastInfo #135)

Account activation is based on registration, not on graduation. Typically accounts stay open one year after the last completed semester. If a student is not registered for three full semesters and has no other active role at UNM (such as staff or affiliate), on the first day of the fourth inactive semester the student's NetID is marked for deletion. Following the standard sixty-five day deletion cycle the NetID and associated email account is locked seven days after the initial "marked for deletion" date.

For example, if you last took a class in Fall 2009 your account would remain active through the Fall 2010 semester. If, on the first day of the Spring 2011 semester, you are not registered for classes and don't have any other active role at UNM, your NetID is marked for deletion.

Accounts are rarely extended after the one year grace period. At this time UNM does not provide email accounts for alumni. However, if you have a continuing association with UNM, you may be able to extend your account.

How long can I keep my UNM email account after I leave? (FastInfo #2062)

Your UNM email account is directly tied to your UNM NetID. When you no longer have an active role in the Banner system with NetID privileges, your NetID gets marked for deletion.You will no longer be able to access your email account and other NetID based services after the 7th day and the entire account will be deleted on the 60th day. Please see FastInfo #6269 for specific details on what happens during the 65th day deletion cycle.

When are Banner roles dropped?

Students
If a student completes a class, a role of continuing student is added to their Banner record. Having this role allows graduates to keep their account access for one year to transition to professional life. The continuing student role will drop off after 3 semesters if no other class is completed. Having this role allows graduates to keep their account access for one year to assist them while they transition to the next phase of their professional life. For more details on student eligibility, please see FastInfo #135.

Alumni
There are no alumni roles with NetID privileges at this time.

Retirees
UNM NetID remains active permanently. The NetID is considered a retiree benefit so it will automatically be continued. The retiree does not need to do anything to continue the account. If the retiree has email on another UNM system, such as GroupWise, the retiree should contact the email administrator for those systems. This can be done by contacting IT Customer Support Services.

Staff and Faculty
Staff and Faculty who leave for a reason other than retirement, or who are terminated will lose their roles once the separation process is completed in Banner by HR/Faculty contracts.

What happens during the 65 day NetID deletion cycle? (FastInfo #6269)

Your UNM NetID will be marked for deletion as soon as you have an inactive Banner record or none of your remaining Banner roles have NetID privileges. For staff members the Banner record usually becomes inactive the day after the employee's last official day -- but this date may vary depending on circumstances. Students should see FastInfo #135 for an explanation of when their Banner roles become inactive. After the UNM NetID is marked for deletion it will go through a sixty-five day deletion cycle.

What happens during the 65 day deletion cycle?

First day of 65 day deletion cycle
UNM NetID is marked for deletion because the account owner no longer has an active role in Banner. Learning Central account is no longer accessible. Owner can continue to access email and LoboWeb through MyUNM for transcript or payroll information. Note: Students must have an active role on Banner to register for classes.

After the 7th day of the deletion cycle
UNM NetID (and associated email account) is locked. email continues to be delivered so rules on email forwarding and vacation type auto-reply messages remain active. Former staff members who want to access their account after the 7th day will need to get approval from Human Resources.

On the 60th day of the deletion cycle
The UNIX and Communigate accounts are deleted along with all contents. Note: Due to storage issues Information Technologies (IT) is unable to restore email if more than 4 days have passed since files have been deleted. Any email sent to the account is returned to sender with a delivery error stating the account does not exist.

On the 65th day
UNM NetID is deleted and the name is placed on a reserved list so it is not reused. Any email sent to the account is returned to sender with a delivery error stating the account does not exist. There is no longer any way to connect to LoboWeb within MyUNM. Transcript and payroll information must be requested directly from Records or Human Resources.

Main campus GroupWise (ends in @unm.edu)
Account is manually deleted after the UNM NetID is deleted on the 65th day.

How can I request my old NetID back? (FastInfo #6158)

In most cases IT Customer Support Services can reinstate old NetIDs if the former owner has returned to UNM in some capacity and now has an active role in Banner. Using a previous NetID is especially recommended for staff and faculty who will need to access Banner as part of their jobs. If you are NOT returning to UNM but would like to get transcript information please go to the Registrar's page on requesting a transcript.

For those returning students, staff, faculty, and UNM affiliates who would like to request their old NetID back contact IT Customer Support Services and provide the following information:

  • Old NetID
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Current Email
  • Current Telephone
How do I transition away from using my NetID when I leave UNM? (FastInfo #6272)

UNM NetIDs do not last forever. If your active role(s) in Banner will be ending soon your UNM NetID will be marked for deletion and you will be locked out of using the account. As part of their transition away from the UNM NetID system, UNM NetID owners may want to do one or more of the following tasks before their last day.

