Access to the basics

Your username

Your username is printed on your Student ID Card. You will need this to log into computers on campus, as well as for various other login services. As part of our enhanced security measures, you may also be required to confirm your identity when you log in. 

Your username starts with a letter followed by several numbers, for example s1234567.
Please note: You do not need to include "@bournemouth.ac.uk" when you first log into computers on campus. For brightspace and office.com you do need to add "@bournemouth.ac.uk".

Your password

Please note BU's password protocol requires students to update their password every 365 days. Staff are required to update their password every 60 days

For security reasons your password needs to:

• Be a minimum of 12 characters long (with no spaces)
• Be different to your last 12 passwords
• Include a combination of at least 3 of the 4 character types below:
  • Lower case letter
  • Upper case letter
  • A single digit number (0-9)
  • Special characters (e.g. ! @ # $ % ^ & * () = - {} [] “ ; ? ,
  • Please do not use | or :

We also recommend your password doesn’t contain single words or a recognisable combination of words, letters or numbers or personal details such as your name/initials or date of birth.

Passphrase
We recommend using a passphrase which is a non-familiar combination of words including at least one number and a special character for example 'Us3EnjoyFishingonFridays!' or 'YourCakeL00ksgr8!'.

Please note: After a password re-set you will need to update your password on any mobile devices to avoid being locked out of your account.

Password manager apps
If you're finding it difficult to remember all your passwords try using a password manager app such as KeePass, Dashlane, LastPass or 1password. This type of app can help you to create and manage your passwords. 

Changing your password  

You can change your password as follows:  

• On campus: Press ‘Ctrl’ + ‘Alt’ + ‘Delete’ on any BU computer on campus – and select ‘Change a Password.’  
• On and off campus: Password Reset Tool – After you have registered with BU’s password reset tool, you can request a password reset by using the change password tool.  

If you have any trouble logging in, or you have forgotten your password and need some help, contact the IT Service Desk on 01202 965515, or freephone 0808 196 2332. You will need your student ID and will need to answer a series of security questions.

Never share your password, username or access with others.  

Read more guidance about managing your passwords. 

You can use the Password re-set tool to unlock your account. Once you have logged in select the 'I know my password, but still can't sign in' option and follow the instructions.

If you require further help please contact the IT Service Desk on 01202 965515, or freephone 0808 196 2332. You will need your student ID and will need to answer a series of security questions.

As an additional security measure to help protect your BU account, we have introduced Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to a number of BU systems, including Office 365, Zoom, and Brightspace. Find out more about Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and why it's needed?

You’ll be asked to set up at least one of these methods when you first log in to www.office.com. 

You’ll need to have access to your chosen method (e.g. have your smartphone on you) when prompted to authenticate periodically in the future, or when you’re using a new device (e.g. a PC on campus).

The details you provide will always be kept securely and will only be used for authentication. Further privacy information is available here.

MFA guidance and Frequently Asked Questions

All students have a BU email account. You can access your emails by going to https://outlook.office365.com/. When accessing your BU email account please make sure you are not signed in to any other (work or personal) Microsoft accounts.

You will be redirected to the university sign-in page and will need to enter your BU email address (if not already populated) and password. As part of our enhanced security measures, you may also be required to confirm your identity when you log in. 

It’s really important you check your BU email account regularly. This is where your tutor, programme support team and other university departments will send important updates and information.  

How to access your BU email on your mobile device

You can easily link your BU email account to your smartphone (once you have access to it after registering for your course online). Setting up your emails on your mobile device will allow you to create and read emails on the go. For help setting this up, view the following guides:  

• Android  
• iOS

myHub is BU's online portal for both applicants and students to access information related to their electronic student record. The login details to your myHub account are sent to your personal email account soon after your application has been received. Please note: Your student user name is your student ID e.g. S1234567. 

For applicants, myHub is used to facilitate interviews and open days, as well as to collect supplementary information. It is important that you access and log into myHub regularly for information and communication about your application.    

Successful applicants will then enrol via myHub, and once enrolled, additional content and options become available in your myHub account. This includes online registration, payment of fees, course module selection, access to results and transcripts, management of personal contact information, registration for additional learning support, requests for certificates and registration for award ceremonies.  

It’s important to ensure your contact information is always up to date in your myHub account, including your home and term time addresses, every time your details change or you move.

If you need help logging into myHub, log a ticket with our IT Service Desk or alternatively you can phone them on +44 (0)1202 965515, freephone 0808 196 2332.

Brightspace is your virtual learning environment (VLE) and includes all the information you need to support your studies, including unit information, study materials and study skills resources.   

Complete the Getting to know Brightspace training module to learn about how to use Brightspace and ensure you are fully prepared for your studies.  

For further information on Brightspace visit the Brightspace FAQ page. 

Need help? 

Useful guides can be found on the Brightspace Help page. You can also contact our IT Services team - available 24/7 - if you have any issues logging in or using the system.  

Online learning 

Some of your lectures, seminars and engagements with your teaching team will be conducted online. The Zoom video-conferencing application will be used for lectures and seminars whilst other appointments may take place on Microsoft Teams. Please see the Zoom video conferencing or Free Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus sections for further help and guidance with using these applications. 

