Passwords and Accounts

This page provides important information about the different accounts and passwords you’ll use at Grossmont College. You may also find guidance on how to reset passwords and troubleshoot any access issues.

 

Three Accounts

Grossmont Students and Faculty have three different accounts/passwords to manage. Each one is used to access different campus systems:

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Self-Service

Students utilize Self-Service to add or drop classes, update contact information, and check term grades. You may also check financial aid status and find course materials.

Faculty will use Self-Service for rosters and term grades submission, among other tasks.

Credentials for Self-Service are emailed to students shortly after applying to the school. Your username is typically: firstname.lastname. You password is initially set to your college PIN. This password should be changed every semester.

Faculty will have their credentials provided as part of the onboarding process.

Self-Service passwords can be reset by the user by following the Self-Service forgot your password link on the main page.

Complexity requirements for Self-Service dictate passwords should be between 6-9 characters in length and include both upper and lowercase letters as well as digits. Attempting to use a password that doesn't meet these requirements will fail.

If you encounter any issues accessing or using Self-Service, please reach out to Admissions and Records/Enrollment Help. Use the "Ask on Zoom" feature to be connected to someone that may assist you. You may also reach A&R by phone at (619) 644-7186 or by emailing Grossmont Admissions.

Canvas

Canvas is the District's Learning Management System of choice. For most courses, students will find course materials and submit their assignments in Canvas.

Your Canvas username is the same as your username for Self-Service: firstname.lastname. The Canvas account password format is listed on the Canvas login page.

Password reset is also available on the Canvas login page. An email will be sent to your personal email address with instructions.

For Canvas-related issues, support channels vary. If you need help with:

  • an assignment, due date, or quiz attempt - contact your Instructor. You may utilize the Inbox function within Canvas, or follow contact instructions provided in the course syllabus
  • how to navigate and use Canvas - see the Canvas Student Support page
  • a technical issue like login or browser errors - you may contact the Canvas 24/7 Support Line at 1-844-600-4953. You may also Live Chat with a Support Agent

Faculty in need of course support please see the Canvas Support for Faculty page.

Campus Account / GCCCD Email

Your campus account might be considered your main account. You will use it to access multiple college systems including GCCCD email. In fact this account is used almost everywhere that isn't Self-Service or Canvas (as explained above).

*Note: Students, faculty, and staff must setup Microsoft Authenticator to use their Campus/GCCCD Email account off-campus.

 

You will utilize your campus account credentials to access:

The username for your campus account is the same as your username for Self-Service: firstname.lastname (@gcccd.edu for logging in to email)). This is true for students, faculty, and staff.

Student passwords are initially set to the College PIN (see Technology FAQs). This password must be changed yearly. You may receive a prompt to update your password when logging in to a campus PC or your @gcccd.edu email. Please do not ignore this prompt if you receive it. If you do so, your account may be locked.

Students may reset their campus account / email password by utilizing Microsoft’s Password Reset tool.

*Note: For security reasons, faculty must contact the Help Desk for password assistance.

 

 

Username Exceptions

Name Too Long or Name Collisions

As indicated above, for most systems your username is simply your firstname.lastname. However, there are a few notable exceptions:

  • if your first name and last name combination is common (e.g., John Smith) it may create a duplicate in our system. In this case, you may have numbers appended to the end of your username -- for example: john.smith47725
  • students with very long names or multiple last names may need to truncate, or cut, their username to 20 characters total (including the "."). Leonardo Michelangelo Donatello-Raphael's username, for instance, would be cut to: leonardo.donatellora
  • in rare instances, the two conditions may be combined. You may end up with a username with truncated digits at the end -- George Lincoln Washington may have a username of george.washington539

*Note: Whatever form your username takes, the password formats are always as described in the Three Accounts section above.

 

Apple Computers

The campus has a limited selection of Apple Mac computers. These are used in specific courses. When logging in to Apple computers:

  • use you main campus account password
  • alter your username by adding @students.gcccd.edu -- for instance: george.washington539@students.gcccd.edu

Zoom Accounts

Students do not need a Zoom account to join their instructor's Zoom Session. Instructors should be providing Zoom links for their students to join.

 

If you encounter difficulties joining or within a meeting, please review the Troubleshooting Zoom Meetings articles on their support site.

 

For Faculty/Staff: Grossmont's Zoom instance is managed by our District Enterprise Computing team. If you are a faculty or staff member and you need a school-linked Zoom account, please reach out to the District IT Help Desk at helpdesk@gcccd.edu

 

Updating or Resetting Passwords

No password is forever. Students and faculty must regularly update their passwords. If you receive a notice to update your email/campus account password, please follow the instructions in our Update Email Password guide.

 

*Note: You don't have to wait until expiry; you may change your password to Self-Service, Canvas, or your main campus account at any time.

 

If you have lost access and need to reset a password, see the instructions in the Three Accounts section at the top of this page.

 

 

Need further assistance?

If you have questions or need clarification about this guidance, please reach out to the Technology Help Desk.