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Accounts and Access

Learn more about your AU system accounts, and access to specialized systems.

How do I create my AU Account?

Every AU student, faculty, or staff member receives a unique user name that provides access to AU's various online resources. If you are new to the AU community, you will need to follow the appropriate instructions below to create your user name to receive access to AU's general systems:

  • Full Time Staff - All full time staff will have their user accounts pre-created by the Office of Information Technology, provided their hiring department submits the hiring action to HR with enough advanced notice. This is part of the Online On Time IT OnBoarding initiative. Full time staff members, who are not hired with enough advanced notice, can follow the .
  • - When a faculty or part time staff member completes the self-service account creation application, they are assigned a user name with access to the AU network, the web portal, email, and Canvas, AU's learning management system.
  • - When a student completes the self-service account creation application, they are assigned a user name with access to the AU network, the myAU.american.edu web portal, an Outlook email inbox, and Canvas, AU's learning management system.
  • - visitors to AU needing wireless Internet access can connect to the AUGuest-byRCN guest wireless network. Visitor accounts are also available at the University Library, for use on the Library public computers.

What are AU's General Systems?

Your AU network account is used to log in to the portal from any computer connected to the Internet. It also allows you to connect to university resources, such as: the wireless and wired networks, printing, file storage, and access specialized services and programs. 

Read more about how to connect on our Network page.

Canvas is a web-based learning management system, available at both and , that provides online support for classes at AU. 

Please note: This system uses your myAU.american.edu username and password.

You can read more about Canvas on the portal.

Faculty, staff, and student e-mail accounts are provisioned through Microsoft Office 365. They can be used most effectively through the Microsoft Outlook client desktop software for Windows or Mac. Your e-mail account can also be accessed via the web at ; or through another secure mail client, such as Mac Mail; or through a mobile app.

You can read more about AU email accounts and other Office 365 applications, as answers to our are posted in our Knowledge Base.

Which AU Systems Require Separate Account Requests?

There are specialized systems for which faculty and staff must make a separate account creation request, as they require additional approvals. These include: Colleague, Informer, MicroStrategy Business Intelligence, and others. To request access to one of these systems, contact the IT Help Desk, as they will contact the appropriate data custodians for approval. Once access is approved, the IT Help Desk staff will create your account and send you information on how to access the system, including any mandatory training.

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