Kennesaw State University Owl Express: A Comprehensive Guide
Kennesaw State University (KSU) utilizes a multifaceted technological infrastructure to support its students, faculty, and staff. A central component of this infrastructure is Owl Express, a web portal providing access to essential academic and administrative functions. This article will provide a detailed overview of Owl Express, along with other key technological resources at KSU, such as Degree Works and D2L Brightspace.
UITS: The Technology Backbone of KSU
The University Information Technology Services (UITS) division is responsible for KSU's technological infrastructure. Led by Chief Information Officer (CIO) Aaron Streimish, UITS focuses on aligning technology initiatives with the university's goals. Their work ensures students can seamlessly access technology to enhance learning, streamline operations, and foster a collaborative campus environment.
Academic Advising
Navigating university academics can be complex, and KSU provides academic advisors to guide students. Advisors are assigned based on a student's intended major. Exploratory or undecided students are advised by Owl Advising, while students with a declared major are seen by advisors within that specific department. In many cases, a student's advisor can be found in Degree Works.
Registration
Registration for courses occurs within specific time windows. A student's registration window opens based on their assigned time ticket, which can be viewed in Owl Express under the Registration tab. The Academic Calendar on the Registrar’s site lists university-wide registration periods and deadlines. Students can check their Time Ticket Assignments page in Owl Express for exact start dates based on their class level and enrollment status (freshman, continuing student, online, etc.).
Declaring or Changing a Major
Students can change or declare their major by logging into Owl Express and selecting the Student Records tab. From there, they can choose "Change Major/Minor" and follow the provided steps. After submitting the request, it is reviewed and processed by the relevant college.
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Degree Works: Your Personalized Graduation Checklist
Degree Works is a tool accessible through Owl Express that displays a personalized checklist of courses needed for graduation, based on a student's declared major. It updates in real time and is available 24/7. To access Degree Works, log in to Owl Express, go to the Student menu, and select Degree Works. The worksheet for the declared major will load automatically. The "What-If" tool allows students to see how their current credits would apply to a different major. While Degree Works is a helpful tool, it's important to remember that it doesn't replace meeting with an academic advisor. Students should connect with their advisor for questions about their degree plan.
Scholarship Opportunities
KSU provides access to thousands of scholarship opportunities.
Accessing Student Data
Access to student data requires approval.
Banner and KSU Connect
KSU Connect is a web-based application that serves as a gateway for faculty and staff to access custom-developed applications related to Banner, PeopleSoft/ADP, and general use. The "Banner Related" tab can be found within KSU Connect. Banner, the system that supports the university's academic needs, is now exclusively available as a web-based application. Faculty use the same web interface as students to enter grades and perform other tasks. The Owl Express link can be found on the Campus Intranet page.
Remote Access
Faculty and staff can connect to their office desktops remotely.
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GJAPCTL Output Specifications
When running a job on GJAPCTL, users can specify how they want the output to look.
Username and Password Recovery
If you have forgotten your username or password for Owl Express or Banner Administrative Pages, you can retrieve this information yourself. Your username is your NetID, which is printed on your KSU ID card. If you have forgotten your password, click the "Forgot your password?" link on the NetID page.
FERPA Training and Access
Access to certain systems requires a current FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) certificate. Access is granted by the appropriate office after reviewing the request. The system checks for the most recent FERPA Certificate.
D2L Brightspace: KSU's Learning Management System
D2L Brightspace is the Learning Management System (LMS) used at KSU, supporting the university's academic needs by providing tools for online learning, course management, communication, and integrating third-party tools. UITS provides support and guidance to help users navigate and utilize D2L Brightspace effectively.
Course Availability
Courses that have been assigned to instructors in Owl Express will be available in D2L within 24 hours of being assigned in Owl Express once the initial course load for the term has occurred. Check D2L Announcements to see if courses for the term have been loaded. Students may access courses from the published course start date until 60 days past the course end date unless the instructor edits these dates.
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Course Access Dates
D2L Brightspace course access typically begins approximately one month prior to the start of the term and ends 60 days past the published end date. Instructors can shorten or extend access by modifying the course start and/or end date.
Non-Owl Express Courses
The Course Shell Request Form can be used to request a non-Owl Express (non-credit) course for D2L Brightspace. These courses do not have automated student enrollment functionality, requiring manual participant enrollment.
D2L Course Resets
UITS can perform a D2L course reset upon request. This process creates a clean copy of the course shell in a single, permanent action, but it does not restore deleted content. A key feature is that it will not affect user enrollments.
Accessibility and Quality
UITS is committed to providing accessible and high-quality online learning experiences, ensuring compliance with university accessibility and quality requirements for D2L Brightspace courses.
Troubleshooting Missing Links
If a link is missing, click the Existing Activities button and check to see if the link appears in the list.
User Account Creation
Assignment to an Owl Express course will result in the automatic creation of the user’s account. If there will be no assignment in Owl Express, use the D2L Manual User Account Creation form to request an account. D2L accounts cannot be created without an assignment in Owl Express or prior coordination with the Office of the Registrar. Verification of FERPA training will be from your most recent assignment of FERPA training. Coordination with the Office of the Registrar is sometimes required, and the process can take a couple of days.
Instructor Enrollment
Instructors can be added to a course using the Manual Enrollment of Instructor(s) to D2L Course form. This form must be submitted by the instructor of the course or a dean.
D2L Updates
D2L provides regular, incremental improvements throughout the year. Visit the D2L Updates page for the latest on new features, improvements, and other D2L updates.
Quiz Availability
The availability of a quiz to students depends on the course start date. Students cannot see the course unless the start date has been adjusted by the instructor. Quiz availability dates can vary based on part of term.
Synchronous Quizzes
For a Synchronous quiz that begins on October 1 at 10:00 AM with a 30-minute completion time, the quiz will be automatically submitted at 10:30 AM.
Browser Compatibility
The July update increases the minimum supported browser versions to: Chrome 112+, Edge 112+, Safari 16+, and Firefox 112+. The minimum legacy browsers remain at: Chrome 74, Edge 74, Safari 13, and Firefox 67.
Course Homepage Layout
The default layout for course homepages has changed from a three-column layout to a two-column layout and now includes a widget near the bottom that gathers many important resource links.
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