Frequently Asked Questions
Campus Technology Services (CTS) provides assistance and support for most technology issues students, faculty, and staff may encounter. We help students get Internet access in their dorms and apartments, and we provide remote and on-site assistance for Purchase College–owned computers, printers, software, systems, and networks.
If you have not yet enrolled in Duo, please follow the Enrollment Steps to add your Telephone Number and phone type as well as install the Duo mobile app.
Once enrolled, you may also add another device. Please see section regarding the Universal Prompt.
If you lose your phone or the phone is not working properly, please contact CTS We can assist you with adding another device or issuing a temporary bypass code until a new phone is obtained.
If you do get a new phone and the number is the same, please install the Duo mobile app, and then contact CTS so we can send a reactivation text to that phone to reactivate Duo.
keep reading FAQ»CTS offers a wide range of optional one-on-one and group training for faculty and staff in the use of:
- Webinar - For large and public presentations
- Microsoft Teams - Real-time Collaboration via Chat, Video, and shared documents
- SharePoint - For Committees and Departments
- Lyterati - for Faculty Review Committees
- Non-Tenure Track (NTT) Faculty Evaluation Form and other HRETS functions
- SelectSurvey - for authenticated polling among the campus community
For more information about CTS Training or to schedule a session, visit CTS Optional Training or select “Training” under Quick Links on the Faculty and Staff portal.
keep reading FAQ»All Purchase College students, faculty, and staff can take advantage of the excellent support available from the SUNY Online Help Desk.
The SUNY Online Help Desk should be your first point of contact to get help with all aspects of the Brightspace learning management system (LMS). The SUNY Online Help Desk is staffed with experts who can assist with:
- Creating course content (e.g. assignments, quizzes, discussions forums, attendance, etc.)
- Answering questions pertaining to course delivery (e.g. navigating discussions, grading assignments, adjusting release settings, working with the grade book, etc.)
You can contact the SUNY Online Help Desk during their extensive service hours, including evenings and weekends. Updated hours are posted to their website and available at the “SUNY Online Support Services” widget in Brightspace.
- Main Website for the SUNY Online Help Desk
- SUNY Online Help Desk phone number for Brightspace assistance: 1-844-673-6786
Brightspace Grade Book Default Updates
The current default Brightspace Grade Book Settings for Fall 2023 courses are as follows:
- Grading System = Points
- Grade Calculation of Ungraded Items = Treat ungraded items as zeroes. This setting assigns a value of zero (0) as the points received for all ungraded items.
Faculty can change these defaults if they would like to use a Weighted grading system and/or not treat ungraded items as zeroes.
To make adjustments on course-by-course basis:
- navigate to the desired course > click on “Grades” in the course Navbar > click on “Setup Wizard” to review the existing Grade Book settings.
- Click on the “Settings” gear icon on the right side of the page
- Click on the “Calculation options” tab
- Make your changes and click on the “Save” button
SUNY has decided to change these default settings on all newly-created courses going forward. Beginning with the Winter 2024 term, Brightspace Grade Book defaults will be:
- Grading System = Weighted
- Grade Calculation of Ungraded Items = Drop Ungraded Items (i.e. exclude ungraded items from the grade book calculation)
For more information about grading systems types in Brightspace, please see Weighted, points, and formula grading systems (Brightspace).
keep reading FAQ»Windows OS:
Download Teams at Microsoft Teams Download, and sign in with your Purchase credentials.
Android OS Device:
Install the Teams app from the Play Store, and sign in with your Purchase credentials.
Mac OS or IOS Device:
Install the Teams client from the App Store, and sign in with your Purchase credentials.
