Frequently Asked Questions
| CentralPipeline Login Problems | Printable Student Guide |
| Help Desk: 860-832-1720 | Printable Faculty/Staff Guide |
|
Comments about CentralPipeline? E-mail pipeline@ccsu.edu |
What is CentralPipeline?
Why doesn't the lock appear on the login page to show
that this is a secure site?
What web browsers are supported by CentralPipeline?
Why am I timing out?
How do I get a CentralPipeline account?
If I already have an account, how do I find out my
username?
How do I reset my account password?
Why do I get a Failed Login (Username/Password pair not
found error) when attempting to log into CentralPipeline?
Why does my account password expire every 60
days?
How can I avoid having my account password expire?
What if I get a "Page Cannot be Displayed" error when
attempting to access CentralPipeline?
What is Blackboard Vista and how do I access it via CentralPipeline?
What if I get a blank screen when attempting to
access a course in Blackboard Vista?
What if I get an error or Blackboard Vista asks for a username
and password when accessing materials within a Blackboard Vista course?
When accessing Blackboard Vista via CentralPipeline, the
Blackboard Vista window appears and then
quickly disappears. What is the problem?
Who do I call for help?
How do I access resources in CentralPipeline?
Navigating CentralPipeline
The Welcome Tab
The Student Tab
I am taking an OnlineCCSU course. Where are my class
materials and how do I access them?
The Faculty Tab
The Administrative Resources Tab
The My Stuff Tab
Accessing E-mail
How do I update my E-Mail Address?
Students: Registering for Classes
Faculty: Posting Grades and other Faculty Services
Faculty and Staff: Accessing Banner Services
What are Personal Announcements?
How do I logout?
CentralPipeline is a web portal that will provide you with:
Single password access to key resources such as:
University Announcements
Outlook e-mail and calendar
WebCentral
Blackboard Vista
And more...
It provides anywhere, anytime access to these key resources as long as you have access to the Internet, you can get to CentralPipeline
It also provides targeted, up-to-the-minute information, including personal announcements so that you see information that applies only to you, eliminating e-mail clutter
When you log in to CentralPipeline, you will see different tabs depending on your role on campus. For example, a student will have a Welcome tab, a Student tab, and a My Stuff tab; a faculty member will have a Welcome tab, a Faculty tab, an Administrative Resources tab and a My Stuff tab. (Note: If you are a student worker on campus, you will see an Administrative Resources tab).
The tabs are divided into channels that contain links to CCSU internet resources or services. There are three types of channels:
Mandatory these channels are placed in a certain location on a tab and cannot be removed (the remove button will be grayed out)
Opt-out these channels are placed on a tab and can be removed by clicking on the X in the upper-right corner of the channel
Opt-in these channels are not placed on a tab, but can be added to any tab by accessing the Content/Layout screen
Instructions for personalizing CentralPipeline by adding and removing tabs and channels can be found at http://www.ccsu.edu/its/pipeline/CustomizingCentralPipeline.pdf
Why doesn't the lock appear on the login page to show that this is a secure site?
The login page uses frames, which may cause problems with the lock appearing on your browser. You can check properties of the page to view information about the connection and the certificate. In Internet Explorer, right-click the login section, then click on Properties.
CentralPipeline uses HTTPS communication during the login process and in all your interaction with the WebCentral-BannerWeb section.
What web browsers are supported by CentralPipeline?
|
Operating System |
Internet Explorer |
Netscape |
Mozilla |
FireFox |
Safari |
|
Windows XP or Vista |
6.0 w/latest security patch or higher* |
7.2 (see "Common Browser Issues" below) |
Not Supported |
Not Supported |
Not Supported |
|
Mac OS X |
Not Supported |
7.1 (see "Common Browser Issues" below) |
Not Supported | Not Supported |
1.2* |
* - recommended browser version
Common Browser Issues
"Access Denied" error -
Common issue when using the Netscape or Firefox web browser to
reset your password. You should always use
Internet Explorer (PC) or Safari (Mac) to reset your password.
You
should not use Netscape to reset your account password. If you are a
Netscape user and need to reset your password, use Internet Explorer to reset
your password, then use Internet Explorer to log in to CentralPipeline with your
new password. You may then close Internet Explorer and use Netscape to
access CentralPipeline. This password issue also applies to the Firefox
web browser, however, Firefox is not a supported browser, so you may not be able
to use all functionality of CentralPipline when using Firefox. It is
recommended that you always use a supported browser to access CentralPipeline.
