People: Users and Profiles

Instructions for Faculty, Staff, and Students

Click here for a page explaining how faculty, staff, and students can edit their own profiles. The instructions below apply to department staff designated as Profile Managers.

Accounts vs. Profiles

On Department Web Framework sites, a user's account is separate from their profile.  This means that a person can log in to the site and access services without having a profile in the directory (for instance, a student who needs to make an appointment).  And vice versa, someone can have a detailed profile even though they've never logged in (for instance, an emeritus faculty member).

Adding a Profile

Profile Managers are department staff who have the ability to add and edit profiles.  Most units include faculty, staff, and grad students in their directories.  A profile will not be included in the department directory unless a Profile Manager checks the box "Display in Directory."

Available profile fields and who can edit them

Important notes:

  • Not all profiles are published or shown in the main directory. If you try to create a profile that duplicates the name or UW NetID on another profile, you will receive an error message.
  • The UW NetID field must be filled out if you want the person to be able to edit their own profile when they log in and for courses to sync to their "Courses Taught" tab.

Hiding a Profile

To keep it out of the directory, but still have it available on the site, do not check Display in Directory.  This means courses, news, and research can link to this person.

To hide it from public view, so that nobody can access it, unpublish it.

Deactivating a User

When someone leaves the university, the roles associated with their NetID account will change, and they won't have the profile editing privileges when they log in to the site. Their profile will remain on the site in case other content links to it, but it can be excluded from the directory or unpublished. We recommend converting graduating students to alumni profiles.

Granting Editing Access

Department staff can't grant website editing permissions to individual users.  Please write the Arts & Sciences web team at asweb@uw.edu to request access for a new staff member.  We'll contact them to set up a training session and orient them to the website editing process.