You can activate your account or reset your password at: Password Reset Page. Please note that your Purchase College login credentials will never expire. However, once a student leaves the College, the email mailbox will be deactivated 18 months after the last course registration. Employee email accounts are deactivated according to the end date in the PAF (Personnel Action Form) in HRETS.
keep reading FAQ»Purchase College can offer software either for free or at a discounted rate. Please see our Software page for a list of available products.
keep reading FAQ»Make sure you’re logged in at your Purchase-authenticated Zoom account at https://purchase.zoom.us
Record your Zoom meeting locally to your computer or device (please do not record to Zoom Cloud) and upload the video file to your YouTube account. If you do not have a YouTube channel, see Create YouTube Channel for a tutorial.
Upload your Zoom recording MP4 file to YouTube Studio and choose to make the video either Public or Unlisted (Public if you want others to be able to view your video; Unlisted if you want the video to only be available to those who have access to the link).
If you have a video longer than 15 minutes, you will need to verify your YouTube account which just takes a few minutes and involves getting a code via text message that you then enter on your account page. See Upload Video Longer than 15 Minutes.
Brightspace: you can embed your YouTube videos into your Brightspace course by:
- copying the YouTube video URL. You do not need the embed code.
- In the desired module, click on the “Upload/Create” menu > “Video or Audio”
- A pop-up window will open where you can paste the URL you’ve copied. The video title and a preview will automatically appear. Edit the title if needed. Click the Save button
- You will now see the YouTube player embedded in your content module
For assistance with Zoom, please contact Campus Technology Services (CTS).
Link to this FAQ: How do I make a Zoom recording available to my students via Brightspace?
keep reading FAQ»CTS contact:
On Zoom: dial 1 646 876-9923 or use meeting ID 914 251 6465.
A request can be made through the Work Order Tracking (WOT) system
Contact Helpdesk Live Chat for technical support at https://purchase.zoom.us.
Hours when classes are in session are 8am-6:45pm Monday-Thursday and Friday 8am-4:45pm.
When classes are not in session, hours are 8am-4:45pm Monday-Friday.
Thank you.
keep reading FAQ»Please see the Campus Smart Classrooms page for more information.
keep reading FAQ»Please visit our computer lab resources page for more information.
keep reading FAQ»- Please create a work request through the CTS Work Order System. Choose problem type Print Allocation.
- Type “Print Allocation Increase” as the subject line.
- In the body of the work request, specify an amount to be added. You will receive 100 points per dollar of increase requested.
- The amount in points will be added to your print allocation in the Print Management System and in dollars to your semester bill.
- You can pay in person at Student Financial Services or online through the MyHeliotrope application on the student portal page. Exact location in MyHeliotrope is Student > Student Accounts > Payment Center.
- If you need to borrow audio/visual equipment from CTS, please pay as soon as possible. The work order system will not allow you to submit a request if there is a charge on your student bill.
- Please inform Student Financial Services or CTS once the payment has been made so we can apply the money to the proper place.
Requesting Increase in Print Balance:
The PSGA is in agreement with CTS that additional printing allocations should not be granted automatically, and that students who exceed their allocation must pay for additional print privileges if they are needed. Please see the full Print Management Policy
Students can pay online (through the MyHeliotrope link on the student portal page) for additional print allocations. You only need to create a Work Request through the CTS Work Order System indicating the amount of the increase. The amount will then be added to the PaperCut Printing System as well as your semester bill, and you can go ahead and pay online via credit card. The area in myHeliotrope to go to is Student > Student Account > Payment Center. Please let Student Financial Services or CTS know once payment is made so the money can be applied to the right account. Keep in mind that you cannot rent audio/visual equipment from CTS until the payment is made.
Please note that the print allocation for the School of Art & Design is treated as a separate entity. To increase your VA print account, all requests must be made to:
Jerzy Klebieko, BFA
Instructional Technology Manager
Room 1004 | Ext. 6799
Yes! There are email distribution lists automatically created for each class or for advisees.
All Distribution Lists (DLs) in use at the College can be used on any mail platform.
Outlook makes it easy to send mail to (Your.List) as it appears in the global address book.
But you can eliminate the parentheses and append @purchase.edu (making it Your.List@purchase.edu) and use whatever mail client you want.