"Timing Out" as soon as you log in - Common issue when using
either the AOL web browser or the SBC/AT&T Yahoo! web browser.
These browsers are not supported; after connecting to AOL or
SBC/AT&T Yahoo!, you should use a supported browser to access
CentralPipeline.
Unable to access certain areas of CentralPipeline - You may
be using an unsupported browser, such as Firefox. When using
unsupported browsers, certain features of CentralPipeline may work,
but to guarantee full functionality, you should use a supported
browser.
How do I get a CentralPipeline Account?
Students:
To activate a new computer account (known as your BlueNet ID), visit the CentralPipeline Account Management
web site located at
https://accounts.ccsu.edu/. You will need to know your 8-digit ID
number to activate an account. If you are an Incoming or Re-entry Student,
you MUST pay the Admissions Binder Fee PRIOR to attempting to activate a new
account.
Faculty/Staff:
Your CentralPipeline account uses the same computer network account (known as
your BlueNet ID; formerly
known as an NT account) you use to connect to the campus network. If you
do not have a campus computer network account, you must complete the General
System Access Request located
here. The form can be brought to the ITS Main Office or faxed in. You
will be contacted once your computer network account has been set up.
If I already have an account, how do I find out my username?
Students, Faculty and Staff can use the Account Management web site located at https://accounts.ccsu.edu to find out their your username and reset their password. You will need to know your 8-digit ID number to find out your username.
How do I reset my account password?
Students, Faculty, and Staff can use the Account Management web site located at https://accounts.ccsu.edu to reset their password. You will need to know your 8-digit ID number to reset your password.
There are a number of reasons this could happen:
1. Go back and retype both your username
and password - being very careful to type both correctly.
2. If you continue to have problems logging in, it is possible that your
password has expired. Your password expires every 60 days. You are
warned about this expiration for the 14 days before the expiration date.
If you miss the warnings and/or do not log in during those 60 days, your
password automatically expires. This will cause a Failed Login.
If you continue to have problems logging in, try resetting your password. Go to https://accounts.ccsu.edu. You will need to know your 8-digit ID number to reset your password.
When all else fails, you can call the Help Desk at 832-1720.
Why does my account password expire every 60 days?
For security reasons, students, faculty, and staff are forced to change their passwords every 60 days. In the event that someone learns your password, they can access your personal information and can possibly make changes to it and/or use your identify for undesirable purposes. The more often you change your password, the more secure your account and personal information will be.
How can I avoid having my account password expire?
You will receive a warning about your expiration day via CentralPipeline and each time you log into a PC on campus. These warnings start 14 days before the expiration and continue each day until the expiration date. It is advisable for you to change your password as soon as you see this warning. You will avoid password expiration by changing your password on a regular basis. You don't have to wait the 60 days, you can reset it at any time. After you reset your password, your new password will last for 60 days after the day you change it.
If you miss (or ignore) the warnings, the password will automatically expire. The next time you attempt to log into CentralPipeline after your password has expired, you will get a Failed Login (Username/Password pair not found error). If this happens, you will need to reset your password at http://accounts.ccsu.edu.
What if I get a "Page Cannot be Displayed" error when attempting to access CentralPipeline?
If you get a "Page Cannot be Displayed" error when attempting to access CentralPipeline, most likely you are using an incompatible web browser. Refer to the section on supported web browsers above. If you are using a compatible browser, contact the IT Help Desk at 860-832-1720 for further assistance.
What is Blackboard Vista and how to I access it via CentralPipeline?
Blackboard Vista is a course management system. Many professors use Blackboard Vista to post course materials, engage students in discussions, post course grades, give tests and quizzes, etc. If your professor requires you to use Blackboard Vista in a course, log into CentralPipeline, click on the Student tab, then click on the link in the middle of the page that says, "Click here to access Blackboard Vista". This link will take you directly to your Blackboard Vista course listing.
What if I get a blank screen when attempting to access a course in Blackboard Vista?