  1. Open a new email account elsewhere and set up email forwarding from the UNM account to the new account. Instructions on email forwarding can be found in FastInfo #404.
  2. Set up an auto-reply vacation type message (FastInfo #405) to let contacts know the account will be closing.
  3. Move to another storage area any unix files you want to keep. Instructions on using FTP to transfer files can be found in FastInfo #68.
  4. Forward to your new account any email messages you want to save. If you are not sure how to do this, please see instructions attached to this answer.
  5. Save copies of unofficial transcripts (StudentInfo #1895).
  6. Save copies of Learning Central history (FastInfo #1575).
  7. Save copies of your UNM payroll information.
What's the difference between UNM NetID and UNM ID number? (FastInfo #2311)

UNM ID Number

  • This uniquely identifies each student and employee in the main accounting and academic systems (also know as Banner). Your UNM ID number is a nine-digit number that is assigned to you automatically when your Banner record is first created.
  • For security reasons the use of social security number as an identifier in UNM administration systems is being phased out and is being replaced by the UNM ID number.
  • The UNM ID is also sometimes referred to as the Banner ID.
  • For directions on how to find your UNM ID please see FastInfo #1573.

UNM NetID

  • The UNM NetID is used to access a variety of systems on campus including WebCT, myUNM, and Learning Central. All current UNM students, faculty, staff, retirees, and affiliates (including University Hospital and Health Science Center personnel) are eligible for the UNM NetID.
  • Main and branch campus students, staff, faculty, and affiliates create their own UNM NetIDs online. UH and HSC students, staff, faculty, and affiliates will have their NetIDs created for them by the HSC Help Desk to closely match their HSC NetIDs. All NetIDs must be 2 to 8 characters in length. Once it is created it cannot be changed. The associated password is 8-20 characters long and can be changed by the owner at any time.
  • The UNM NetID automatically comes with a UNM email account. If your NetID is fred the associated email address would be fred@unm.edu. Most students, staff, faculty, and affiliates with main or branch campuses will use the email address associated with their UNM NetID as their primary email address. Some areas of UNM such as the Law School, Computer Science Department, and the Gallup Campus may use their own email system as well.
  • University Hospital staff will usually only use their UNM NetID for Learning Central access.
  • For directions on how to obtain a UNM NetID please see FastInfo #1.

HSC NetID

  • University Hospital (UH) and the Health Sciences Center (HSC) have an additional login called the HSC NetID. This account allows access to GroupWise salud email, file services, and various medical systems. HSC/UH staff and faculty are required to have the HSC NetID email accounts as their primary email address. The email address ends with @salud.unm.edu.
Why do I have to change my NetID password? (FastInfo #3558)

As a security measure all users must change their UNM NetID passwords at least once every 180 days (six months). The UNM auditor requires this to protect your confidential data and to reduce the risk for an unauthorized person gaining access to UNM computer systems or your personal information.

Go to the NetID Management page to change your password. Click on the green I know my old password. You can use this program even if your current password has expired and your account is locked.

You can check when your password will expire on this page as well. Click the When does my password expire button at the bottom of the page.

UNM will never ask for your password to your NetID, even during a password reset. If you receive an email asking for your password contact IT immediately or forward/write to security@unm.edu. Known fraudulent emails and other issues are posted at http://italerts.unm.edu/.

How do I request a guest account for a UNM visitor? (FastInfo #6275)

A Guest NetID provides basic -email and network access.

If the visitor will be needing other services such as Learning Central or LoboWeb access, the guest NetID will not provide that access. Instead, the sponsoring department should request an affiliate role in Banner for the visitor. Once a Banner role is created the visitor (affiliate) can create a UNM NetID online the following day. For information on requesting an affiliate role please see FastInfo #6276.

As of September 2011 requests for individual guest NetIDs are submitted online by a department contact person using the self service option in Help.UNM. To submit the request for an individual guest NetID the department contact needs to login to Help.UNM and complete the following instructions.

