The way your DS account gets created, updated, and deleted depends on what type of user account you have.
Most users will be interested in the sections below on "staff and student accounts". If, however, you are also interested in "special" types of account, such as Temp IT, Limited Access, or Role accounts, please see the last section.
Creation of staff and student accounts
- We will automatically create your DS account based on information from our HR or Student Records systems.
- We will email your username to the personal email address you provide us with.
- We will ask you to set your password.
You will be able to access most services straight away. However, some services may take longer to set up:
- for students: Office Proplus, and most electronic library resources will only be available once you have registered with the University
- for staff: access to Pegasus, and some other systems, depends on you completing your full paperwork with HR, and for this to pass through the system. Please complete all your HR paperwork as early as possible, preferably before your start date
Updating of staff and student accounts
If your individual details change, such as first name, last name, department, then these need to be updated in the HR or student records system. Changes will automatically feed through to your DS account, and will change how your details are displayed in most other systems.
If, however, you want to change your "display name" (the name which appears in the email directory) or if you want to change your email address (for example, because of a change of name), then please contact Information Services.
Visit our password reset page if you have forgotten or would like to change your password.
Suspension and deletion of staff and student accounts
If you're a student, your access to most external electronic library resources will be withdrawn as soon as you complete your course. This is to comply with licensing agreements.
When you leave the University, we will suspend your account. This means you cannot use it to log in or access any services.
- for students, it happens on the first December after leaving
- for staff, this happens on the first working day after leaving
Before suspending your account, we will send you a warning email. We do this:
- for students: two weeks before suspension
- for staff: up to one month before suspension
We will completely delete your account at a later date.
- for students, this happens in early November the year after the account was suspended
- for staff, this happens six months after leaving
Note that suspension and deletion are two different things: both mean that you cannot use your account. However, suspension can be reversed, but deletion cannot.
If you come back to the University while your account is suspended, then you will usually get back your old username and password and access to the services, emails and files you had before. If you come back after your account has been deleted, we'll give you a completely new account and email address.
Creation, updating, suspension and deletion of "special accounts"
The processes for "special" types of user account are more complex. They are described in the table below.
All special accounts are created in response to a specific request from a staff member, to address a specific business need. All such accounts need to have a registered "sponsor" or contact. This must be a member of staff, and will usually be the person who requested the creation of the account.
The way the users receive their username and password differs from one account type to another. If you need more details on this, please speak to whoever is creating the account for you (see "who can create the accounts", below).
| Question | Role accounts | Temp IT | Limited Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can create the accounts? | Information Services Enquiries | Some departmental IT and admin staff. | Nearly all departmental IT staff, and some departmental admin staff. |
| Once the user has got their password, can they change it themselves? | Yes. Visit our password change page for Limited Access and Role Accounts. | Yes, log into Pegasus, then click "Change Password" | Yes. Visit our password change page for Limited Access and Role Accounts. |
| How long can the account be used? | Open-ended | Expiry can be set to maximum of one year | Expiry can be set to maximum of one year |
| Is a warning email sent out, before the account is suspended? | Yes |
Yes, day after expiry (two weeks before suspension). Email is sent to the Temp IT account user. No email is sent to the sponsor. |
Yes, up to four weeks before expiry. Email is sent to the sponsor. No email is sent to the Limited Access Account user. |
| Can the account be renewed? | N/A | Yes | Yes |
| Who can renew the account? | N/A | Check "who can create the accounts?" | Check "who can create the accounts?" |
|
Suspension date (Disables all use of the account, but can be reversed) |
On request to Information Services Enquiries |
Two weeks after the expiry date. The expiry date was set by the person who created or renewed the account for you. |
On the expiry date. The expiry date was set by the person who created or renewed the account for you. |
|
Deletion date (Completely deletes the account, and cannot be reversed) |
On request | Six months after suspension | Four weeks after suspension/expiry |