SPA Direct Membership vs. Delegated Access
Special Purpose Accounts (SPAs) offer two distinct levels of access. Use the information below to determine which role is appropriate for your users.
Direct Members
Direct Members are active campus employees, affiliates, or students who have full administrative access to their CalNet SPAs.
- Direct members can add or remove other Direct Members in CalGroups (this action is restricted to employees).
- Direct members can give access to SPA-affiliated bMail accounts using the Delegated Access method.
- Members can log directly into the affiliated bMail account to send emails from the SPA.
- Members can create a bConnected key to access the affiliated bMail account from a mobile device (contact bconnected@berkeley.edu for assistance).
- Each CalNet SPA can have any number of Direct Members.
- Service providers or users may email important information to the SPA email account. Ensure you are seeing these emails by forwarding them to the correct members or by checking the delegated email account regularly.
- The department, not an individual user, owns a SPA.
Delegated Access
Users with Delegated Access have limited access rights to the SPA. This role is primarily used for shared email handling.
- Users can access the bMail account affiliated with the SPA via their own personal bMail account.
- Delegates can send email from the SPA-affiliated bMail account.
- Delegates cannot manage membership in CalGroups or delegate access to others.
- The bMail account is owned by the department, not the user.
SPA Roles and Access Comparison
| Feature | Direct Member | Delegated Access Role |
|---|---|---|
| Access Level | Full access and control of the associated bConnected account. | Limited access. Cannot log in directly to the account. |
| Visibility | Can see all bConnected properties and settings. | Can only view the account via the dropdown menu in their personal bMail. |
| Services | All services that accept a CalNet ID. | bConnected (Email) via personal bMail only. |
| Setup Method | Managed via the SPA Admin App. | Managed within Gmail/bMail settings. |
| Purpose | Collaboration and authentication. Allows sending mail directly as the SPA. | Read/send mail. Sender shows as "SPA@berkeley.edu (sent by user@berkeley.edu)". |
Note on Calendars: It is not possible to share a Calendar with a Delegated Access role. For calendar sharing options, please contact bconnected@berkeley.edu.
Contact Us
To create SPAs and manage membership, use the Special Purpose Accounts Admin App. SPAs are intended for collaboration and sharing. SPAs, their contents/data, and the shared email account are owned by the institution and the primary department of the employee who created the account.
If you have any questions regarding SPA CalNet IDs, contact itcsshelp@berkeley.edu.