What is a UID?
The Pima UID is the identifier which identifies you inside of all Pima's computer systems. Although the UID may not be the key attribute of the system it is stored in, it is used to associate your accounts between various systems. You may know your UID as your primary email address, your MyPima login name, or your Banner login ID. It is your UID you typically need to know in order to be able to access any student Pima computer system.
How is my UID generated?
Your UID is generated by combining the first letter of your first name with your last name and a number if necessary to ensure uniqueness. All non-alphanumeric characters are removed during this process. UIDs are truncated to 20 characters to ensure compatibility with all Pima computer systems. An example would be John Smith receiving the UID of jsmith256.
How do I change my UID?
Your UID is generated from the data in Banner. In order to have your UID changed you must first have your first and last name corrected in Banner. If you are a student you may do this through student services, if you are a Pima College employee you will need to do this through employee services. Once that is done you may contact Help Desk which will then verify your identity and forward your request to IT Technical Services which will perform the UID regeneration when feasible. Employees with Banner accounts are required to additionally compose an email implicitly requesting a change of their Banner login ID and to fill out the corresponding Banner Form on the Intranet site, detailing the change to be made and whether or not that user is a Web Time Entry Approver to satisfy the requirements of Pima's DBAs. The form must be signed by the supervisor of that department. Without this implicit Banner login ID request their UID regeneration will not be processed as doing so would break Pima's referential integrity between its computer systems.
Can I have a UID of my own choosing?
No. The UID is generated based on an algorithm and the regeneration process is performed by a series of programs which make changes to many disparate computer systems. A custom UID is not a service offered by Pima at this time.
What will I lose if my UID is changed?
Pima endeavors to minimize the data loss incurred through a UID regeneration. That said there are some things that are beyond IT's control. Employees will lose their history in ED, the online book and CBT system. Mail bounces may result from the UID change as mail you have sent may have a return address that may no longer be honored by the student or employee mail system. Group and share access may not work as expected after a UID regeneration. Role-less individuals may lose accounts as a side effect of a UID regeneration. In addition there may be problems resulting from a UID change that IT has not considered or have ever before experienced. Upon requesting a UID regeneration you agree to these losses and risks and do not hold Pima responsible for said losses.
What will I retain if my UID is changed?
Pima will ensure that course registrations, faculty assignments, employment status, and past emails will be preserved in a UID regeneration.
How long will it take to get a new UID?
The process can take up to 2 weeks or more depending on the timing of the request and any complications associated with the request. UID regeneration requests follow a strict deadline based the request and the proper completion of paperwork was received. The request and paperwork must be filled out before Wednesday of that week otherwise it will not be processed until the following week. System problems and software changes and any additional information that may be needed may delay a rename until such issues are resolved. Should your UID regeneration be delayed you will be informed.
After my UID is regenerated how do I find out what my new UID is?
Once your UID has been changed you will no longer be able to access Pima's computer systems using your old UID. You may look up your UID using Pima's forgot UID facility using your A-Number and birth date: https://account.pima.edu/forgotuid. If your birth date information is not available inside the Banner database you will need to contact Help Desk who will provide you your new UID once your identity has been confirmed.