Alumni Help Desk FAQs [Wesleyan University]


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Alumni Help Desk → FAQ

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Automatic migration of alumni e-mail accounts is underway. Your password will NOT be preserved unless you take action. More information…

What is my WesID?

Your WesID is your six-digit Wesleyan identification number. You can find it on certain mailings from Wesleyan (e.g. the Alumni Magazine). To determine your WesID please send an e-mail to wesnet@wesleyan.edu requesting your WesID and providing the following information:

your first, middle (if applicable), and last names at graduation
your class year
your full date of birth (MM-DD-YYYY)
your Wesleyan major

What is my username?

If you previously had a Wesleyan e-mail account, your username is likely your first initial followed by your last name. For example, John Wesley ’02 would be jwesley. In some cases it will also include your middle initial.

If you never had a Wesleyan e-mail account your username is likely the first letter of your first name, your last name, and the last two numbers of your class year. For example, John Wesley ’75 would be jwesley75. In some cases it will also include your middle initial.

To determine your username please send an e-mail to wesnet@wesleyan.edu requesting your username (and, if you need one, a password reset) and providing the following information:

your first, middle (if applicable), and last names at graduation
your class year
your full date of birth (MM-DD-YYYY)
your Wesleyan major

How do I get (or reset) my password?

Option 1: Reset it yourself

If you’ve signed up for WesNet you can use the password reset form. Be sure to provide the same non-Wesleyan e-mail address that you used to first register for WesNet. A temporary password will be sent to this address.

If you have not signed up for WesNet you can sign up now and reset your password at the same time. For this you will need your six-digit WesID. Be sure to click I don’t know my username and password when submitting the signup form.

Option 2: Have us reset it

To have us reset your password send an e-mail to wesnet@wesleyan.edu requesting a password reset and providing the following information:

your full name at graduation (including any middle names)
your full date of birth
your Wesleyan major
your preferred non-Wesleyan e-mail address

Temporary passwords

After your password is reset you will receive an e-mail containing your username and a temporary password. We strongly suggest that you change your password as soon as possible by logging into WesNet and navigating to Resources → Password Manager.

I know my password, but how do I change it?

Login to WesNet and navigate to Resources → Password Manager. If you have not signed up for WesNet and you know your WesID you can sign up now.

How do I access my Wesleyan e-mail?

If you know your username and password, the quickest way to get started is to login to webmail. You can also configure an e-mail client for use with your Wesleyan account.

If you don’t know your username and password you will need to sign up for WesNet. This requires you to know your WesID. Your username, e-mail address and a temporary password will be sent to the non-Wesleyan e-mail address of your choice.

How do I manage e-mail forwarding?

To manage e-mail forwarding log in to WesNet and navigate to Resources → E-mail Forwarding. If you do not have a WesNet portfolio yet, you can sign up any time. To forward your Wesleyan e-mail, enter the destination e-mail address in the textbox and click Change. All e-mail that is sent to your Wesleyan address will now be forwarded to the destination address, and not to your Wesleyan Inbox. To cancel e-mail forwarding, click the Delete button. This will delete the forwarding instruction; mail to your Wesleyan account will be directed to your Wesleyan Inbox.

How can I reduce the amount of spam I receive?

You have two main options.

On the server, using SpamAssassin

SpamAssassin filters mail on the server and is activated by default. Only users of full-service accounts can adjust their SpamAssassin settings (i.e. if you forward your mail you cannot change the settings). Adjustments can be made in WesNet under Resources → SpamAssassin. These instructions can be confusing. By default Spam Score is set to 5, Action Threshold to Use Spam Score and Action to Do Nothing.

To make identification more aggressive, decrease the spam score. This makes it more likely that SpamAssassin will treat mail with spammy characterstics as spam.
To take more aggressive action, lower the action threshold. This makes it more likely that SpamAssassin will act on mail that it regards as spam.
We recommend that you set your Action to Move to Spam Folder, but if you want to take a more aggressive approach you can set it to Delete Immediately. Note that spam filtering is not perfect, and more aggressive configuration settings will increase the chance of summarily removing legitimate mail. It’s a judgement call.

On your local machine, using an e-mail client

Many popular e-mail clients have built-in spam protection capabilities that can be of use not just to your Wesleyan account, but to all of your e-mail. Gmail and Mozilla Thunderbird, for example, both provide such protection. By setting up your Wesleyan e-mail account in one of these programs, you will see a dramatic reduction in spam. To do this, access the instructions for the e-mail client you'd like to set up.

How do I access Wesleyan e-mail from my desktop?

Your Wesleyan e-mail account can be accessed by the vast majority of desktop e-mail clients. We have provided instructions for the most popular options.

What e-mail settings do I use?

Please refer to our Client Configuration page for current settings. Note that settings that worked on the old alumni mailserver will work on Cyrus, although the ones we recommend are specific to Cyrus, and are more secure. Also, independently of Wesleyan’s mailservers, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) may block Port 25 for outgoing mail even though our servers would pass through mail sent via that port.

Why is my e-mail account being moved to Cyrus?

The present alumni mailserver is old and will soon be retired by ITS. The Cyrus mailserver is faster, runs newer software and is capable of scaling as demand grows. Please refer to our Cyrus migration page for more information.

How do I migrate my own account?

By logging in to WesNet and navigating to Resources → Cyrus Migration. See our Cyrus migration page for step-by-step directions on migrating your account.

I’m locked out—how do I regain access?

The problem is most likely because you were recently migrated to the new server and your password wasn’t synchronized. You can use the migration password change form to set a new password, based on your old one. See our Cyrus migration page for additional information on the Cyrus migration.

You need your six-digit WesID to sign up. Once you know your WesID, visit the WesNet Signup form and provide the required information. A confirmation e-mail containing additional instructions will be sent to the e-mail account you specify within 10 minutes. See the WesNet Signup page for more information.

Why can’t I see the Alumni Directory?

Alumni since 2000 have a default e-portfolio called WesCareer which provides access to your student information. If you can’t see the Directories or Resources containers, you are probably looking at your WesCareer portfolio. To switch into WesNet, click on the WesNet link at top-center of the page, next to your name. Then, if you want to set WesNet as your default page, click Other Portfolios, select WesNet on the left of screen, then click Set My Primary Portfolio.

How do I access the Campus Wireless Network?

You can access the campus wireless network in one of two ways. You can log in to the network AirWes with your Wesleyan username and password: select the network using your wireless device and then launch a browser and point it to any live web page. You will be redirected to the login screen. Guest accounts can also be created as needed by current students, staff, or faculty members through the primary e-portfolio. Please refer to our Campus Wireless Network page for detailed instructions.

Getting Help

You can submit a support request, or call (860) 685-2525. We attempt to respond to all requests within 48 hours.