Keep your account secure. Never share your password.
Forgot your Password?
If you forgot your password, click here, or on the Forgot Password button on the right. If you have registered for Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR), you will be able to reset your password by following the prompts. If you have not registered for SSPR, you will need to contact the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu, 508-793-7745).
Need to Change your Password?
Know your password but need to change it on the recommendation of ITS?
Click here if your primary work device is a Clark-managed Windows computer.
Click here if your primary work device is a Clark-managed Mac.
Click here if you are a student, or if you do not have a Clark-managed computer.
Self-Service Password Reset
Beginning in mid-October, 2024, if you forget your password, resetting your Clark password will be quicker, easier, and more secure. With the launch of Clark’s Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR), you can reset your Clark password anytime, anywhere, without contacting the ITS Help Desk.
How to register for SSPR
To take advantage of this new process, you will need to register.
In late October, 2024, when logging into your Clark account, you will receive a prompt to add more information to your account.
Follow the prompts to choose and set up additional verification methods. Some examples include:
a secondary, non-Clark email
security questions
a phone number
Once two separate methods are verified, you will be registered for SSPR.
In the future, if you want to add, edit, or remove a verification method, visit your Security Information page.
How to reset your password with SSPR
Click on the “Reset your Password” button to the right, click here, or click on the Forgot My Password link on the Clark login page. Follow the prompts to verify your information, and choose a new password. Easy, quick, and secure!
Do I have to use SSPR?
If you have not registered for SSPR and you forget your password, you will need to contact the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu, 508-793-7745) for a manual password reset. From the spring semester, manual password resets will require additional security checks, and you may experience delays getting back into your account, so we recommend that all Clarkies register for SSPR as soon as it is convenient.
Choosing Strong Passwords
A strong password consists of a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters (except for the apostrophe ‘). It should be greater than 14 characters and easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess. Avoid using easy-to-guess information such as dictionary words, names, or common keyboard patterns.
Having a strong password will help protect your account from people who might try and gain access by guessing at passwords people usually chose from (pet names, home towns, family members, etc).
Clark’s password requirements are:
Minimum password length of 15 characters
Cannot be one of your previous five passwords
Cannot contain three or more successive characters from your username, display name, first name, or last name
Cannot contain spaces or non-English characters
Will expire 365 days after it was set
Must contain 3 of the following categories of special characters except for the apostrophe ‘
Uppercase English letter (A to Z)
Lowercase English letter (a to z)
Number 0 to 9
Non-alphanumeric (!, #, $, & , =, etc…)
Tips when Changing your Password
Because we store passwords for so many things, it is not uncommon to experience issues logging in to services for a day or two following a password change.
Think about the services you access at Clark and the devices you access them from before you change your password. Your password will probably need to be updated on each of those devices.
For example, most users check their email on Clark computers, personal laptops, in multiple browsers and on phones. When you change your password, you need to update all of the email programs on each device.
Whenever possible, change your password on campus, with a wired connection.
If you get locked out of your account, don’t despair. Accounts automatically unlock after two hours (assuming wrong passwords haven’t been tried again) or if we are available at the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu, 508-793-7745), we can unlock them right away for you.
