Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a portal? What is CougarWeb?
A portal is a secure webpage that recognizes who you are based on your role as an employee and
displays content accordingly. After logging in, different tabs and content will be displayed for
employees, faculty, students and guests. CougarWeb is the name of the portal for Collin College.
CougarWeb also brings many common reports, tasks and sets of data to one place, so you don’t
have to remember multiple user names and passwords.
What is Luminis?
Luminis is the application that powers CougarWeb and connects to data in Banner.
What’s a channel?
A channel is a box of content that lives on the tabs within CougarWeb.
“When can I log in?”
The implementation of CougarWeb will be phased, building as each module of the Banner
administrative software package is launched. Those involved in Phase I began using CougarWeb to
access budget information, process purchasing and/or handle departmental bookkeeping beginning
Oct. 15, 2007. Phase 2 will welcome all employees in April 2008 and will feature Banner tools for
human resources such as paycheck stubs, time reporting, leave requests, leave balance reports and
much more. Phase 3 will bring online tools for students, faculty and financial aid in May 2008.
Where do I go to log in?
You can find the login page for CougarWeb at http://cougarweb.ccccd.edu. Be sure to bookmark it!
How do I get a username and password?
Employees will use their Novell login and password used to access the college network. Students
will be issued a username and password at admission along with their CougarMail address.
Is my CougarWeb username and password the same as my Novell/Groupwise login?
Yes. Your username and password for the Novell network, GroupWise and CougarWeb should all
be identical. If you have synchronization issues contact the HelpDesk.
I’m a Mac user and don’t use a Novell login. How do I get into CougarWeb?
Call the HelpDesk at 6555 to get your Novell network account information.
When I try to login, I see that says “Certificate Error: Navigation Blocked. There is a
problem with this website’s security certificate.” What do I do?
CougarWeb is secure and safe to access, but some browsers do not instantly recognize the security
setup. Click near the bottom where it says “Continue to this website” even if it says this is not
recommended.
(over)
I hear that there will be an e-mail tool in CougarWeb. Should I check my e-mail there
instead of in GroupWise?
There is an e-mail tool in CougarWeb connecting to GroupWise for employees. The GroupWise
tool in CougarWeb is the web-version and has less functionality than the full GroupWise
application. If the web version is adequate for your needs, you may prefer to check your mail in the
portal. If not, you may prefer to use the GroupWise application installed on your computer. If you
are checking your college e-mail at home, you can check your email through CougarWeb without
additional logins.
Are the announcement channels on the home tab the same as the announcements folder in
GroupWise?
No. The two announcement channels in CougarWeb are for college district business rather than the
recreational/personal business notices in the shared GroupWise folder. You can expect to see
district-wide notices and closures in the “College Announcements” channel (for example, weather
closures or construction warnings). The channel titled “My Announcements” delivers targeted
announcements based on the role and attributes of the viewer. For example, students might see a
promotion for the Student Leadership Academy if they had the requisite GPA and academic
qualifications.
I accidentally deleted a channel. Can I get it back?
Yes, go to Content Layout in the upper left hand corner, select the tab and click the New Channel
button where you want to place the channel. When prompted to select a category, Select All and
scroll through until you see the name of the channel that was deleted. Click the Add Channel button
on the right side of the screen, and then underneath the cougar graphic header to return your tabs.
What is happening to WBA?
Banner and Luminis will replace WBA. Class rosters will be pulled from the portal in Course Studio
(or Blackboard). Paycheck data will be posted on the My Workplace tab in the Employment Details
channel.
If I am both an employee and a current student, will my e-mail channel have both
CougarMail and Groupwise?
No, if you are an employee, your official college e-mail account is your GroupWise account.
Is Course Studio replacing Blackboard/WebCT?
No. Distance education courses will be taught exclusively through Blackboard. Course Studio is
available for those onsite classes that are not supplemented or taught in Blackboard. Professors
teaching onsite courses may opt to use Blackboard instead Course Studio if they need functionality
beyond the collaboration tools in Course Studio.
Do I really need to logout and close my browser when I am done?
Yes. Failure to do so on public computers like the library or computer lab could allow someone else
to access your confidential information or your e-mail account. The best way to keep your data
private and secure is to click the logout icon in the upper right-hand corner of the window, and then
close the browser when you are finished.