Office of Information Affairs

About Us and our Technologies

ILT provides many technological utilities to aid your journey. From our library’s incredible resources such as scholarly databases to our multiple tools for collaboration and access to online productivity tools, our students are in position to succeed in a rigorous environment. Our mission is to empower students to produce top-notch work with gravitas.

Our primary systems and tools are provided by Populi (which we use for class and student information) and Microsoft (which we use for email, which is Outlook; intranet, which is SharePoint; meetings, which are in Teams; and more).

In addition to the Library and technology offerings, in the Office of Information Affairs, we also provide TechGuides (self-service instructions) and personalized tech support to help users get the most out of our offerings or to address any issues one may encounter while using our technologies.

Classes meet in Microsoft Teams

Classes meet in Microsoft Teams.

So, you will need a PC or laptop that can run that program.

To see the requirements, see this Microsoft page on “Hardware requirements for Microsoft Teams”

*Note: You should NOT use the “classic” version of Teams. If you are using the classic version (it will say “classic” in the top, title bar of the application), you should download and install the new version of Teams.

MultiFactor Authentication (MFA)

We require Multifactor Authentication (also called 2-step verification) using the Microsoft Authenticator smartphone app. The above logo is the logo of the app made by Microsoft Corporation, which you can find on the Google Play Store or the iPhone’s App Store.

*Ensure that you use the app with that exact image that is made by Microsoft Corporation, as many apps on the stores will display very similar logos.

For more information, click here to open a page from Microsoft, explaining what Multifactor Authentication is. watch the video displayed to the right, or check out our TechGuide below.

When you sign in for the first time (such as if you are a new student), you will have a 14-day grace period in which to set up MFA. That means you can skip the setup temporarily in order to access our intranet, where you can find more details about MFA and other guides if you need to resolve something else can come back to MFA, but ideally, you should set up MFA first.

TechGuides:

step-by-step "how to" guides related to our most common questions

tip click on the ⌄ to expand a step-by-step tutorial and click on the ^ to collapse one

TechGuide: Setting up Multifactor Authentication in Microsoft 365

Set up upon first sign-in

One option is to use the routine that pops up when you sign-in (e.g., when you sign in to Outlook email). It will prompt you that “more information [is] required” and you can follow the on-screen steps to set it up.

For steps,

see this Microsoft Support link: Microsoft Support page explaining how to set up your Microsoft 365 sign-in for multi-factor authentication

see the video referenced above for an explanation of MFA and a step-by-step demonstration of how to set it up.

Skip after first sign-in and setup later

Another option is to click the link/button that allows you to skip setting up MFA temporarily, allowing you to log in without setting it up. You can then go into your Microsoft account’s security settings and add the additional verification methods there.

To set up MFA with an Authenticator app this way, you need to:

Sign-in to your account, skip adding the additional verification, and go to the Security info page or pane.
Select Add sign-in method or Add method.
Choose a method and then Authenticator app.
Follow the on-screen instructions, including scanning the QR code with your mobile device.
Select Next or Done to complete the setup.

Additional details here: Change your two-step verification method and settings – Microsoft Support

TechGuide: Setting up Login Approvals in Populi

Login Approvals is Populi’s name for Multifactor Authentication (also called 2-step verification). Why set-up login approvals?

It makes your account much more secure
It allows you to reset your own password (when forget your password or accidentally enter the wrong one too much and lock yourself out). Otherwise, you have to contact us, the Tech Help Desk, to send you a password reset email.

How do I do set up Login Approvals in Populi?

TechGuide: Signing into your ILT Microsoft Account (e.g., signing into Teams and our intranet)

One of our most common questions is how a student or faculty member can sign-in whether that be to get into Teams or onto the Intranet.

Below are some details on signing in to Teams and our Intranet.

These steps may bring up another Microsoft account If you are already logged into a Microsoft (e.g., office.com) account, then going to sites like outlook.office.com or logging into Teams will bring you into that account on Outlook or Teams (or whatever Microsoft product you signed into). In that case, click on the circle in the top right (it will usually have your initials in it but could have your picture there if one was added to that profile), and then click on "Sign in with a different account" or, if you already signed into your ILT Microsoft account earlier, click on your ILT account.