Your Internet browser may need a 'tuneup' in order to use Blackboard Vista successfully. Go to www.webct.com/tuneup and follow the instructions on the screen or visit our Vista Help page at http://www.ccsu.edu/media/webct_vista_help.htm . You may also need to do one or more of the following:
Disable popup/ad blocker programs on your computer. Blackboard Vista depends on pop-ups to be enabled.
Spyware could interfere with the use of Blackboard Vista. It is strongly suggested they you install a spyware remover on your computer.
Your firewall/security software may be interfering with Blackboard Vista. Be sure that your firewall/security software is up-to-date. You can also try disabling the firewall/security software or make sure that your firewall is allowing access to the Blackboard Vista server.
You must have an anti-virus program installed on your computer and it must be up-to-date. CCSU provides all students, faculty, and staff with a free version of McAfee anti-virus software. Go to http://www.ccsu.edu/its/usersupport/UserDocs/McAfee.htm for further information. The CD is available by calling the Help Desk at 832-1720.
If you are still experiencing problems, go to www.webct.com/trouble and follow the instructions.
Your Internet browser may need a 'tuneup' in order to use Blackboard Vista successfully. Go to www.webct.com/tuneup and follow the instructions on the screen. If you are still experiencing problems, go to www.webct.com/trouble and follow the instructions. Also, see the answer to the previous question about getting a blank screen when accessing Blackboard Vista.
Popup Killer/Blocker software may be installed on the computer. The Popup Killer/Blocker considers the Blackboard Vista window a popup and immediately closes it. Disable the Popup Killer/Blocker program.
Students:
Support for CentralPipeline is provided by the ITS Help Desk. They can be
reached at
860-832-1720. Please visit their web site for hours and contact
information:
http://www.ccsu.edu/its/helpdesk/. You can also obtain support at the Marcus White Computer Lab.
Please visit their web site for hours and contact information:
http://www.ccsu.edu/its/Academic/MWLab.htm.
Faculty/Staff:
Support for CentralPipeline is provided by the ITS Help Desk. They can be
reached at
860-832-1720. Please visit their web site for hours and contact
information:
http://www.ccsu.edu/its/helpdesk/
How do I access resources in CentralPipeline?
Click on one of the tabs at the top of the page to see the information contained on that page or to access resources from within the page.
In most cases, when you click on a link in CentralPipeline, it will open up an additional window on the screen, keeping your Pipeline session open in the background. When you are through reading the information in the window, simply close the window via the close box in the upper right corner of the window. This will return you to the CentralPipeline window.
The Welcome Tab (viewable by all users) is the main tab in CentralPipeline. It contains these channels by default:
Personal Announcements important announcements that are targeted to you
Campus Announcements important announcements that are targeted to the entire university community
Whats Happening@CCSU list of events happening on campus
Web Services - provides links to services such as Outlook Web Access, Web Files (M:\ drive), TPS (Time Processing System for student employees) and more
Need Help information about the ITS Help Desk, such as hours and contact information
CCSU Resources links to resources such as the Library, Bookstore and more
Policies - links to University policies such as e-Communication, Computer Use, Academic Integrity and more
The Student Tab (viewable by students only) is a tab dedicated to student services and resources. It contains these channels by default:
WebCentral-Banner Web quick links to register for classes, check final grades, view academic transcripts, your financial aid records and more
Blackboard Vista Courses access to your Blackboard Vista course pages. Blackboard Vista is a course management system used by many faculty to post courses resources, assignments and more.
PersonalAnnouncements important announcements that are targeted to you. For example, the Financial Aid office may send you a personal announcement if you are receiving aid.
StudentResources links to resources such as the Health Services, Student Affairs, Central Activities Network and more.
eTutoring information and a link to a free online tutoring service
Banner Self-Service Channel the entire WebCentral-Banner Web system
Registrars information and links from the Registrars office
Bursars information and links from the Bursars office
Financial Aid information and links from the Financial Aid office
Graduate Studies - information and links from the Graduate Studies office
I am taking an OnlineCCSU course. Where are my class materials and how do I access them?
All OnlineCCSU courses are available via the Blackboard Vista course management system. Log into CentralPipeline and go to the Student Tab. Click on the link under the title "Blackboard Vista Courses" to access your course materials. For further information about OnlineCCSU courses go to: http://www.ccsu.edu/onlineCCSU/Default.htm.
