Password Help

The eCommon login screen

Let's face it: your password is pretty important. Have you ever looked at what information your password actually lets you see?

• Mailing and billing addresses, possibly yours as well as your family's
• Grades and your degree audit
• Your W2, including your Social Security Number
• Billing and Payment history, possibly saved payment methods

Your password is not just for your email! There is a significant need to protect the security and integrity of everyone's account. For this reason, your password at Emerson College must adhere to a set of complexity requirements, and it will expire every 120 days.

You will receive email notifications when your password is going to expire, giving you ample time to change your password. If you fail to meet the deadline, you will be unable to access your account, and will need to reset your password.

Questions? Problems? Can't log in?
Call the Help Desk at 617-824-8080 or email helpdesk@emerson.edu.

If you email, please include the full error message you're getting.

Password.emerson.edu

Change your password on this page.

password.emerson.edu is Password Central at Emerson College. At this page, you'll be able to:

• Read all complexity requirements for your password
• Change your password
• Reset your password (students only!)
• Verify your account

Below is an explanation of some of these functions, and a general summary of what you can expect.

Changing your Password

We know changing your password is inconvenient! But we try to make it as painless as possible. It only takes about 30 seconds and takes effect immediately.

If your password is expiring soon, change it now! You'll get emails beginning at two weeks before the expiration, letting you know you need to change your password. You can also double-check how long you have left here: http://myaccount.emerson.edu/verify

Please note: To change your password, you must know your current password!

Also don't forget: after you change your password, you will need to change it anywhere it's currently saved or utilized (Gmail, for example, if you take advantage of Gmail's Check External Email function). Or, if you use a smartphone, you will need to re-enter your new password there after you change it.

If your password has already expired and you can't log in anywhere, or you've forgotten your password, you will need to reset your password.

Reset your Password

We all get busy. It happens. Maybe you missed the deadline for changing your password. Maybe you don't remember your new, more complicated password. In any case, if you are unable to change your password, you'll have to reset it.

• Students can use the self-reset tool here: http://password.emerson.edu/selfreset.php
• The tool will email an authorization code to the external email address you have specified in eCommon, that you will need to enter into the bottom portion of the page. This code is only good for one hour!

You can also reset your password at any time by visiting the Help Desk in person. Make sure to bring your Emerson ID with you!

If you are a staff or faculty member and need your password reset, you are required to come in person. This is due to the increased amount of confidential information available to staff and faculty.

Having Trouble Logging In?

If you changed your password successfully, but are unable to log in, first check Verify My Account. That will let you know if you have the correct password.

What if Verify says everything's fine, but you still can't log in? eCommon can be fussy with passwords. Below are a few of the most common error messages you might see and how to resolve them.

This is the most common error message when logging into eCommon! Don't worry; this does not mean there's a problem with your password! To fix it, use any browser OTHER THAN Internet Explorer: Firefox, Chrome, Safari. There's a known bug with eCommon and the way it interacts with the code of Internet Explorer. After you change your password, IE will refuse your login, with the message above. If you log in, just once, with a different browser, it will clear the block, and you can go back to Internet Explorer if you wish! Keep in mind, this has the potential of happening every time you change your password if you frequently use Internet Explorer.

If you try to log into eCommon with an incorrect password too many times, your account will be disabled temporarily. This is a security feature. The suspension will clear in a few minutes, so wait 15–20 minutes before trying to log in again. During that time, we recommend going to Verify My Account to make sure your password is right. Keep in mind: The suspension is exponential! Once it says your account has been suspended temporarily, if you keep trying to log in, you will increase the amount of time of the suspension, so leave it alone!

If you get the message above, you probably mistyped your username or password. Try again, or if you're unsure, check at Verify My Account. If you know you're entering the right username and password, and can log into other services but NOT eCommon, call us or email ecommon_feedback@emerson.edu.