Signing into Teams

First, you need to download and install the Teams app on your computer if you do not already have the application. You can find the download link for Windows, Mac, or Linux here. Just click on the link and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
Next, you need to launch the Teams app on your computer. You can do this by clicking on the Start menu and typing “Teams” in the search box. Then, click on the Teams icon that appears in the list of results. Alternatively, you can also find the Teams icon on your desktop or taskbar and double-click on it (or you can right-click on the icon and then left-click on Open).
After launching the Teams app, you will see a sign-in screen where you need to enter your ILT Microsoft username and password.
- If you don’t remember or know your username or password, you can click on the “Forgot username or password?” link below the sign-in button and follow the instructions to reset them. Otherwise, you can contact us to get assistance.
- If it asks whether to sign you into all your apps, we recommend choosing “no, only sign in here” (the exact verbiage of the ask & answer may be a little different than that given) because you likely will only be logging into your ILT Microsoft account in Teams and in your browser, not in all Microsoft applications on your PC.
- If you are already signed in with another account (which can happen automatically if you already signed into a different Microsoft account in another Microsoft app on the computer), then there will be a circle in the top right corner that you can click to sign into an additional account by clicking “add another account.”
Once you enter your username and password, click on the sign-in button and wait for a few seconds.
- You may be prompted that “more information [is] required” with a explanation that “Your organization needs more information to keep your account secure.” This is our system prompting you to set up MFA, an extra security measure to protect your account from unauthorized access. See the above note in the intro for a explanation of that, or go to our intranet guide on MFA and, when prompted for the same setup, click “Skip for now (14 days until this is required)” to get past it where you can see our detailed page on MFA setup, or watch this video, which does a good job showing what to do and may enable you to get it set up.
- Note that, if prompted for MFA setup (see above bullet point), you may also be able to click “Skip for now” there as well, finishing signing into Teams. However, you will later need to set up MFA.
- You may be asked to verify your identity by entering a code that is sent to your phone or email. This is an extra security measure to protect your account from unauthorized access. If you see this prompt, enter the code that you receive and click on “Verify”.
Congratulations! You have successfully signed in to the Teams desktop app. You can now start using Teams to chat, call, meet, and collaborate with your classmates or colleagues. You can also customize your settings, join or create teams, and explore various features and apps within Teams. If you need more help with using Teams, you can check out the quick start guide here or the Microsoft Education website here.

Signing into the ILT intranet Tech Help site

Click on the “Visit our ILT Intranet Site” button above on this page or click here to go to the Tech Help Desk intranet homepage

You will see a sign-in screen where you need to enter your ILT Microsoft username and password.
- If you don’t remember or know your username or password, you can click on the “Forgot username or password?” link below the sign-in button and follow the instructions to reset them. Otherwise, you can contact us to get assistance.
Once you enter your username and password, click on the sign-in button and wait for a few seconds.
- You may be prompted that “more information [is] required” with a explanation that “Your organization needs more information to keep your account secure.” This is our system prompting you to set up MFA, an extra security measure to protect your account from unauthorized access. When prompted for that setup, you can click “Skip for now (14 days until this is required)” to get past it and then go to our TechGuide on MFA setup, or you can watch this video, which does a good job showing what to do and may enable you to get it set up.
- If you have set up MFA, you may be prompted with a code to enter into your authenticator app on your mobile device (such as Microsoft Authenticator), or you might be prompted to enter a code that is generated from a authenticator app (such as Google Authenticator). If so, open your mobile device’s authenticator and enter the code as needed per your case.

Once you have entered your username and password (as well as your code if prompted), you have signed in successfully and can navigate the intranet.

Signing into your ILT email

At ILT, we use Office365. That means your ILT Microsoft account lives on office.com (the Office 365 domain run by Microsoft).

