Information Technology Welcome Letter

Congratulations and welcome to the Cooper Union!

Over the next week, you will receive a series of emails from the Information Technology department with log-in information to:

  • Your Cooper Union email account
  • The student information system (WebAdvisor and Self-Service)

Cooper Union’s email addresses and system accounts are created using students’ legal first and last names; however, we recognize that some students choose to use names that are not their legal ones to affirm aspects of their identities. If you would like to request that your Cooper Union email address be created using a chosen/preferred name that is not your legal name, please email Grace Kendall in the office of Student Affairs (grace.kendall@cooper.edu) with this request and include your student ID number, your full legal name, and your chosen/preferred first name. This request process is not intended for nicknames (e.g., for Katherine to be changed to Katie or William to Bill). Additional information about use of preferred/chosen names and student records will be forthcoming prior to the academic year beginning in September.

Your Cooper Union email address will be the primary email address all offices will use to contact you while you are a student here. All communications about registration, billing, financial aid etc. will be directed there, so please check it often.

Your “Self-Service” account will give you access to our student portal where you can view your class schedule, see your financial aid awards and pay your bill online. Any questions about your email account or self-service account may be directed to: itsupport@cooper.edu

The registrar staff will register all our incoming freshmen at the end of July. Course schedules will be then available in the student portal. Transfer and entering Master's students will register during the first week of classes in September, after discussing their course schedule with their advisor. Any questions about the registration process may be directed to: registrar@cooper.edu

Student Financial Services will send you a separate email with instructions for paying your bill, getting or waiving health insurance and financial aid details. Any billing, health insurance or financial aid questions may be directed to: cusfs@cooper.edu

ID Cards

The CU ID card is your passport to Cooper Union. It grants you access to the campus, library and residence hall. Emailing your preferred photo ahead of time will save you time when you arrive on campus for orientation. We’ll have your ID card preprinted and activated, so all you have to do is show us your government issued photo ID and sign for your card.

In order to get your Cooper Union ID card at orientation, you'll need to submit a photo via email to ids@cooper.edu. The photo format should be passport-style and meet the following requirements:

  • The photo should be a color, .jpg or .jpeg file.
  • This picture is for identification purposes, so it must clearly identify you.
  • The background should be uniform and light-colored.
  • You must be facing forward, with your head and shoulders clearly visible.
  • Photos should not include other people or animals - no group photos
  • There can be no red eye or flash reflection on glasses or contact lenses.
  • No hats, sunglasses, jewelry, or garments of any sort that obstruct the view of your face.
  • The file cannot exceed 100k in size.

The file should be saved as the following: “firstname-lastname.jpg or .jpeg”

When submitting your photo please include the following information in the body of the email:

  • Full legal name
  • Student ID number, if known
  • Date of Birth
  • Specify if you will be living on campus

If you are unable to submit a photo or the photo was not acceptable, a new ID photo will be taken during orientation. If you have any questions regarding this procedure, contact the Campus Safety and Security Office at security@cooper.edu or (212) 353-4119.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.