A knowledge base article about How to Create a Special Purpose Account (SPA) provided by the UC Berkeley IT Service Hub - Knowledge Portal
Overview and Requirements
A Special Purpose Account (SPA) is a functional CalNet ID used for departmental business. Unlike personal accounts, SPAs are owned by a department and managed via CalGroups.
- You must be a current employee (Faculty or Staff) to create a SPA
- Identify at least one additional person to add to the SPA to ensure departmental continuity
- Your new SPA can have a bConnected account, and an email address.
Naming Conventions
Your SPA name (CalNet ID) is permanent once created and must follow these rules:
- Choose a name between 3 and 15 characters
- Start with a letter and use only lowercase letters and numbers
- Avoid using "spa-" as a prefix, as this is automatically added to the display name
- Make the name descriptive of the function (e.g., "geology-admin" rather than a person's name)
How to Create a SPA
- Log in to the Special Purpose Account Admin App
- Select Create New SPA from the dashboard
- Enter your desired SPA Name (the permanent CalNet ID)
- Enter a Display Name (the friendly name shown in the directory)
- Enter a Department Name and a brief Purpose for the account
- Click Create SPA to finalize the request
- Note the Success Message confirming your new SPA and the creation of its associated management group in CalGroups
Once you have created a SPA, check out https://berkeley.service-now.com/itservicehub?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0015445 for instructions on creating an associated email address.