We use FirstClass (BUBBS) to provide email and forums to the Biola community, with the Meridius spam filter.
Biola University implemented FirstClass software in 1992 to provide a student bulletin board service, including email and discussion forums. “BUBBS” (an acronym for the original Biola University Bulletin Board System), as it is often called, has now grown to more than 11,000 users, including students, employees, and alumni.
By using your BUBBS account, you are accepting the terms of Biola’s Network Usage Policy and SMTP Policy, and agree to abide by them at all times.
We recommend installing the FirstClass client software on your computer (details above), but you can also login with just a web browser via the Internet using this web login.
Initial Account Creation
For information on changing or resetting your BUBBS password, see the Accounts / Passwords page.
New Students
BUBBS accounts are created for all new students during registration prior to the start of the current semester. When the Registrar informs IT of new students that require email accounts, we create them and publish the account login information on the Portal website. Once logged into Portal, new students can find their account information by clicking the password icon at the top of the page.
New Employees
FirstClass accounts are created for each university employee post hire. When Human Resources informs IT of a new hire that requires an email account, we create it and send a notification email with the account information to the supervisor for distribution to the new employee, HR for confirmation, and the new employee’s email account. Adjunct faculty are the only exception and have accounts created by request only.
Alumni
Students with existing BUBBS accounts may continue to use them after leaving the university. After two years of inactivity, BUBBS accounts are automatically removed from the system. To have a BUBBS account created again, or for the first time, alumni should contact Alumni Relations by email (alumni@biola.edu) or phone (562-903-4728) to update their contact information. Then, the Alumni Relations department will request that an account be created for you and the login information be sent directly to your home or email address.
Usage Allowances
Because FirstClass Server resources are finite, there are standard allowances placed on FirstClass email accounts. The following table outlines the current limitations:
| Current Students | Employees | Alumni | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Connection | 4 hours | no limit | 3 hours |
| Session Inactivity | 10 minutes | 4 hours* | 10 minutes |
| Disk Space | 20 MB | 50 MB | 10 MB |
*Part-time staff session inactivity limit is 10 minutes.