Overview
Departments and units within USC can use shared organizational accounts (shared org accounts) to set up and manage shared resources—such as email, calendars, or cloud storage—which aren't tied to any one individual's account. Review this guide to learn more about shared org accounts.
Shared org accounts for general department use
Departments and teams can use shared org accounts to manage Outlook mailboxes and calendars. You can request a shared org account through DTS and designate authorized staff members, who can then use their own USC NetID and passphrase to access shared org account resources. This is known as having delegate access to the shared org account.
For example, your department may need a way to manage general inquiries or calendar events, or your research team may need an email address or calendar to conduct a specific project or study.
Creating or updating a shared org account
At your request, DTS can create a new shared org account or update the user permissions for an existing shared org account:
Accessing a shared org account
Once the shared org account has been created, refer to the following guide to access the shared org account in Outlook and Outlook calendar:
Shared org accounts for shared workstations or for student workers
In limited situations, shared org accounts may be configured with direct login access. In these cases, staff members access shared org account resources using a NetID and passphrase unique to the shared org account, rather than their own USC NetID and passphrase.
A shared org account that uses direct login access must have an account owner—a staff member who is responsible for the account.
Responsibilities if you are the owner of the shared org account
If you are designated as the owner of the shared org account, you will need to:
Shared workstation login
If you have a shared workstation (for example, a lab computer), staff members can log on with their Dornsife Account credentials. If they do not have a Dornsife Account, you can place a request with DTS:
In rare cases, you may need staff members to log into the same account on the shared workstation—for example, to access software used for specialized lab equipment. If this is your situation, you may qualify for a shared org account with direct login access. Due to the security risks associated with shared logins, approval by DTS leadership is required before a shared workstation login can be created.
Student worker access
USC students use Gmail instead of Outlook, so they cannot access Outlook mailboxes and calendars through delegate access.
If you employ student workers and they need to manage or assist with Outlook email or calendaring, you may qualify for a shared org account with direct login access. Remember to update the org account NetID passphrase and Duo anytime a student worker departs.
How to request direct login access to a shared org account
If you meet one of the two conditions listed above (shared workstation login or student worker access), you can place a request:
How to update the passphrase for a shared org account
Change password
If you already know the password for a shared org account, you can change it as needed:
- Open an incognito or private browser window.
- Go to https://netid.usc.edu/account_services/change_password.
- Type your org account credentials (not your own) and click Sign in:
- USC NetID: The org account's NetID
- Current password: The org account's passphrase
Forgot or need to reset password
If you need to reset the passphrase for a shared org account:
- Open an incognito or private browser window.
- Go to https://netid.usc.edu/account_services/forgot_org_password.
- Type your org account credentials and click Reset your password:
- Org Account NetID: NetID_usc_org (for example, if your org account's NetID is helpdesk, your org account NetID is helpdesk_usc_org)
- USC NetID: The org account's NetID (not your own)
Contributor: Trish Kelly.