Further guidance on using these platforms can also be found on the Brightspace Help page. 

You can also find useful tips for studying online on the Me@BU Online Learning page in Brightspace.

We also recommend downloading Pulse - the mobile app for Brightspace. This app will help you keep track of important announcements and deadlines, and access lecture notes, your course content and your grades, so you can spend less time organising and more time learning. 

You'll find free WiFi across Talbot and Lansdowne campus and in all campus buildings, as well as on our UNIBUS service. If you’re living in a halls of residence building, you will also have access to the internet via a wireless network.  

If you connect to BU’s on campus Wi-Fi using a personal device such as a phone, tablet, or laptop you will be able to access the internet but not any internal BU services such as your H: or P: drive. To print from a personal device please use the email to print service, and for access to other internal BU services please use the Horizon virtual desktop or a BU managed computer.

By connecting to the BU wired or wireless networks, you must abide by the BU Acceptable Use Policy. 

If you are at home or around the local area, you will need an internet connection to access BU systems and log-in services. To ensure a good online experience, we recommend that you use a minimum internet broadband speed of 10Mb/s download, 1 Mb/s upload speed – about 90% of broadband internet connection speeds meet or exceed this. The higher your broadband speed, the smoother and faster video streaming, internet searching, and file downloading will be. A broadband speed of 30Mb/s+ is preferable when there are multiple users.

You can test the internet speed you are getting at various websites like www.speedtest.net or www.fast.com.

The following sofware is available free of charge for students to install on personal device:  

• Microsoft Office 365 
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• EndNote
• IBM SPSS AMOS. IBM SPSS Statistics is required to use this software.
• IBM SPSS Statistics (various Windows and Mac versions)
• MATLAB
• NVivo 
• Unity 3D personal

To access the above please visit the IT Self-Service portal for installation instructions.

Additional software is available to use on personal computers via AppsAnywhere.  

Please note: The list of available software may change depending on whether you are on or off campus.

It’s free for you to download and use Microsoft Office 365 while you are studying. This includes the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft applications, such as Teams and OneDrive.  

• Teams – This app is recommended for collaborative activities and file sharing as well and 1-to-1 sessions/appointments with your teaching staff. For help and support with using Microsoft Teams take a look at these Microsoft videos.  
• OneDrive - gives you one terabyte (1TB) of cloud-based storage. For more information on using OneDrive, take a look at this storing your work information, or read this IT Knowledge Base article to get started. You can also find OneDrive help and video tutorials from Microsoft. 

As a BU student, you’re able to install Office on up to five personal devices, along with mobile applications for your phone.  

Visit https://www.office.com/ and log in with your BU email address and password to get started. As part of our enhanced security measures, you may also be required to confirm your identity when you log in. 

AppsAnywhere is a web-based catalogue that provides easy access to a wide range of applications. AppsAnywhere will automatically open when you login with your student account details on any BU Windows PC across campus. Some applications can also be used off-campus or on a non-BU computer, as long as it’s running Windows 10. Please note: Access to some applications may be subject to the course you are studying.  

For information on how to access AppsAnywhere on your personal computer please follow the instructions in our Setting up AppsAnywhere guide.

Zoom, the online video conferencing app, is available across BU for all students and staff, allowing you to host and join meetings of unlimited length with up to 300 participants at a time.  

Zoom is the main platform for the delivery of your teaching sessions online. You can easily join online lectures and seminars by accessing your unit of study on Brightspace and then clicking Communication > Zoom. From here you will see a list of your scheduled sessions with links to join.

Get started with Zoom: 

• To get started visit https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us from any web browser 
• If you are launching Zoom from AppsAnywhere or from a mobile app, you will need to select “Sign In with SSO” or “SSO” and use “bournemouth-ac-uk" when asked for your domain. As part of our enhanced security measures, you may also be required to confirm your identity when you log in.
• For help with using Zoom, take a look at the BU Zoom User Guide which gives step-by-step instructions on how to access Zoom, how to join and host meetings, and instructions on how to navigate around the in-meeting features. Zoom also has a range of video tutorials and frequently asked questions available on the official Zoom website to help you..
• You can also read the Brightspace guidance for Zoom lectures and seminars.

Security note: Do not forward Zoom invites onto other students – always ask the meeting host to add them to the meeting invite. 

There are various options for connecting to the university from a personal computer in order to use the applications and software available on BU computers – both for timetabled online sessions, and for self-study. The most appropriate solution will depend on the speed of your internet connection, the programme you’re on and the tools and applications you need access to. Take a look through the resources on Brightspace (under Online Learning or the Help Page) to establish the best solution, and to access user guides.

If you are unsure on which IT solution to use, which type or ‘pool’ of computers to connect to, or which applications you might need access to for a specific teaching session, please speak to your programme leader.

Visit our Audio Visual (AV) information site for everything you need to know about the AV equipment available at BU including user guides, videos and cheat sheets. Plus, details of our AV enabled Teams meeting rooms and Panopto our main streaming and video hosting platform.