With Banner, there are changes in the term format, the course numbering format and section numbers. The format for summer 2014 classes and beyond is YYYY-TERM-Subject-Code-CRN@purchase.edu or for example 2014-40-WRl1105-40115@purchase.edu. Faculty do not have to create their own lists.
(Banner Term codes are 20=Summer, 40=Fall, 55=Winter, 60=Spring)
Each faculty advisor also has a distribution list containing all of their advisees in the format advisor.FirstName.LastName@purchase.edu. In the global address list, the format is (advisor.FirstName.LastName).
If you are the owner of a list (i.e. you are the head of a department) there is also a list containing all of your majors (i.e. hum.faculty.womens-studies@purchase.edu )
keep reading FAQ»Yes! There are both color and black & white printers located in the Library DMZ area and Reference Area. Please see the Computer Labs page for details.
Each registered fully matriculated student receives a 1000 point print credit per semester. If not fully matriculated, then one will receive 100 print points - plus 75 points per course credit (up to 20 course credits). Senior auditors receive a one time allocation of 1000 points at time of account creation but not an automatic increase each semester unless a class is being taken for credit. There is an additional discount for duplex printing (both sides of the page.) See a full description of the Print Management Policy
keep reading FAQ»Equipment loans in WOT default to a one-week period starting the next day. You can request future loan periods - or longer loan periods by changing the dates, and we will consider the request.
Equipment availability and longer loan periods are dependent on the demand for that equipment, which may or may not be available. Since you can also submit “future” equipment requests, it may not be possible to request longer loan periods even when equipment appears to be available.
keep reading FAQ»File Server storage (Home Directory) and Web Space are provided for all Students and Faculty.
Detailed documentation can be found at Web and File Space Support.
keep reading FAQ»CTS offers a wide range of audio visual and computing equipment to support your academic and administrative projects. Video cameras, DSLR cameras, light kits, microphones, speakers, laptops, hard drives, etc. Please see the Audio Visual Equipment Loans page for more information.
keep reading FAQ»
Please visit our computer lab resources page for more information on computers, software, and printers in the campus Library labs.
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keep reading FAQ»CTS has established a pool of equipment available for loan to students, faculty and staff. There is a full range of AV gear available from hi-definition video cameras to flip cameras, from high-end still cameras to lighting kits, flat panel displays and audio recorders. Please see the Classroom Technology Services page for details.
keep reading FAQ»Brightspace by D2L is Purchase College’s learning management system (LMS).
Login to Purchase College Brightspace
- Go to https://brightspace.purchase.edu
- Login with your Purchase College username and password. Do not include “@purchase.edu” in your username. If needed, reset your password.
- Follow the prompts to complete the login process using Duo Multi-Factor Authentication.
- You will be brought to https://mylearning.suny.edu/d2l/home/219851, which is Purchase’s tenant of the larger SUNY Brightspace instance.
Brightspace Orientations for Students and Faculty
- Students can access the Brightspace Student Orientation for an introduction to the Brightspace platform
- Faculty can access the SUNY DLE Brightspace Fundamentals Asynchronous Modules for basic Brightspace training
Help with Accessing Brightspace
If you need to activate your account or reset your password, you can do so at the Purchase College Online Account Activation/Password Reset site.
Make sure you have the Duo Multi-Factor Authentication app downloaded to your device and that you have followed the Enrollment Steps.
If you cannot login to Brightspace or need assistance with Duo, please create a work order with CTS.
If you have questions about using Brightspace, please contact the SUNY Online Help Desk for assistance.
Link to this FAQ: What is Brightspace and how do I login?
keep reading FAQ»The SUNY Online Help Desk should be your first point of contact to get help with all aspects of the Brightspace learning management system (LMS). The SUNY Online Help Desk is staffed with experts who can assist with:
- creating course content (e.g. assignments, quizzes, discussions forums, attendance, etc.)