  1. Log in to help.unm.edu with your UNM NetID and password.
  2. Click New Request near the upper left side of the page.
  3. In the step #1 box, verify that your contact information is correct. If you want to be contacted at a different phone number, enter it in the Alt. contact info field. Click Continue to proceed.
  4. In the step #2 box, go to the last option for location and click the Building not applicable for my request checkbox. Click Continue to continue.
  5. In the Step #3 box, select the following categories under the OR heading:
    Business Line: Accounts & Access
    Category: NetID/Active Directory
    Service: Individual Guest NetID
    Request Type: New
    Important - Click Continue at the bottom right corner of Step #3 to proceed.
  6. In the Step #4 box, Be sure to enter a brief summary of your request in this field to prevent an error message.
  7. At the Approver Information heading, search for the UNM department chair or program director's name by clicking on the binoculars icon to the far right of the Name line. Your screen may go dark. Scroll up to the gray form and enter the director's name in the field. Follow the rest of the search steps to select the correct name.
  8. Follow the rest of the directions on the specific form. Click Save at the bottom of the page to complete your request.

After the request has been saved, the information goes to IT to review. For Individual Guest NetIDs, an approval request email will be sent with instructions to the email address listed under Approver Information.

When IT receives the approval, the creation process will start. The requestor should be ableto track the status of their request by logging in to Help.UNM.

Can I increase my UNM disk quota? (Fastinfo #136)

Your UNM NetID comes with a disk quota of 50MB of file storage.

As of 2007, upon request, departments and chartered student groups may increase their disk quota by 50MB. This amount is never to exceed 1GB and increases are granted only when additional space is crucial. Personal accounts may not exceed 200MB. If a department needs more than 1GB of space IT can provide this space for a fee.

Departments can submit a new request in Help.UNM using the following categorization:

Business Line: Accounts & Access
Category: NetID/Active Directory
Service: Department NetID or Student Club NetID
Request Type: Modify
Modify Type: Other

Disk quota cannot be increased past 50MB for students.

If you are a staff member you can ask for a temporary increase in the limit for your disk quota. This will normally require a supporting letter from your department. To request a change in disk quota please contact IT Customer Support Services (contact information is at the bottom of this FastInfo answer) and they will submit a ticket requesting an increase. You must include the reason for the needed increase.

If you are unable to get more space allocated you will need to delete some existing files.

  • You will need to use SSH (See FastInfo #1149) to connect to your Linux account. At the command prompt, you can type, quotas to see whether the problem really is a lack of space.
  • A few of the more common commands to find which files are taking up space are:
    • ls -alrS to show files in the current directory, listing small to large by size.
    • du -k to show a list of the current directory structure, with the size of each subdirectory listed.

For information on increasing your UNM email quota please view FastInfo #4879.

How do I check my disk quota (file and web page storage space)? (FastInfo #1149

In order to view your disk quota space use the SSH (Secure Shell telnet) client found on the IT Downloads page to log into your UNM account. At the % command prompt, type quotas and press Enter or return. This will display three amounts, in kilobytes:

Current quota allocation
Current disk usage
Disk space still available

NOTE: Your disk space quota is fully separate from your email quota. To check your email quota please see FastInfo #1038, How can I check my e-mail usage (quota)?

Why do I get the error, "Account Disabled" when I try to log in to the MyUNM Portal? (FastInfo #2218)

This error occurs when the account is disabled due to too many incorrect password attempts. The account will automatically be re-enabled after 15 minutes and you may try to log in again. If you are unable to log in after 15 minutes please contact IT Customer Support Services.

What kind of computer services are available to chartered student organizations? (FastInfo #4790)

All chartered student organizations at UNM are eligible for club NetIDs, Group Studio accounts, and electronic mailing lists (listservs).

First ensure your organization has completed the charter process and been approved by Student Activities. You can find more information on this proces online at Getting Chartered As A Student Organization.

After your organization is chartered follow these instructions using Help.UNM self service to submit your student club NetID request. Your organization will be able to request an optional website at the same time as the NetID.

Once the club NetID is created your organization can start using it for email. The club NetID works the same as your personal NetID. Your club email address will be your club NetID@unm.edu.

If your organization also requests a website, instructions will be sent after it is created. See FastInfo #898 for more information.

You can use your club NetID on MyUNM to access email and set up a Group Studio account. Group Studio is a portal program that allows your group to do the following:

  • post announcements in MyUNM for group members
  • share news, photos, links, and files
  • calendar
  • message board
  • email

All group members must have their own UNM NetIDs. To request this account log in to MyUNM with the club NetID. In the upper right corner of the page click on the Groups icon to open the dialog box. Click the Create Group tab to get to the request form. Complete the form and click the Create Group form.

Information on managing a Group Studio account can be found at Group Studio Administration Guide.

