Email and Registering for a name@ucsd.edu address
There are various ways that UCSD graduate students obtain email service. Some obtain computing support and email accounts from their own department. Check with your department to find out if it provides direct computing support. Some students, depending on their major, are eligible to obtain email service from Academic Computing Services (ACS); you can apply for an ACS personal email account using the ACSREG tool found on http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/account-tools. Finally, some students prefer to use the email service of an off-campus provider, for example America Online.
No matter which type of email service you use, you can and should register with ACS/Network Operation to set up a "network username" (name@ucsd.edu address) that forwards mail to your email service regardless of whether that service is provided by your department, by ACS, or by an off-campus ISP.
One of the benefits of registering with Network Operations for a network username is that it will allow UCSD offices to retrieve your address in order to send you potentially important messages about enrollment, financial aid, and other business matters.
If you obtain an email account from ACS, the registration with Network Operations is done automatically. If you obtain an email account from your department, ask your system administrator if the registration has been done for you. If you use an off-campus ISP for email, or are unsure whether or not you have a network username, visit the Network Operations website http://www-no.ucsd.edu and follow the appropriate link to register for a network username; as of this writing the link is titled "Get a Network Username/Password". In this process you should set the Mailbox field to your functioning email address, for example, jsmith@aol.com.
Computing Resources for Instruction and Research
Some academic departments or divisions operate their own computing facilities, which support the instructional and research computing needs of their graduate students. Among these are: Anthropology, Communications, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Urban Studies & Planning, School of Medicine, CSE and Physics. Computing support for graduate students in most other departments is provided by Academic Computing Services (ACS), http://www-acs.ucsd.edu.
Academic Computing Services
ACS manages Unix servers and workstation labs, as well as Windows PC and Macintosh labs to support instruction and student research.
Students enrolled in courses using ACS computers will automatically be provided with a computer account for that course by the instructor. Graduate students in departments supported by ACS who are enrolled in an independent research course (295-299 series) may apply for an ACS account on the web. See the ACSREG tool at http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/account-tools. Applications to request computer time for independent research beyond the basic allocation are available at the ACS Accounts Office.
See the student perspective on the ACS web page, http://www-acs.ucsd.edu for information on several useful topics, including: how to connect your computer to the internet; the campus wireless network; printing services; names and locations of computer labs; where to get help; tips for off-campus ISP users.
ACS Accounts Office
Room 2113, Applied Physics and Math Building, Muir Campus
(858) 534-3227
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
Email: acs-consult@ucsd.edu