The Faculty Tab (viewable by teaching faculty only) is a tab dedicated to faculty services and resources. It contains these channels by default:
WebCentral-Banner Web quick links to faculty schedules, final grading, class lists, student information and more. In addition you can check the accuracy of your personal information.
Blackboard Vista Courses access to your Blackboard Vista course pages. Blackboard Vista is a course management system used by many faculty to post courses resources, assignments and more
Personal Announcements important announcements that are targeted to you
Faculty Resources links to resources such as the AAUP and Faculty Senate
Center for University Technology Training (CUTT) information and a link campus technology training information
Banner Self-Service Channel the entire WebCentral-Banner Web system
MERLOT information and a link to the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT)
Web Based Courses a link to OnlineCSU
The Administrative Resources Tab
The Administrative Resources Tab (viewable by employees only) is a tab dedicated to administrative services and resources. It contains these channels by default:
Administrative Web Services quick links to IN Banner (Banner Production), Brio OnDemand, and Citrix Web Services.
Center for University Technology Training (CUTT) information and a link campus technology training information
Personal Announcements important announcements that are targeted to you
Administrative Resources links to resources such as the Banner Support web site, Information Technology Services, Human Resources and the Business Office
The My Stuff Tab (viewable by all users) is a tab that you can fully customize with channels that you want to see. It does contain some channels that may be of interest to you, but all are opt-out, meaning they can be removed so that you can customize the tab. This tab contains the following channels by default:
Personalize this Tab! information on customizing tabs and channels, including a link to the Customizing CentralPipeline guide
Channel Guide a detailed listing of all the channels available in CentralPipeline
Arts-Culture links to campus arts and culture web sites such as the Theatre & Music departments, Art Gallery, Cinema Central and more
Campus Media links to campus media web sites such as WFCS 107.7, The Recorder and more
Clubs links to information about clubs and organizations on campus
Local Life links to Connecticut event and government web pages
Sports link to the Blue Devils sports homepage
To access your CCSU e-mail from within CentralPipeline, navigate to the Welcome tab and click on the Outlook Web Access link located in the Web Services channel in the left column. This will take you directly to the login screen for Outlook Web Access. Students have the ability to have their CCSU e-mail forwarded to an external account (i.e. Hotmail, Yahoo). If you have selected to forward your CCSU e-mail, you will not be able to use the Outlook Web Access link in CentralPipeline to check your e-mail.
How do I update my E-Mail Address?
Students can use the Account Management web site located at https://accounts.ccsu.edu/ to update their e-mail address. You will need to know your 8-digit ID number to use this web site. Once you access the Account Management web site, click on the E-mail Preferences link. From the E-mail Preferences screen, select one of the following:
Exchange to use a CCSU managed e-mail account. Your CCSU e-mail address is yourusername@ccsu.edu.
Forwarded Email to have your CCSU e-mail forwarded to a third-party e-mail account. When choosing the Forwarded Email option, you must enter your third-party e-mail address (i.e. Yahoo, Hotmail, etc).
After selecting an Email Preference, click on the Submit button.
Students: Registering for Classes
Go to the Student tab and click on the link for Registration in the WebCentral-Banner Web Services channel to access the Registration menu. You will be automatically connected to the WebCentral system. For detailed instructions on registering for class, click here.
Faculty: Entering Final Grades and other Faculty Services
To go to WebCentral, go to the Faculty tab and click on the appropriate link in the WebCentral-Banner Web Services channel (for example Final Grades) to access the WebCentral system. For detailed instructions on using WebCentral, click here.
Faculty and Staff: Accessing Banner Services
To access the Banner Production system, click on the Administrative Resources tab, then click on the IN Banner link located in the Web Services channel in the left column. This will take you directly to the Banner (also known as Internet Native Banner) log in screen.
What are Personal Announcements?
All CentralPipeline users are plays 'roles' on campus. Many users play more than one role. Based on these 'roles', certain groups of people will see certain types of information and get certain announcements. Announcements that pertain to certain roles are called Personal Announcements.
Click on the Logout button in the upper right corner of the screen. This button is visible regardless of which CentralPipeline page is active. For security reasons it is very important to Logout when you are finished using CentralPipeline. If you leave yourself logged in, others can access a great deal of personal information about you.