Frequently Asked Questions

Enrollment and Course Access

• When I try to login to Cougar Courses is says incorrect username or password.

  Visit the STH Username and Password FAQs page

  Important password security note: We will never ask for your password. Please don't provide it in an email. If you receive an email asking for your password, forward the email to abuse@csusm.edu and delete the message right away.

• When I try to login to Cougar Courses it says I am not enrolled, but I am enrolled in classes. What do I do?

  Does the page look like this?

  

  If so, it does not mean you are not enrolled in classes, it means you are not enrolled in Duo our multi-factor authentication system. Visit the Student Technology Helpdesk's help page on Duo for more information.

• When I try to login I get a "Bad Request - Request Too Long..." error message.
  Completely clear your browser's cookies and cache and try again. Or try using a different browser (we recommend Firefox or Chrome). If you are in a rush and do not have time to clear cookies and cache or download a new browser, try using your browser's incognito or private window.
• When I try to login it says I do not have an account in Moodle.
  This happens when you are not enrolled in any courses. If you have just registered for courses, wait 24 hours and try logging in again.
• When I try to login it says I am not authorized to access Moodle.
  This happens if you first logged in to Cougar Courses before you had a CSUSM email. Email cchelp@csusm.edu with your name and CSUSM username and we can fix your account.
• When I try to login I get a "SAML2 exception: Responder" error message.

  First, reset your CSUSM password: https://www.csusm.edu/iits/iitsforyou/password/index.html 

  Make sure the reset worked by using your new password to login to something other than Cougar Courses (MyCSUSM, your student email, etc.). If the reset did work, completely clear your cookies and cache and try to login to CC again.

• I don't see my courses in Cougar Courses and the term will start soon/just started. Where are they?

  Your list of active courses can be found on the My Courses page after you log in.
  

  Recently registered?

  •  It can take up to 24 hours from the time you officially add a course in MyCSUSM until you are added to the Cougar Courses container.

  Registered more than 24 hours ago?

  • If it has been over 24 hours since you officially enrolled through MyCSUSM the course might not have been made visible by the instructor yet.  Instructors choose when to make their course visible to students.
  • There is a way you can check whether the course is visible or not:
    • While logged in, go to the Cougar Courses homepage and the search bar near the bottom. Search by the name and number of the course (for example, Fall 2020 BIOL 104).
    • If you see the course (and correct section) listed there it means the course is active/visible to students, but you might not have been added yet. It you need immediate access, contact the instructor.
      
    • If you do not see the course (and correct section) that means the course is not yet active/visible to students.  In that case, you will need to contact the instructor to ask when it will be made visible.
      
• I just added a course in MyCSUSM, but I don't see it in Cougar Courses yet. Can you give me access?
  It can take up to 24 hours for your add to be processed by the registrar and your name to be added to the course roster in Cougar Courses. If you require immediate access to the course materials, contact your instructor for access.
  
• I have cleared my financial hold. How do I get access to my course(s) again in Cougar Courses?
  You should be automatically re-enrolled within 24 hours, but probably much sooner. If you require immediate access to the course materials, contact your instructor for access.
• Why am I still seeing last semester's classes on CC? How can I get rid of these?

  Courses remain visible to students until at least 2 weeks after the term has ended (the exception is Winter Intersession courses, as they are technically a part of the Spring term). At that point, courses for that term are hidden from students. However, instructors can choose to make their course(s) visible again after this. If you still see a course more than two weeks after the term has ended, the only way to remove is to contact the instructor and request they hide the course or enable a course end date.

• How do I access a course from a previous semester?

  Courses remain visible to students until at least 2 weeks after the term has ended. At that point, courses for that term are hidden from students. To access a past course you will need to contact the instructor to request access again.

Basics and Personalization

• How can I add a picture to my profile?
    Please see our help guide on Adding a Profile Picture.
• How can I change my name in Cougar Courses?

  Is this a preferred name change?

  • Process a preferred name change through the Office of the Registrar: https://www.csusm.edu/enroll/services/name_change/preferred_name.html 
    

  Is this a legal name change?

  • Process a legal name change through the Office of the Registrar: https://www.csusm.edu/enroll/services/name_change/index.html 

Course Activities and Resources

• Why can't I view the lectures/videos the instructor posted?

  First, check your computer settings to make sure the problem isn't on your end:
  

  • If it is a video in Mediasite, run this Mediasite Viewing Requirements Test
  • Otherwise:
    • Try a different browser (make sure it is up to date). We recommend Firefox or Chrome.
      
    • Restart your computer.

  If you still cannot view the video, it might be the link is bad or the video is currently private. Contact your instructor. If possible, include screenshots of what you see, especially if there is an error message.
  

• I can't open the PDFs my instructor posted in the course.

  First, try using a different browser. We recommend Firefox or Chrome. Make sure your browser is up to date. Otherwise download the PDF and open using Adobe Acrobat reader. Don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed? Get Adobe Acrobat Reader Free.  

  If you still cannot view the PDF, it might be the link or file is bad. Contact your instructor. If possible, include screenshots of what you see, especially if there is an error message.
  

• Can you tell me if my assignment, quiz, Turnitin, etc was submitted?

  Within your course, click on the specific Quiz, Assignment, Turnitin Assignment, etc.
  

