Your SMU Computer Account

All SMU law students have an SMU email account as well as an SMU computer account that provides access to various resources such as the wireless network, the student records system, and numerous research databases. Access to SMU email and other SMU computer accounts requires an SMU ID number (eight numerals without the hyphen) and password. If you have not created your SMU password, go to http://smu.edu/activate and follow instructions to create one.

SMU email addresses

SMU email addresses are usually derived from the first letter of the user’s first name and up to seven letters of the user’s last name, followed by ‘@smu.edu’. So, John Doe’s email address will be jdoe@smu.edu unless that address is already assigned to someone at SMU. SMU’s email address directory is at http://www.smu.edu/search/.

SMU computer password policy

When designating your computer password (not your username, which is your eight digit SMU ID number), keep in mind that it must meet the following criteria:

must be a minimum of 8 characters in length
may not contain more than 3 numbers found in your SMU ID number in the order in which they appear
may not be a password that you have used at SMU before
must contain 3 of the following 4 character sets:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- special characters. Avoid using special characters in your password, since they will not work on the print release keypad in the lab.

Changing, verifying or resetting your password

If you know your password and wish to change it, go to http://smu.edu/password, click on the "Change" link, and follow the instructions.

If you forget your password or get locked out of your account after several unsuccessful login attempts, your password must be reset. You can reset or change your SMU password by following the steps below, but only if you enroll in advance for this “password tool”. To enroll, follow the steps below.

Go to http://www.smu.edu/password.
Click the “Enroll” link.
Type in your SMU ID number and Password and follow instructions to complete the enrollment process.
When you have completed the enrollment process, go to http://www.smu.edu/password and follow the instructions to:
- reset your password,
- unlock your account, and
- change your password.

Personal web pages

Follow the steps below to create a personal web site on the SMU web server.

Go to http://help.smu.edu and log in using your SMU ID number and password.
On the menu at the top, roll your mouse over “Web Services” click the “Personal Web Space” link.
Enter your SMU ID number and Password in the “Personal Web Space Creation Request” form, and click “Submit.” After clicking “Submit”, a ticket will be created for your request, and you will see a reference number.
A web site will be created for you at http://people.smu.edu, and you will receive an e-mail with instructions for editing the site and the site’s address after the site is created.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

SMU's Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure way to connect to SMU's network. If you are outside the law quad, you must use VPN to access "secure" resources such as the student facebook and many of the law library's research databases. Instructions for using SMU VPN on the library's website at http://library.law.smu.edu/Tech/vpn.

Law school email listservs, web site, and extranet

All law students are automatically subscribed to the Dedman School of Law’s alllaw and alllaw-announcements listservs. The law school administration and student organizations use these and other lists to make announcements and expect students to monitor listserv messages.

The law school’s web site (http://www.law.smu.edu) and extranet provide a variety of resources, such as course information, faculty biographies, job postings, student facebook, and the academic calendar. The extranet is accessible from http://extranet.law.smu.edu. Some extranet resources require a password or that you be physically on the law school campus or that you use SMU’s VPN when outside the law quad.