A portal, on the internet, can be best described as a gateway: a place where you can find information about a particular subject (e.g., garden.com) or a starting place for more general information (e.g., yahoo.com). Portals generally include search capability, easy access to related information and/or sites, and the ability to customize your view of the portal.

What is the difference between the CUNY portal and the CUNY website?

The CUNY portal is a gateway to all things CUNY: college websites, information about applying to CUNY, registering for classes, events, campus directories, etc. While most of this information was previously available, the CUNY portal makes it easier and faster to find what you need. And if you register on the portal, the ability to customize your view will make future visits to the portal more productive.

How do I register/login on the CUNY portal?

Click on the Log-in link at the bottom of the left column of CUNY's portal page. If you have previously registered on CUNY's portal, type in your Username and Password and click on the Log-in button.

If you have never registered on CUNY's portal, select the Register Now link. A new page will display six categories for registration: student, faculty, staff, applicant, and alumni or visitor. Select the appropriate link. Students, faculty and staff must enter their last name, social security number and birth date in order to validate their connection with the university.

Worried about submitting your social security number to register for our site?

Within the portal registration process, we ask for your Social Security Number (SSN) once and only once. By design, this number is transmitted to us under the widely recognized https security protocol the one and only time that you supply it, and it is not stored anywhere in the CUNY portal. Well behind the scenes, we use a complex mathematical abstraction process that allows us to verify that the SSN entered for you is correct. To provide further protection, our process is designed so that it is impossible to re-construct the original SSN once it has been sent to us on that single occasion when you register.

How do I customize my view on the CUNY portal?

To create your customized view you must register and login. A new tab will appear in the upper right hand corner. Click on "My Page" and select one of the "edit" buttons to add or change information.

Can I access my college’s website through the portal?

Yes. From the college dropdown box, you can select your college's portal page. From the portal page you can link to the college website.

What browser works best with the CUNY portal?

The portal is best viewed using Netscape 6.x or higher, Internet Explorer 5.x or higher, with Java enabled, and a resolution of 800x600 or greater. There are known problems viewing the site with Netscape 4.7.x, we recommend you use a later version.

I wanted to view a PDF file, but I got an error message, what do I do?

Some documents have been created as PDF, which require Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can get the free reader at http://www.adobe.com.

I forgot my password. How can I reset it?

Click on "Log-in" link on the bottom of the left menu column of any CUNY portal page. Click on the "Forgot Your Password?" link. Enter your Username where indicated. If it matches an existing account, we will send a new password to your registered e-mail address.

I forget my username. How can I find out what it is?

Registered students, faculty or staff should call their local campus Help Desk. Campus Info. Alumni and Guests can re-register with a new username, but Applicants must click here: Email for more help and fill out the online form.