- answering questions pertaining to course delivery (e.g. navigating discussions, grading assignments, adjusting release settings, working with the grade book, etc.)
- help students navigate and work with the system
- and more!
You can contact the SUNY Online Help Desk during their extensive service hours, including evenings and weekends. Updated hours are posted to their website and available at the “SUNY Online Support Services” widget in Brightspace.
- Main Website for the SUNY Online Help Desk
- at the LMS Support Request page, click on the “Request Service” button
- SUNY Online Help Desk phone number for Brightspace assistance: 1-844-673-6786
Please visit their website for more information and check out the SUNY Online Support and Resources site for additional support.
Link to FAQ: How do I get help with D2L Brightspace?
keep reading FAQ»The TLTC is typically open Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm. Due to staffing, we suggest you send your questions to us at TLTC@purchase.edu.
If you have questions about using Brightspace, please create a support ticket with the SUNY Online Help Desk.
Link to this FAQ: What are the TLTC’s Hours?
keep reading FAQ»Though there are other reasons why you may have been suddenly dropped from your courses on Brightspace, one of the most common culprits is that your Mandatory Immunization Requirements may not be filed properly with the College. Please contact Health Services if you have any questions.
Please note that any activities you have completed or work submitted in your courses will be restored upon resolution of immunization records and re-enrollment in current Brightspace course spaces.
keep reading FAQ»You can print remotely from your laptop or your mobile device to library printers!
Who can use web or mobility printing?
Anyone with a current Purchase email account and print point allocation from CTS can use the PaperCut Web Print or Mobility system to print from a personal laptop or a personal mobile device. Web and Mobility printing works from on campus, as long as your device is connected to the PurchaseWiFi network.
There is no wireless printing for visitors unfortunately. Visitors should ask the Reference Librarian about guest printing options.
Please see the detailed instructions at:
WebPrint Remote Printing Over PurchaseWiFi.
Mobility Remote Printing Over PurchaseWifi
keep reading FAQ»All lab color printers can print in both color and black & white.
But wait! There’s a trick: You must first make sure your document is set to print in black & white under “Printer Properties.”
Follow the steps below to make sure you are charged at the black & white rate and not the higher, color printing rate (the color printers default to the color rate).
**The name and location of “Printer Properties” or “Printer Options” may differ depending on what software application you are printing from. When in doubt, look for terms like “printer properties,” “options,” or “features.”
See detailed instructions on the Print in Black and White or Color page.There are several color printers on campus:
- 2 color printers in the Library Reference Area/DMZ on the main floor (Macs & PCs)
- Mac Lab in Natural Sciences (NSS 1013)
- Labs in the Visual Arts building
- Design Technology Labs (Social Sciences 2017)
- CMFT PC Lab 3031
There’s a trick to printing in color: You must select the color printer in the print menu AND make sure the document is set to print in color under “Printer Properties.” (Most of the time, the color printers default to “color” as the output).
The name and location of “Printer Properties” or “Printer Options” may differ depending on what software application you are using. When in doubt, look for terms like “properties,” “options,” “printer features,” or “features.”
Follow the steps on the Print in Black and White or Color page.
keep reading FAQ»Yes, there is both black and white and color printing in the Library.
Black and White Printer locations:
One HP B&W printer in the Reference Area on the main floor (PCs)
Color Printer Locations:
Two color printers in the Reference Area and DMZ on the main floor (PCs and Macs). Toshiba 5516 is able to print tabloid (11” x 17”), Toshiba 400 is only able to print 8.5” x 11” or 8.5” x 14”.
The following campus buildings also have color printing:
Mac Lab in Natural Sciences (NSS 1013)
Labs in the Visual Arts building
Design Technology Lab (Social Sciences 2017)
- CMFT PC Lab 3031
Costs and Print Allocation
Each student receives a print allocation at the start of every semester. All printing costs are automatically deducted from your print quota at the time of printing. Your balance appears as a box on the screen.
