An Oxford username and Single Sign-on (SSO) password provides a high security username and password system. It also has a second factor authentication process once set up by the customer. It enables access to a variety of University and departmental web pages and web applications using one set of account details for authentication. It works with any web browser that supports cookies.
Each person has a primary Oxford username and Single Sign-On password which is also known as the Oxford Account. This account will stay with a person throughout their time at the University, and will be re-used if the owner leaves and then returns within 5 years.
The generation of a University Card record is the trigger which initiates the Oxford account creation process. Once the account has been created it has to be activated, which is the process whereby a security question/answer and a password are set for the account. Please note that the password must not be shared with anybody else. The customer must then set up their Multi-factor authentication.
If your activation code has expired, please contact the Service Desk quoting the account name and your card barcode number, and the same code will be renewed for a further 30 days.
Facilities available through the Oxford account will be terminated at University Card expiry (except that student leavers can access their email for an additional month after card expiry, and eVision for a further 11 months).
Please note that a change of affiliation or status does not result in the creation of another account. All we change are email addresses. No paperwork or email is sent.
Account activation details will be sent by letter to new members of staff, visitors and part-time students at their college or department.
The letter will usually arrive within three working days after a University Card is received by a department or college. If it does not arrive please contact local IT support staff in the first instance.
Oxford SSO activation details are emailed to students in advance of their arrival at Oxford. The trigger for this is the process called Final C (this is the University process which confirms that the student has satisfied all the conditions and has returned their signed University Contract agreeing to abide by the University's rules). It culminates with the generation of a University Card record, which in turn causes a new SSO account to be created. For Michaelmas starters, this process begins on 1st July; for Hilary starters on 1st December; for Trinity starters on April 1st.
The email addresses used for this are those registered with Student Records. The quality of this data is a bit variable. Undergraduate applicants often use their school email address, which doesn't work once they have left school. Therefore, known school email addresses are not used to send out activation details. Working email addresses will be requested from college admission officers where necessary.
Some mail systems treat the activation email as spam, so it is worth looking in a mailbox's junk mail folder if the message has apparently not arrived.
