Information for IT Support Staff

Technical Information for IT Support Staff

Technical help for IT support staff

IT support staff in Schools and Centers should contact ISC Client Care with PennKey-related technical questions and concerns.

Requesting Guest PennKeys

Guests of the University can be sponsored for Guest PennKeys. For more information, see How to Sponsor a Guest.

Guests of the Perelman School of Medicine and/or UPHS should have their sponsor
submit a request to PMACS, the IT group at PSOM, to request a Guest PennKey.

Holding a PennName for new faculty and staff

IT support staff are often asked to create system accounts on PennNames-compliant systems in advance of the arrival of a new faculty or staff person. Department Business Administrators can enter a future hire date for their incoming faculty and staff person in the Workday system, and that will create a corresponding record in Penn Community.

Then, working with the new incoming faculty or staff person, the IT support provider can use the ‘Hold’ function in the
PennNames web application to preselect an agreed-upon PennName which will become the user’s PennKey username.

IT support providers should contact their local PennKey Administrator as those individuals often have access to the PennNames web application, else they can contact ISC Client Care to request access to the PennNames web application.

PennKey letter text

Most incoming students receive their PennKey information electronically; letters will continue to be mailed for some graduate and professional students determined by their school's admission process.

Sample letter:

<Date> template for new students to be mailed in spring

<Full Name> 
<Address line1>
<Address line 2>
<Address line 3>
<Address line 4>

Dear New Student,

Welcome to the University of Pennsylvania. To log in to many critical electronic services at the University, you will need to select a username known as a "PennKey" and create a password to protect it.

At the bottom of this sheet you will find your 7-character PennKey Setup Code, required to create your PennKey and password. We recommend that you create your PennKey and password as soon as possible. Your Setup Code will expire 60 days after the date of this letter.

How to create and test your PennKey

Navigate to the PennKey home page: http://www.upenn.edu/computing/pennkey/.
On this page, click "Register my PennKey".
On the login screen, enter your PennKey Setup Code, the last four digits of your 9-digit U.S. Social Security Number (if you have no U.S. Social Security Number, enter the last four digits of your Penn-assigned 9-digit identifier), and your birth date.
Follow the prompts to create your PennKey and password. Do not share this password.
Return to the PennKey home page and test your PennKey and password by clicking on "Test my PennKey" and following the prompts.
If you need assistance or further information, send email to pennkey@isc.upenn.edu or visit http://www.upenn.edu/computing/pennkey/. To request a new Setup Code (only needed if your code has expired), visit the student PennKey Administration Station on campus at 221 Franklin Building or use the Setup Code Service by visiting https://pennkeyrequest.apps.upenn.edu/pennKeyRequest/jsp/fast.do.

=========USE YOUR PENNKEY NOW =========

Access Penn InTouch, your personal gateway for registration, financial and other student data.

Take care of some 'Must-Do' items now at http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/mustdo/

PennKey Setup Code and Penn ID - What they are and when to use them:

PennKey Setup Code . This is a 7-character code you need in order to set up your PennKey, using the procedure above. After step 4, please discard the code - you will not use it again. Your PennKey uniquely identifies you, and is used in conjunction with your PennKey password to establish your identity to many electronic resources.

Penn ID . This 8-digit number is a persistent, unique identifier for you at Penn. It will be used in place of a Social Security Number whenever possible - please keep track of it. There is no password associated 
with your Penn ID.

PennKey Setup Code: <#######>
Penn ID: <########>