Printing in black and white costs 5 points per page for one-sided printing, and 2 point discount for double-sided printing.
Printing in color costs 35 points per page.
Large Paper Surcharge: 11 x 17 (ledger) prints are charged twice the rate of 8.5 x 11 (letter) prints
For detailed information regarding labs and printers, please see the Computer Labs page.
For more information about pricing and refunds, see the CTS Print Management webpage.
For detailed instructions on how to print in color, please see our Step-by-Step FAQ on how to print in color
Yes! Purchase has a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service available for faculty and staff whereby you can connect to your office computer from off-campus. The VPN service connects your remote computer to the campus network through a secure encrypted connection and provides access to College servers, printers, and other network resources. If you wish to use the VPN, join the Zoom Chat or log into the CTS Work Order System.
keep reading FAQ»CTS provides telephone, voicemail and Unified Messaging services to all faculty and staff offices. Please note that Faculty and Staff must read and acknowledge the College Telephone Policy located on the Technology Policies page.
keep reading FAQ»Purchase College provides high-speed network access in all student dorms and offices and wireless Ethernet in all academic buildings (including the Library) on campus.
Please see our Wi-Fi heat map for Wi-Fi coverage in different buildings.
You do not need to register a device if you are only connecting it to PurchaseWifi. PurchaseWifi authenticates you using your Purchase College credentials. You also do not need to register if you are joining PurchaseGuest.
You DO need to register a device if you plan on connecting to:
- A wired port in ResNet
- The PurchaseGame SSID on WiFi
For more information, please refer to the Wireless Access page.
keep reading FAQ»Each faculty and staff member is assigned an email account. You can use your email account from any computer with an Internet connection and a standard web browser (Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc.) by going to Purchase Home Page and following the email link at the bottom of the page. From your campus desktop, you will be provided with Microsoft Outlook, a full-featured mail/calendar/task application that is part of the Microsoft Office suite.
Faculty and staff credentials expire at the close of business on their last day of service – unless extension of email privileges is requested by their supervisor when their end-of-service PAF is submitted and the extension request is approved by their sector officer.
Faculty and Staff who were previously students will retain their login credentials as students do, but their email mailbox will still be removed on COB LDOS.
Your Email account:
· is used for official communications to and from the College and students
· provides access to the Campus Portal web applications (grades, class lists, etc.)
· provides access to online Library resources and reserved readings
· provides access to Brightspace (for Brightspace issues, please contact SUNY Online Help Desk.
· can be reset easily and online by going to Password Reset page from on or off campus
All Purchase College email distribution lists can be used from any email account, on or off campus, using the format List.Name@purchase.edu.
CTS automatically creates an email distribution list for each class each semester with the faculty member as the list manager. Three semesters worth of lists are available: past, present, and future. You need to email your list from your Purchase email account only.
keep reading FAQ»CTS will provide a good-faith effort to assist in helping your computer to connect to our network. As a courtesy, we can diagnose most software and hardware related issues. You are responsible for backing up your own data. We advise you to back up your data on a regular basis. Please note that CTS is not responsible for data loss, backups, or recovery of your computer workstation.
keep reading FAQ»If you live in any campus housing facility, your residence complex already has Wi-Fi service. Installing personally owned Wi-Fi routers is prohibited since they will interfere with college provided Wi-Fi services.
We will do our best to help everyone with Wi-Fi service, but there can be no guarantee regarding speeds over wireless due to the nature of Wi-Fi service.
Please remember that all residential rooms contain wired internet ports which provide 100mbps service - which is faster than Wi-Fi - and which is not shared or subject to interference.
keep reading FAQ»
Purchase College provides a reliable internet connection. To ensure the operational stability of the campus network, the requirements listed below must be met. You will need to register your computer.
The basic requirements are:
Windows and Mac:
- Up-to-date Antivirus program
- Up-to-date Operating System
CTS suggests Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows.