  • Quiz: if an attempt was at least started it will be listed under "Summary of your previous attempts" and if it was submitted it will say Finished under the "State"column
    
  • Assignment: if successfully uploaded, the gray box on the right should have the link to your file submission or the text of your online text submission if successfully uploaded. If submitted, the Submission Status will say "Submitted for grading"
    
  • Turnitin assignment: if successfully submitted your file should be listed on the My Submissions page where you will see the submission title, Turnitin ID, date and time it was submitted.
    

  You can also check your activity logs. Please see our help guide on how to View your Activity Logs.
• Why can't I see my Assignment/Turnitin/Quiz/Forum grade?

  Please contact your instructor. Instructors have the ability to hide individual grade items, totals, and even the entire gradebook. Only your instructor can update/change settings in the course to make grades visible.

  A few helpful notes: if the activity is hidden on the course homepage, then it will also be hidden in the gradebook. Also, for certain activities the grade only becomes visible after a certain date and time. For example, the grade for a Turnitin Assignment does not become available until the Post Date is reached.
  

• It says my file is too large to upload to my assignment. What can I do?

  The maximum size for assignment submissions is 20MB, but your instructor can limit it to smaller sizes if they choose. 

  For files that are larger than that and cannot be reduced (like audio or video files) you will want to upload to a separate site and then submit the link to the file in Cougar Courses. For video files you can upload to Youtube or Stream. For PowerPoint/Word/Excel/etc you can upload to OneDrive or Google Drive.
• Why don't I see the "submit paper" link for my Turnitin assignment?

  You will not see a "submit paper" link if:

  • The Start Date is in the future. Once the Start Date is reached, you will see be able to submit.
  • The Due Date has passed and your instructor has not allowed late submissions. Contact your instructor.
  • The Due Date has passed and you have already submitted. Resubmissions, if enabled, are only allowed before the Due Date. Contact your instructor.
  • You have already submitted and your instructor has not allowed resubmissions. Contact your instructor.
• I'm having trouble submitting my Turnitin assignment. What's wrong?
  • Try a different browser. We recommend Firefox or Chrome (make sure it is up to date).
  • Make sure your document file name has the .doc or .docx extension at the end or is saved as a .pdf (especially important if you are using a Mac)
  • Your document must have more than 20 words of text. Scanned PDFs or pictures of documents won't work.
  • Don't use any special characters (/ & % -) in the file name or submission title
  • Configure your browser to allow pop-up windows.
  • Check to make sure Turnitin isn't down. To check, visit the Turnitin Status page: https://turnitin.statuspage.io/
• Why can't I post/reply in a forum?

  There are a number of reasons why you might not be able to post or reply in a forum:

  • The cut-off date has passed. If the cut-off date has passed you should see a message displayed below the prompt that says "The cut-off date for posting to this forum is reached so you can no longer post to it."
  • Your instructor is using the Q&A forum type. The Q&A forum type requires the instructor to post first, which students then reply to. Click on the subject of your instructor's post and then click Reply in the lower right. If you do not see Reply, contact your instructor. If you do not see their post to reply to, contact your instructor.
  • The forum is set to groups, but you are not in a group. If your instructor set the forum to use groups, if you are not in a group you will not be able to post. If this is the case you should see the message "You are not able to create a discussion because you are not a member of any group." Contact your instructor who will need to either place you in a group or remove the group setting.
• When I try to post in a forum it gives me the message "Error writing to database." What do I do?

  This can happen for two reasons:

  1. Do you have any emojis or emoticons in your text? Remove them and you should be able to post.
  2. Did you copy and paste your text from Word? If so, instead of just pasting your text in the main area, use the Paste from Word feature in the text editor toolbar. Review our help guide on how to paste from word.
• Where can I download Respondus LockDown Browser?

  You will download Respondus LockDown Browser from a quiz/exam that requires it. Use a regular browser (Chrome or Firefox) and go to the quiz/exam that requires LockDown Browser. Click the link "Download LockDown Browser." If you do not see a "Download LockDown Browser" link it means your instructor has not enabled LockDown Browser for that quiz/exam. Contact your instructor to let them know.

  Here is our help guide on downloading and using LockDown Browser.

• When try to login to Respondus LockDown Browser it says I do not have an account in Canvas. What do I do?
  You should not launch Respondus LockDown Browser directly from your computer. And if you launch properly, it will not ask you to login to LockDown Browser. The correct process for using LockDown Browser is to use a regular browser (Chrome or Firefox), go to the quiz/exam that requires LockDown Browser, and then click the “Launch LockDown Browser” button. If you do not see a "Launch LockDown Browser" button it means your instructor has not enabled LockDown Browser for that quiz/exam. Contact your instructor to let them know.
  
  Here is our help guide on using LockDown Browser.
• My Respondus LockDown Browser is not working. What can I do?

  Please see our help guide on troubleshooting Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor for the steps you should take.

• My computer shut down/internet cut out during my quiz. Can you open it back up for me?

  First, if your time has not run out then you can resume your quiz attempt. Go to the quiz and click the "continue last attempt" button.

  If time has expired or you lost a considerable amount of time, you will need to contact your instructor. Only your instructor can enable extra attempts. We recommend contacting your instructor as soon as possible.