Bowdoin - Alumni - PolarNet FAQs

PolarNet FAQ

1. What is PolarNet?

PolarNet is Bowdoin College's online alumni community and is Bowdoin alumni’s link to career networking and a full time resource for connecting with fellow alumni.

PolarNet is free and available only to Bowdoin alumni. Registered PolarNet users are able to:

Search the Bowdoin alumni directory for classmates or friends.
Search the Bowdoin Career Advisory Network to connect with other alumni to discuss career objectives and explore career interests.
Update their own contact and personal information online.
Establish a life-long alumni email forwarding address.

2. How do I register for PolarNet?

Select the “Register for PolarNet” link then complete and submit the new user registration form. Any field that is required for the registration is marked with a red asterisk on the form. As part of the registration process, you will need to create a PolarNet User ID and password. Both User IDs and passwords are case sensitive. The User ID and password combination will be used to access PolarNet during future visits. PolarNet registrations will be processed within forty-eight (48) business hours. New users will not be able to access PolarNet services until their registrations are processed and approved.

3. How do I login if I am already a registered PolarNet user?

With the recent PolarNet conversion, login and password information has not changed for previously registered users. Registered users of PolarNet do not need to reregister. Click on “Login to PolarNet” and enter your PolarNet User ID and password.

4. How do I login if I forgot my password?

Click on the “Login to PolarNet” link, select the “"Forgotten Password"” link and enter your User ID. Your PolarNet password will be emailed to you within one (1) hour.

5. How do I login if I forgot my User ID?

If you do not remember your User ID, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@bowdoin.edu or (207) 725-3266.

6. Can I change my User ID and password?

User IDs can not be changed. Passwords can be changed once logged into PolarNet. Click on the “Your Profile” link and then the “Change Password” link.

7. Is there a minimum length for passwords?

Passwords must be at least 6 characters long.

8. Can I hide part or all of my listing in the alumni directory?

Yes. With the recent PolarNet conversion, some fields in the alumni directory, such as information on spouses or partners, are private for all users until individuals select to make information public to other PolarNet users. Other fields, such as biographical or professional information, are available in the directory to be viewed by other PolarNet users. PolarNet provides you the flexibility to select what personal information you wish to share with other PolarNet users. For example, if you would like others to have access to your e-mail address, but not your work or home phone numbers, you have the ability to make that selection.

To modify what others can view, log into PolarNet and select the “Your Profile” screen. From the “Your Profile” screen, your personal information is separated into different screens for various profile categories including biographical, contact, professional, academic and activities/service to Bowdoin. If you do not want certain information to be available in the directory, click the check box to the right of that field. This will designate that field as “private” and the information will not appear in the alumni directory. By choosing not to display certain fields, others may not be able to find your listing using search criteria based upon your preference.

If you designate fields as "private" and then search for your own record in the Alumni Directory, your full profile will appear, even the fields you selected to hide. Please know this is for your viewing only and any fields marked "private" will not be viewable to other PolarNet users.

9. Are all Bowdoin alumni included in the alumni directory?

The alumni directory includes all living Bowdoin alumni. However some alumni select not to have certain information appear in the alumni directory. You may not be able to find some alumni in the directory if they have chosen not to display certain fields.

10. How do I search the alumni directory?

From the “Alumni Directory” screen, users can search by name or class year. By clinking on the link for the advanced search, users can also search by geography, career information, and Bowdoin-related activities such as athletics, student activities or student employment.

11. What is the BCAN directory?

The Bowdoin Career Advisory Network (BCAN) is an international network of 1,600 alumni who have volunteered to be contacted to discuss careers, job searching, graduate schools, relocation and specific firms or organizations. The BCAN directory allows alumni to search for BCAN volunteers based on career fields, geographic locations or class year.

12. How do I update my address or business information?

After logging into PolarNet, select the “Your Profile” screen. From the “Your Profile” screen, click on the links titled Biographical, Contact, Professional, Academic and Activities/Service to Bowdoin to update your personal information. Be sure to click the “Update” button after making adjustments on each screen for your new preferences to take effect.

Updating your information in PolarNet is an easy way to provide Bowdoin and fellow alumni with current personal information and professional or academic accomplishments. However if you do not wish to share certain profile information in the alumni directory, click the check box to the right of that field. This will designate that field as “private” and the information will not appear in the alumni directory.

13. What is a life-long alumni email forwarding address??

Life-long e-mail is a forwarding service that allows you to keep your Bowdoin alumni e-mail address for life. As long as you keep PolarNet updated with your current primary e-mail address (whether it is an e-mail account at home, work or through an independent internet service provider), e-mail sent to your username@alumni.bowdoin.edu address will be routed to a forwarding e-mail server and then to you.

This means that in addition to your primary e-mail server, the routing e-mail server will also apply industry-standard screening and filtering rules to your e-mail to protect you from spam (which accounts for the majority of e-mail traffic in today’s online environment), thereby increasing your risk of potentially valid e-mail being dropped, delayed or bounced back to the sender. Please consider this information when determining which e-mail address you provide for correspondence you consider critical (professional, financial, e-commerce, etc.).

14. How do I establish a life-long alumni email forwarding address?

In the “Your Profile” screen select the “Email Forwarding” link. Check the box which reads “Enable my email forwarding service from Bowdoin College” and select an alias name for your life-long alumni email forwarding address. Then enter a forwarding address that will receive e-mails addressed to your new life-long alumni email forwarding address. Your forwarding address should be the email address you use at home, work or through an independent internet service provider.

15. How long will it take to activate my life-long alumni email forwarding address?

Upon successful activation, new life-long alumni email forwarding addresses become operable within 12 – 24 hours.

16. What web browser should I use to access PolarNet?

To take advantage of all PolarNet features you should use a modern web browser such as, Internet Explorer 6.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.5, or Apple Safari 1.2.

If you use AOL it is also suggested to launch the recommended web browser directly rather than using the AOL web browser.

Please note that using an older browser may limit your site usage. Latest versions of these browsers can be downloaded at:

17. What should I do if I have difficulty viewing some of the screens?

If you experience difficulty viewing some of the PolarNet screens, please visit the site's web browser information area for viewing tips.

18. Do I need to have cookies enabled on my Web browser to access PolarNet?

Yes. You must be using a "cookie enabled" browser in order to access PolarNet. If you have disabled cookie use in your browser, you must enable it before entering your PolarNet login information.

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