Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

How do I get started using @cal?

All @cal users need a username and passphrase (sometimes called a CalNet ID) to enter the site. If you graduated before May 2009 and haven’t already registered for CalNet, please do so here. All grads from May 2009 to the present were issued a CalNet ID and passphrase as students.


I’m a University employee. Will this change affect my existing CalNet login?

No, you shouldn’t see any changes in your existing CalNet account. Just remember that if you make any changes to your account, they will affect you when you log in as both an @cal member and an employee.


I’m still a Cal student. Can I use @cal?

The Cal Alumni Network is open to Berkeley alumni and current students at the College of Engineering, Haas School or School of Optometry.


What happens if I opt out of @cal altogether?

Once you are removed from @cal, your profile will be excluded from all searches, and it will be hidden from the @cal community and any non-community users who try to access your profile’s URL. We will also remove your forwarding e-mail addresses from our database. You will not be able to re-activate your account without first contacting University Development and Alumni Relations.


Logging into @Cal

What are the CalNet ID requirements?

What is my CalNet ID?

Your CalNet ID is the username you enter to identify yourself to CalNet — UC Berkeley’s gateway to online information services.


What if I forget my CalNet ID?

Go to https://mycalnet.berkeley.edu/account-manager/passphrase/requestReset to find out your account login or reset your passphrase.


What is a passphrase?

A passphrase is a private password used with your CalNet ID to for log into @cal. Your passphrase can be a word, a phrase, or an entire sentence, including spaces, as long as it meets the passphrase requirements. CalNet passphrases must meet campus requirement: https://calnet.berkeley.edu/calnet-me/how-claim-your-calnet-id/passphrase-requirements


What if I forgot my passphrase?

Go to https://mycalnet.berkeley.edu/account-manager/passphrase/requestReset to find out your account login or reset your passphrase.


Private Profile

What is a private profile?

This is your profile in @cal’s alumni directory, and can only be viewed by @cal members. The more information you put in, the better your chances for connecting with friends and making business contacts. Add links to your social media profiles, and be sure to add your photo, too! Many people are more likely to remember a face rather than a name. Don’t be shy.

You can also opt-in to be contacted by current Cal students to provide career advice.


Who sees my information?

The only information @cal members can see is your name, academic information, home city, home state, industry, and job function. Your job title and employer’s name are also visible, but you can change the privacy setting from Community to Friends or Only Me. All of the other information in your profile has the same privacy options — you tell us who should see it, and the privacy setting is on the same page. We want to make it easy!


How do I create a private profile?

It is ready for you to update now! Click Profile and then click Edit to expand each of the four areas: Personal, Home, Career, and About Me. Enter your information, set the privacy setting, and click Save.


My name or academic information isn’t correct, and I can’t edit it. What do I do?

Alumni who have graduated within the last two years:

Log into CalCentral to set a lived name for transcripts and most campus systems. From the homepage that appears:

  1. Click the Profile tile
  2. Select the Personal tab to review/update names

Alumni who have graduated more than two years ago:

Access the eForm to update a lived name for transcripts or update a legal name.

Note: Lived name changes only affect transcripts for alumni who have attended since Fall 2016. Alumni that attended Summer 2016 or prior cannot update their lived name on transcripts.


I earned degrees from other schools. May I enter them in my profile?

Absolutely! Go to the About Me section and click edit. At the bottom, you’ll see Additional Degrees. Enter the information. If you earned more than one degree, you can reorder them by clicking and dragging them.


Public Profile

What is a public profile? Why would I want it?

Think of it as your free online business card. You customize the URL (cal.berkeley.edu/[yourname]), design it, and put in the information you want to share with the world. Your profile can include links to your social media profiles, employment information, and your verified UC Berkeley degree information.

Share your Cal street cred! Add it to your email signature, put it on your resume, and put it in your Twitter bio!


Who sees my information?

It can be viewed by anyone on the web. It will also be found by search engines. You can put it in your LinkedIn profile, your resume, and your email signature.


How do I create it? Where can I edit it?

Go to your Profile.

To create it, click the Create your Public Profile link under your name. To edit it, click the Edit Public Profile link.


Can people contact me?

You decide. You can enter your email address, and we'll display an Email Me link on your profile. No one will see your email address. Be sure to add links to your social media profiles, too!


Can you help me design it?

Sure, we’re happy to help. You can do this — it’s easy and fun.

On the Background tab, select an image or upload your own. Please keep it under 1MB and no larger than 1100 x 760 pixels. You can drag the box on the image. Click the black-and-white icon to change the opacity of the text box and the background color. On the Information tab, add the information you would like to display on the page. Share it!


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