Overview

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Campus units and departments are strongly encouraged to use only UC San Diego domain names in order to avoid confusing Internet users and to preserve and promote the integrity of UC San Diego. In limited cases, business, outreach, and research requirements may make non-UC San Diego names desirable. Learn how to request and register a domain name, also called domain name, that does not end in .ucsd.edu or .ucsandiego.edu for a UC San Diego-hosted website or server.

 

Critical Concepts

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• The University policy PPM 135-8, “Registration, Management, and use of UC San Diego Domain Names,” lists the limited cases which may justify a non-UC San Diego name. All such cases must be approved by the Vice Chancellor with appropriate oversight for the requesting department.
• Names can't refer to commercial enterprises like .biz, .com, or .bz. Exceptions are on a case-by-case basis and require vice chancellor approval.
• Your system administrator can usually help request and register domain names on your behalf.

 

Steps to Take

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Make sure you qualify for a non-UC San Diego domain name

Check your eligibility on the list below. You may apply for a non-UC San Diego domain name if you are a:

• Faculty member
• Graduate student (sponsored by a faculty member requesting a separate domain name for a specific laboratory, research project, or other work)
• Department, unit, or other recognized campus organization (when business requires "branding" services with outside communities)

Meet all relevant campus and university requirements

1. Configure your sites and servers to comply with all university and campus regulations, including:
   • Registration, Management, and Use of UC San Diego Domain Names: PPM 135-8
   • UC San Diego Network Security Policy: PPM 135-3
2. Make your UC San Diego affiliation clear on your websites / public-facing services.
3. Acknowledge that UC San Diego provides the services your site offers. (You may use UC San Diego logos or text footnotes appropriately to meet this goal.)
4. Configure your Web servers to rewrite non-ucsd.edu domain names as UC San Diego domain names (e.g., a user types “ucsdhealthcare.org” in a browser, but when the page loads, the URL displays "healthcare.ucsd.edu").

Choose your domain name

Use these guidelines when choosing your domain name:

• Ensure the name isn't already in use.
  • Check Network Solutions WHOIS Lookup for names already registered.
• Use appropriate department, unit, laboratory, or project names.
• Don't refer to another department or unit.
• Use appropriate top-level domains, such as:
  • .org
  • .info
  • .name
  • .net
  • Choose a back-up domain name in case your first choice is taken.

Note: Names can't refer to commercial enterprises like .biz, .com, or .bz. Exceptions are on a case-by-case basis and require vice chancellor approval.

Request approval from appropriate campus authorities

Obtain written or e-mail approval for the domain name from:

• Sponsoring faculty (where appropriate)
• Department chair or business officer (where appropriate)

Note: Keep record of authorizations, including names and dates. If neither of the above is appropriate, IT Services will assess and provide approval if needed.

Register the new domain name

Complete the registration form, with the following information:

• The domain name or IP address of the machine that will be used for the new domain
• 2 contact names
• A recharge index number for the network registrar's fee (see form for current fees)
• The number of years the domain name will be registered
• Names and dates of approval from campus authorities

Note: Turnaround time is normally a few business days on non-UC San Diego domain name requests because of the dependence on outside registrars.