CTS suggests ClamXav for Mac.
Both Antivirus programs are free! Just visit the Downloads page.
You do not need to register a device if you are only connecting it to PurchaseWifi. PurchaseWifi authenticates you using your Purchase College credentials. So, you do not need to register your computer if you are only using PurchaseWifi. You also do not need to register if you are joining PurchaseGuest.
You DO need to register a device if you plan on connecting to:
- A wired port in ResNet
- The PurchaseGame SSID on WiFi
Each student and instructor can manage their own Brightspace notification settings.
To ensure that you receive emails from Purchase College Brightspace, make sure that your primary campus affiliation and email address is set to Purchase by reviewing your “Account Check” widget.
Above the “My Courses” widget, you will see the “Account Check” widget. Please review your account information and if you are a full-time Purchase student, ensure that your primary campus affiliation is with Purchase and that Brightspace is using your Purchase email account to communicate with you. If it is not, please create a ticket with the SUNY Online Help Desk to request that the information be updated.
To manage your Brightspace notifications, click on your name in the upper right corner and click “Notifications.” By default, you will receive an email notification when a new Announcement is made or updated. Check the appropriate box to receive notifications for those actions. Remember to click on the “Save” button when you’re done.
More about Notifications can be found at the “Change personal settings in Brightspace” official Brightspace Community documentation.
Link to “How do I manage my Brightspace notifications?”
keep reading FAQ»The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLTC), in collaboration with The Office of Disability Resources (ODR), is reaching out to provide support with regard to faculty with regard to the implementation of extended time within Brightspace.
Instructors in Brightspace can allow additional time on quizzes and other activities by using the Accommodations feature at the individual student level and the Special Access option at the individual activity level.
Adding “Accommodations” to a particular student in Brightspace:
- To access a specific student’s “Accommodations” options in Brightspace:
from the course Navbar, click on Course Management > Roster - click on the chevron next to the student whose quiz accommodations you want to add/view, and then click “View Accommodations”
- under the “Timing” heading, select “Modify Time Limit” and choose to either increase the original quiz time by a factor, or add extra time in minutes
click the “Save” button to update that student’s accommodations
More about available Accommodations in Brightspace can be found at their official help documentation.
Special Access:
You can modify the access to a Quiz or Assignment for particular students using the Special Access setting, which you can find under the “Availability Dates & Conditions” section at the Quiz or Assignment’s setup area. The Special Access options allow you to add extra time and/or change the due date for certain students. Please see the following Brightspace help pages for more information:
- Set release conditions and special access in Assignments
- Add special access to an assignment
- Create and configure a Quiz
- Set up Availability Dates & Conditions of a Quiz, including Special Access
For additional support with using Brightspace, please connect with the SUNY Online Help Desk.
For questions regarding accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Resources.
Thanks so much for your time and attention!
Marie Sciangula, Assistant Director of the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center
Alyssa McCarthy, Director of the Office of Disability Resources
Yes, there is WiFi (wireless internet) in the Library that both guests and Purchase affiliates can use. Both are managed by CTS. There are two WiFi networks with the following names:
Please see our Wi-Fi Heat Map for coverage areas in different buildings.
PurchaseWiFi: Students, faculty, and staff should choose the “PurchaseWiFi” network. The username is your Purchase email username (firstname.lastname WITHOUT the @purchase.edu) and the password is your Purchase email password. You should only have to enter your username and password once to have access.
PurchaseGuest: Guests and visitors to campus should choose the “PurchaseGuest” network. The password changes at least twice a year. You can ask a library employee at the Circulation or Reference desks for the current password or view the Guest Wifi page.
Note that PurchaseGuest network is limited; it enables you to view webpages and use most apps, but not to use high-bandwidth services like Skype, video streaming, etc. On mobile devices, the guest network may also prevent off-campus email accounts from refreshing (such as Gmail or the Mac OS mail app). To get around this, access your email via a web browser, rather than an app or mail client.
