Getting Started for Students

Follow the steps below in order to assure your success in using WebCT at Sonoma State University.

Step 1: Login

The WebCT server uses LDAP authentication. SSU Students must use their Seawolf usernames and passwords to connect to WebCT. This is the same username and password used to connect to SSU email and CMS-HRSA and other network services. If you don't know your username and password use the Online Services PINmaster, or contact the IT Helpdesk.

Online Services Login Page

Step 2: Check Your Browser

Use the Check Browser link inside WebCT, or use the Browser Tune-up at WebCT.com (a Blackboard company). WebCT will test your browser for you to make sure you have all the appropriate plug-in's installed and tell you how your browsers settings/preferences should be set up. The current edition of WebCT that we are running is WebCT Campus Edition (CE) 6, Application Pack 1.

Step 3: Courses

WebCT courses are automatically created for all official university courses. Students who are registered for a course are added automatically to the WebCT course. Student enrollment in WebCT courses is updated on a nightly basis to reflect adds and drops. Although all official courses will be listed in WebCT, it is not expected that all university courses will use WebCT. Student's can't get into a WebCT course unless the instructor decides to use it and adds some content. Check with your instructor if you're unsure of the location of online course content. Or check the Class Web Pages Listing.

Step 4: Get Acquainted

Take a look around at the page called "My WebCT." This area is the main launching point to access all courses assigned to you. You'll also see several channels.

My WebCT Channels

Course List
This is the list of courses you have access to in WebCT. Depending on the tools used in your courses, you may see some of the "New" icons displayed beneath the title of your course. These indicate when new mail, discussion messages, assessments, assignments and other new content are available. Clicking the icons will take you directly to that tool.
Campus Announcements
This is where the IT Web Office posts announcements about changes to the sytem. Downtime, common problems & solutions, and other topics will be linked here.
Campus Bookmarks
These are links to WebCT information on other servers. These will include SSU support pages, and WebCT.com pages.
Personal Bookmarks
A place where you can add bookmarks to websites you want easy access to.
Calendar Day and Calendar Week
Timely links to calendar items in your courses.
Who's Online
Lists all your courses, and the number of people enrolled in those courses currently logged into WebCT. Click the name of the course to see who's online and send a chat invitation. If you don't want others to see your online status, click My Settings at the top of the page.
My Grades
Students can see any grades recently released via the My Grades tool in their courses.

Step 5: Locate Your Resources