Changing Your Password
This procedure is intended to guide both new Users who are logging in for the first time, as well as existing Users who would like to change their Current password.
For your initial login, please either use a District workstation on campus, or open a web browser and go to the Microsoft 365 Web Portal, which provides access to your District email, and provides web-based access to all of the Microsoft 365 applications including Word, Excel, Teams, and quite a bit more. That login page can be reached at www.office.com.
New employees should receive their User Name, District email address, and the initial temporary password directly from their Reports To Supervisor. The User Name will be the first part of your District email address, which is typically something along the lines of your first initial, followed by your last name, for example jsmith. Once a user has logged in for the first time, using the temporary password provided to their Reports To by the IT Dept, they will then be prompted to create a new, complex password of their own.
When logging in using a District workstation, only the User Name (ie jsmith) can be used. However, when logging in online at the 365 Portal, the full District email address (ie jsmith@sdccd.edu) is required.
Existing users who cannot recall their current password and require a password reset will either need to go to help.sdccd.edu and "Report an IT Issue", or call the ITS Help Desk at 619-388-7000 to receive a temporary password directly from the IT department. You will not be able to reset your password yourself if you do not know the current password.
All District email passwords must be comprised of at least 12 characters, and must include at least three of the four different character-types: Uppercase letters, Lowercase letters, Numbers, or Symbols. The user will first be asked to enter their “Current password” (AKA the temporary password), followed by their new password, and then also to confirm that new password. In many instances, the user will be required to also setup Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) during this process as well. A variety of MFA verification options will be provided to choose from, including a call or text message to your cell phone number, a call to either your Office or Home phone number, or by installing the Microsoft Authenticator App on your cell phone.
There are two methods you can use in order to change an existing password, assuming you know the current password. This can be accomplished either by logging into any District Workstation, or by logging in to the Microsoft 365 Portal at www.office.com:
On a District Workstation:
Once you are signed into a District workstation, hit the Control-Alt-Delete buttons. This will bring up the following options: Lock, Switch users, Sign out, Change a password, Task Manager, or Cancel. Select Change a password. You will first be asked to enter your “Current password”, followed by your new password, and then also to confirm that new password. Additional MFA validation may also be required.
On the Microsoft 365 Portal:
Once you have logged in at www.office.com, click on the Settings icon in the upper-right corner, it looks like a circular gear. Click on "Change your password ->" in the Settings panel. You will first be asked to enter your “Old password”, followed by your new password, and then also to confirm that new password. Additional MFA validation may also be required.