For more info, see the Connecting to Wireless Page.
keep reading FAQ»The Library provides the following scanning options:
- three book scanners, two in the Reference Area; one in the Music Collection.
- several image scanners (Epson), in in Lab 1004B and the DMZ 1015 labs (work with Macs)
For more information, please visit the Scanning Options in the Library Page.
Yes, the list is called Faculty.Discuss@purchase.edu and is open to all faculty members. This list is moderated by the Faculty at Large President.
keep reading FAQ»When an account is locked out, the cause is due to multiple login attempts using an incorrect password. For security, the account locks itself out for approximately 20 minutes. It should be accessible after 20 minutes. If you happen to get this message when trying to access Purchase email, here are a few things to check. You can always contact CTS for assistance.
- This usually happens shortly after the email account password is changed. Check and update your password on all computers and devices trying to connect to Purchase email, WiFi, or anything that requires a login with username/email password. You can always request another password reset.
- If you have a mobile device, please make sure the password is updated on the device itself. You can also remove the purchase.edu account and re-add it. Be sure to make purchase.edu the domain and use CTS Knowledge Base guides to re-add. Also, make sure that any cached passwords in the mobile device browser are cleared out.
- If you use the PurchaseWiFi network with your mobile device on campus, please update that with your current password. You can have the device forget the WiFi network and then re-add to do this.
- If you have an off campus computer with Outlook configured for Purchase email, the home computer might still be pinging the Exchange server with an incorrect password. Reconfigure the email client with your current password. Be sure to make purchase.edu the domain and use our Knowledge Base guides.
- You should flush cache/cookies/passwords on personal computer Web browsers to make sure an old password is not cached and trying to sign into Outlook Web Access. See this page on how to flush cache/cookies.
- Check your on campus computer for cached passwords also (see previous).
Do not save your work to any public lab computers!
Alternatively, save to your home directory, USB drive, or email it to yourself.
Save your work periodically as lab machines will time out after several minutes of inactivity.
A Home Directory is available.
Please log off when you have completed your work.
keep reading FAQ»Multiple official course sections can be merged so that all students access the course and uploaded materials at the same space.
Please send an email to TLTC@purchase.edu and include the CRNs that you want combined as well as the one course space you would like to designate as the ‘parent’ course. Please keep in mind that students will no longer have access to their original course space once combined. All students will access the course in the combined ‘parent’ course.
You can also create a course merge request help ticket with the SUNY Online Help Desk.
Link to this FAQ: How do I tie together multiple sections of my courses on Brightspace to use one combined course?
keep reading FAQ»Moodle-to-Brightspace Course Import
If you want to move materials from Moodle to Brightspace, please see the Moving Courses from Moodle to Brightspace page.
Brightspace-to-Brightspace Course Import
If you want to move course materials from a previous Brightspace course into a new Brightspace course, directions can be found at the official Brightspace Higher Education Instructor Knowledge Base: “Import, export, or copy course components”
You will usually want to use the “Copy Course Components” option.
Watch the short “How to Copy Course Components” tutorial on YouTube.
Link to this FAQ: How do I import/copy/move materials from a previous Moodle course into a new Brightspace course?
keep reading FAQ»Instructors no longer need to add the ThinkingStorm connection to individual courses. A link to ThinkingStorm is available to all students via the Purchase College Brightspace Navbar.
ThinkingStorm is an online/virtual tutoring platform utilized by many colleges. It provides 24/7 access to professional tutors online for many subject areas.
Link to this FAQ: How do I add the ThinkingStorm Online Tutoring connection to my Brightspace Moodle course?
keep reading FAQ»You can create a course announcement a few different ways:
- From the Announcements widget, click on the “Create an announcement” link to begin composing a New Announcement.
- From the course Navbar, click on “Course Tools” > “Announcements” and click on the “New Announcement” button.