So, the simplest way to access ILT email:

Go to https://outlook.office.com/mail/ in your browser.*
If prompted to log in, log in with your ILT email address and password

You can also access our email by

In the top-bar menu across the top of our main sites [like Home – Christ School of Theology (cst.ilt.edu) or Institute of Lutheran Theology (ilt.edu)], click on the Login menu and then click on the Email link from there*
Note that that same link is also available under the Logins menu above*

* As noted in the info alert above, if you are already logged into a office.com account, then going to outlook.office.com will bring you into that account’s email (which is true regardless of whether you get there via your browser’s address bar, which is the first way noted, or via clicking a link on our sites, which is the second way explained). In that case, click on the circle in the top right (it will usually have your initials in it but could have your picture there if one was added to that profile), and then click on “Sign in with a different account.” Then you will be able to log in with your ILT email address. Once you have signed in, clicking on that circle in the top right will show you the accounts you are signed into and you can click on them to switch back and forth from your ILT account and your other office.com accounts.

TechGuide: Joining Class

Our students’ most common question is how to join class (especially for new students).

The main confusion tends to be that people expect a link to be sent to them and that they click that link every time to join class. That is NOT how to join class except if sent a link in a “emergency” scenario (e.g., class has already started and you just need to get into class without trouble-shooting sign-in issues first.

The proper and expected way to join class is to first log into Microsoft Teams and then join either from the class’ Team or from the calendar.

So,

If you can sign into your ILT Microsoft account, see the “Joining class after signing into the Teams app” guide below or see the video to the right.
Otherwise, if you cannot get signed in and class is starting soon (or has already started), see the below guides on how to join without signing in. (Click the heading if not expanded/showing.)

May need to check your version of Teams If Microsoft Teams tells you that your @ilt.edu account cannot be found when you try to sign in, you may need to check that you are using Microsoft Teams for Work or School, not the regular/free version. See this page for more information.

For additional guides, covering more use-cases, please see the TechGuide on our intranet. The intranet guides have many detailed, helpful descriptions and more videos describing the various ways you can join class.

Joining class after signing into the Teams app

The best way to join class is to join after signing into the Teams desktop application. These steps require you to have installed Teams. To install Teams, click here to go to the Microsoft Teams download page, scroll down to the “Teams for Work or School” heading and then click “Download the new Teams.” Open the downloaded file and follow the steps in the installation wizard that pops-up. Steps to join class in the Teams application.

Launch or open Teams if you have not already
Sign in with your ILT, Microsoft email address and password (see the above guide titled “Signing into your ILT Microsoft Account” if you need help with that).
The easiest way to join, for many, is from the calendar. Select Calendar on the left side of the app. Then, find the meeting you want to join and select Join. You can also join the meeting from the reminder notification that pops up when the meeting is about to start.

There are additional details on joining a Teams Meeting here: Join a meeting in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support

Joining via your browser as a guest (not signed-in)

First you will need to be provided a link to the meeting. That link would usually be emailed to you but can also be texted to you. If you do not have a link, you can contact us, your professor, or your contact in the registrar’s office to request the link.

Click the invite link. That’ll open a web page, where you may see two choices: “Continue on this browser” and “Join on the Teams app.”
Select Continue on this browser.
If you’re using Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, you’ll see a prompt asking you to allow Teams to use your webcam and microphone. Select Yes to enable audio and video for the meeting.
Enter your name and click Join now to join the meeting as a guest.

Click here to see a video demonstrating it

Joining via your mobile as a guest (not signed-in)

Tap on the meeting link
If you do not already have the Teams app, you’ll be prompted to install it. Find it on iPhone App Store (on your iPhone) or on the Google Play Store (if you are on Android) and install it. Note: After installing it, you may find you need to go tap on the meeting link again.
Open the Teams application as prompted
Allow use of your mic and camera
Tap “Join as a guest”
Type in your name and tap “Join meeting”

Click here to see a YouTube video that goes over it

when Other helps or direct assistance are needed:

Detailed Information & TechGuides Available on the ILT Intranet

If you are already a ILT user (student, faculty, or staff), visit our ILT Intranet site.

There you can find more TechGuides, more detailed information about our offerings, and other specifics about our staff.

Send Us a Message

Use this form to contact us...

to request tech help if you are a current ILT student or faculty who cannot log into your account (which prevents you from using the internal Help Desk site or from sending a email to us via your ILT email).
you are having difficulty with sending email from another email provider (e.g., a personal or work email)
if you are a prospective student with questions about our tech offerings or aids.
or, really, for any ILT technology related questions or concerns