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5 UW & SAFS


The information in this section will help new students and staff get acquainted with the resources available to them.

5.1 UW NetID

Your UW NetID is your personal identification for using secure UW online resources. A UW NetID is required of everyone associated with the University of Washington who plans to use online central administrative and computing services. These include Web pages to:

  • Register for classes and thesis/dissertation credits.

  • Check your personal information (student grades and schedules, employee payroll records and benefits files).

  • Set up UW email accounts with forwarding options, along with other computer services.

To create your UW NetID, please click here. Please keep in mind that your NetID will also be your UW email address, so choose an ID carefully (you will be limited to 8 characters).

5.2 Husky Card

You will need to get a Husky Card, which acts as your university ID, as well as your library card, U-PASS, and after-hours building access key. Your Husky Card also admits you into the Intramural Activities Building (IMA) and grants you free admission to the Henry Art Gallery and the Burke Museum. You can get your Husky Card from the Husky Card Account & ID Center, located in the ground floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library. Note that you will need to have your UW student ID number and a U.S. state- or federally-issued photo identification with you (eg, a driver’s license or passport).

5.3 MyUW

MyUW is your personal portal to University of Washington information. It is an easy-to-use tool for finding student and employee resources. You can personalize MyUW to fit your needs by including or excluding the services you see listed. Your UW NetID and password are required to log in.

5.4 IT

The UW IT Connect group can help with a lot of general IT questions about email, calendars, and software. Yo can find a list of their services here.

SAFS used to have its own IT support as well, but those service have since been consolidated at the College level into the Environment Shared Information Technology Services (eSITS). To get help with a local IT problem, you can file a ticket request here.

5.5 Email

If you prefer to use a non-UW email account primarily (e.g., Gmail), you can forward all of your UW email by updating your preferences on MyUW. However, you should ensure that your forwarded UW email is not filtered into your junk-mail/SPAM folder (e.g., add your UW email address to your contact list on your non-UW account).

5.6 Lab mailing list

Mark will subscribe you to the scheuerell-lab@uw.edu, which you can use to send things to the entire lab group. Note, though, that we generally prefer folks use Slack for messaging.

5.6.1 SAFS email lists

You should be automatically subscribed to the safsgrads@uw.edu mailing list, which is where general announcements are typically sent. You may also choose to self-subscribe to the SAFS “social” list safssocial@uw.edu here. You will not only hear about housing opportunities on this list but also events on campus, things for sale, and social events.

Additionally, you can manage your preferences for all lists to which you subscribe here by typing the name of the list in the search box under “Find a List’s Information Page”. If you prefer to receive all email from a list in a daily digest (i.e., a summary) instead of individually, you can select the digest option by going to the list’s information page.

5.7 Regular mail

You will have a mailbox in the Fishery Sciences Building on campus, but it should only be used for correspondence and packages related to your academic program. The mailing address for regular postal delivery is

[Your name]
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Box 355020
Seattle, WA 98195-5020

The street address for courier deliveries (eg, UPS, FedEx) is

[Your name]
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
1122 NE Boat Street
Seattle, WA 98105

Please make arrangements to receive all personal mail at your new local address.

5.8 Getting paid

If you have a Research Assistantship (RA), Teaching Assistantship (TA), or a SAFS fellowship, please bring either a U.S. Passport or some form of photo ID (driver’s license, state ID card) and proof of eligibility to work in the U.S. (passport, birth certificate, social security card, or I-20 with statement indicating eligibility to work on campus) to Manish Kala in the SAFS Admin Office (FSH 116) and complete your employment paperwork before the first day of the pay period (September 16). Please email Manish for an appointment or to ask questions. Note: You cannot be placed on payroll without this documentation.

5.9 Union representation

As an RA or TA at UW, you are classified as an Academic Student Employee (ASE) and may choose to become a member of the GSEAC/UAW union. Union members pay dues; non-members are required to pay a service fee to the union. Dues or service fees are automatically deducted from each paycheck. The union contract is available for review here. We strongly encourage you to become familiar with the contract, as both the UW and ASEs are bound by it, whether or not you are a union member.

5.10 Immunization

First-time students must meet the UW Immunization Requirement, which protects the UW community from outbreaks of diseases like measles and mumps. When the majority of UW students are vaccinated against measles and mumps, they shield other students who are unable to be vaccinated due to pregnancy, allergies or compromised immune systems. The university asks that you upload proof of immunity by the first day of your first quarter at UW. The sooner the upload, the more quickly they will process your documents.

Regardless of your immunization requirement status, you will be able to register for classes for your first quarter, but registration for your second quarter at UW may be affected if you have not met the requirement by that time. You can find out more about the immunization requirement here.

5.11 Orientation

Students funded by SAFS as an RA, TA, or fellow should be on campus by September 16, unless alternate arrangements have been made with Mark. Orientation takes place over a series of days between September 21–29 and normally includes a half-day SAFS orientation for all new graduate students, a lab-safety workshop, TA and RA training, and a CPR/First Aid class. Orientation is designed to help you become familiar with SAFS, its resources, and policies.

If you are funded by your employer or another non-SAFS source, many of the events may not be applicable to you (e.g., TA or RA training). If an event is not applicable, then you do not need to participate in it. However, all new students are required to attend the half-day SAFS Orientation.

5.12 Helpful people

These people are very helpful and may be able to assist you.