Your group can also request an electronic mailing list which is often called a listserv. Requests for a new listserv can be submitted using Help.UNM self service. See FastInfo #114 for more information.

How do we get an email or website (NetID) account for my College/Department? (FasInfo #2150)

Departments needing a NetID (which is required for an email account and website abilities) can request it using Help.UNM self service. Find instructions online.

How do I reset my Active Directory password? (FastInfo #5834)

As of November 22nd, 2009, Active Directory (AD) accounts were synchronized with UNM NetID accounts. Any password change/reset, deletion, creation, or modification to a NetID account will synchronize with the user's AD account.

If you need to reset your AD password you may do so via the NetID Maintenance page. After you have successfully changed or reset your NetID password it will synchronize your new password with your AD account. For more assistance with your NetID password please see FastInfo #2, "How do I change or reset my NetID password?"

AD users will no longer be able to change their passwords using Ctrl+Alt+Delete on a Windows machine.

Users who do not already have AD accounts will NOT have one created for them until their NetID has been modified. Once a modification takes place the NetID account will populate an AD account under the same name and synchronize the two passwords. New NetIDs will automatically create the user's AD account. You may modify your NetID at the NetID Maintentance page.

How do I get Learning Central access for a visitor? (FastInfo #6276)

Some services such as Learning Central and LoboWeb require specific roles in Banner. Guest NetIDs CANNOT be used to access these systems. If the visitor is not going to be listed as regular staff, student, or faculty, the sponsoring department needs to request an affiliate role for the individual from the appropriate UNM data entry center. After the Banner record is created for the affiliate and the role assigned, the following day the affiliate will be able to create their own UNM NetID online. See FastInfo #1 for more information.

The data entry centers include the following:

HR Service Center - Processes the following Affiliate roles:

AFIL_CONTRACTOR_MEDICAL - Locum tenens contracted to the University

AFIL_STAFF_UNM_FOUNDATION - UNM Foundation staff members

AFIL_STAFF_UNMMG - UNM Medical Group staff members

AFIL_UNIVERSITY_VIP - University VIP

AFIL_CONTRACTOR_LRN_CTRL - Learning Central Access for individuals not automatically provisioned for Learning Central

AFIL_STC - stc.unm

Download an HR Service Center request form.

Faculty Contracts - Processes the following Affiliate roles:

AFIL_FACULTY_CNM - CNM Faculty (teaching introductory studies)

AFIL_FACULTY_LAT - Letter of Academic Title (LATs)/Adjunct faculty

AFIL_FACULTY_LAT_INTL - International Letter of Academic Title (LATS)/Adjunct faculty (never on campus)

AFIL_FACULTY_VOL_LC_NO_LC - Preceptors, NetID, Library, and Learning Central privs but no LoboCard

AFIL_REGENT - University Regent

AFIL_ACADEMIC_COLLEAGUE - Visiting academic colleague; not a LAT

AFIL_VOLUNTEER_KUNM - KUNM Volunteer

Download a Faculty Contracts request form.

School of Medicine, Academic Affairs - Processes the following Affiliate roles:

AFIL_FACULTY_VOL_ALLPRIVS_HSC - Preceptors / volunteer faculty in an HSC organization; full privileges

Download a School of Medicine, Academic Affiars request form.

How do I change my Windows password? (FastInfo #6425)

There are three types of Windows accounts applicable to IT workstations: domain (AD), local and NDS (Novell).

Domain accounts (AD) are user accounts associated with the Colleges domain (primary Active Directory domain hosted by IT). Domain accounts are synchronized with your UNM NetID to allow single sign-on for many of the resources you commonly access (myUNM, Banner, Webmail, Windows login, SharePoint, GroupWise, etc.). This means you can use the same username and password for each of these technologies.

Local accounts are created locally on your machine and only provide access to your local machine for authentication. Local accounts are not used for any function and are not managed by IT.

NDS accounts are associated with Novell directory servers hosted by other UNM Departments.

Changing your Domain account password
Because Domain accounts are synchronized with your UNM NetID, you change or reset your domain account password at the UNM NetID Maintenance page. This will change both your NetID password and Domain account password. Please find more information in Fast Info, How can I reset or change my NetID's Password?

Changing your local account password
While logged in to a Windows session on your local machine, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Change Password. A window will prompt you to enter your old password and enter your new password twice. After you are finished click OK. Your local password is now changed.

Changing your NDS (Novel Directory Services) account password
Please contact your Novell server administrator for password maintenance. Not GroupWise or GWInstant Messenger.