Please note that each student and instructor can manage their own Brightspace notification settings. To do this, click on your name in the upper right corner and click “Notifications.” By default, you will receive an email notification when a new Announcement is made or updated. Check the appropriate box to receive notifications for those actions. Remember to click on the “Save” button when you’re done. More about Notifications can be found at the “Change personal settings in Brightspace” official Brightspace Community documentation.
More information about how to create a welcome message using the Announcements widget can be found at Brightspace’s official help documentation.
Link to this FAQ: How do I send an email to the entire class using the Announcements feature forum in Brightspace?
keep reading FAQ»Brightspace courses are set to automatically become available four (4) days prior to the course’s official start date. There is no need to manually open your course to student view unless you would like it to be available to students earlier than four days before the start of the semester / Summer/Winter session. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for specific dates. For assistance with changing the availability of your courses, please contact the SUNY Online Help Desk.
Making a Brightspace Course Active or Inactive
- Hover over a course tile in the “My Course” widget and click on the three dots that appear and then click on “Course Offering Information”
- Under the “Active” option, check “Course is Active” to make the course visible to students or uncheck it to hide it from student view
- Click the “Save” button
- Please note that when a course is inactive, on the Purchase College Brightspace home page, the instructor will see an INACTIVE sticker on the course (the Inactive sticker has a slight delay; it will appear a few minutes after you have made a course inactive and will stay for a few minutes after you make a course active)
If needed, login to MyHeliotrope to confirm your enrollments/registration.
Link to this FAQ: How do I make my Brightspace course visible / available to my students?
keep reading FAQ»Directions for creating a Moodle course backup and restoring the backup into another Moodle space / importing into Brightspace (or downloading and saving it to your computer) can be found at the the TLTC website.
Please see the Moving Courses from Moodle to Brightspace page for more information about moving your courses to the new LMS.
keep reading FAQ»Yes, you can watch all past TLTC webinar sessions at the TLTC’s YouTube channel!
Link to this FAQ: I missed a recent TLTC workshop that was offered via Zoom. Can I watch the recording?
keep reading FAQ»Read&Write (RW) is a program that assists students with reading and comprehension. Once loaded, RW can float over any application such as word processing documents, web pages, PDFs and more. The fully customizable toolbar gives you access to features that include:
- Text-to-speech (have text read aloud to you)
- Audio file generation (save that “read aloud” version for study or listening later)
- Word prediction (even works phonetically)
- Word definition
- Word translation
- Highlighting text
- Talking calculator
And many others
Please visit the Read and Write Software page for more details.
keep reading FAQ»Yes! Details can be found on the Communication Options page.
keep reading FAQ»Purchase College provides extensive anti-virus and anti-spam filters for all of its mail services. Viruses are stripped out of messages and quarantined before the message lands in your mailbox. The campus also uses Microsoft Defender to detect possible spam and prevent it from reaching your mailbox.
keep reading FAQ»Yes! Detailed instructions can be found on the CTS Knowledge Base.
keep reading FAQ»Both Apple and Windows computers are supported on campus. Consult your academic department regarding specific requirements.
keep reading FAQ»Yes! You need to register your console for Internet access via a wired connection or through the PurchaseGame network on WiFi.
keep reading FAQ»Yes. If you have:
- genuine interest in and knowledge of computers and technology
- strong verbal and written communication skills
- positive attitude and excellent customer service skills
- ability to work collegially and effectively in a team environment
Join our Zoom Chat or submit a work request for more information.
keep reading FAQ»- On the Purchase JobScore page enter your Username (email address) and password (the one that was emailed to you or the one you changed it to, NOT the registration password)
- If you forgot your password, click on “Forgot Password?” and a new one will be emailed to you
Under “My Account” students can update their personal and academic profile, change their privacy options and their password.
keep reading FAQ»The CTS Knowledge Base offers detailed answers to additional questions.
A request can be made through the Work Order Tracking (WOT) system.
You can also join our Zoom Chat to speak to a technician.
keep reading FAQ»