Student Computer Accounts
UserIDs and Passwords
userID
Every student enrolled at Binghamton University is assigned a userID. The userID is used for all host systems and is retained throughout your stay at Binghamton University. The userID is also used as the first part of your e-mail address.
Passwords
Students may have several different passwords to access a variety of systems. All students will have a BINGSUNS and a PODS password. PODS passwords are used for accessing Blackboard, computers in public areas, classrooms, the campus libraries, wireless, Campus Manager, changing your BMail password, and for releasing print jobs from the Pharos laser printing system. Password rules can be found in the password reset application.
The BMail password is separate from the PODS password and is maintained by Google. See below (E-mail Accounts) for information on how to reset your BMail password.
Computer Accounts
BINGSUNS Account
Every student is assigned a general access account on BINGSUNS, the central Unix server. You will use your userID and your BINGSUNS password to access your BINGSUNS account. This account can be used for academic work requiring a Unix operating system, for personal web pages and for reading e-mail with pine. The general access account remains active for six months after you leave the university.
PODS passwords are synchronized with BINGSUNS passwords, thus changing your PODS password also changes your BINGSUNS password; however, changing your BINGSUNS password does not change your PODS password.
E-mail Accounts
An e-mail account is assigned to every student which gives them a BMail/Google Apps account. Before logging into BMail/Google Apps for the first time, the BMail password has to be set. To do this, go to https://password.binghamton.edu and follow the instructions. To set the BMail password students will need their POD userID and password. The POD userID is the prefix before the @binghamton.edu. Students who don't know their POD password can reset it as well by going to https://password.binghamton.edu.
Information Technology Services recommends that you use the web interface to BMail (http://bmail.binghamton.edu/); however, the mailbox can be accessed with a mail client of your choice (Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Outlook and so on). Students who graduate from Binghamton University may keep their BMail account for life.
BlackBoard account
Blackboard is a Course Management System that provides a powerful and easy-to-use suite of tools for instructors to build and manage virtual classrooms. Students enrolled in courses where the instructor is using the Blackboard course management system will automatically be assigned Blackboard accounts. You will use your assigned userID and your PODS password to access Blackboard at http://blackboard.binghamton.edu. More information about Blackboard can be found in the Blackboard documents.
Obtaining Computer Account Information with BU BRAIN
BU BRAIN Self Service is an online application designed to give students, faculty, and staff convenient access to campus tools and services. To access BU BRAIN you will use your PODS userID and password; however, to get your PODS userID and password initially, you first need to reset your PODS password. To do this go to BU BRAIN, click on PODS Password Reset, then enter your B-number and PIN (which you should have received when you applied for admission). Anytime you want to reset your PODS password you can always go back again to BU BRAIN.
Difficulties with computer accounts are resolved at the Help Desk.
