Students: WebCT Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I log in to WebCT?
A. To log in to WebCT, go to http://webct.missouriwestern.edu. Click Log In to my WebCT. Enter your ID and password. Your ID and password are the same that you use to check your Western email. Click the 'Log In' button. You will then be logged in to your My WebCT entry page where you will see the courses you have been enrolled in listed on the left.

Q. Why doesn't the ID and password that I used to use on WebCT work?
A. If you had an ID and password from a previous semester that you used to log in to WebCT, it will no longer work. You must use your Western ID and password (the same that you use for e-mail) to log in to WebCT.

Q. Can I create my own username and password for WebCT?

A. No! You have already been provided with a username and password by the university. It is the same username and password you use to log in to your e-mail.

Q. Why don’t I see any courses when I log in to WebCT?
A. If you are able to log in to WebCT, but you do not see any courses listed, you may not have been added to those courses in WebCT yet. Even though you may be registered for a course, students are not added to WebCT courses until a few days before the start of the semester. If you registered late for a class, you may not be added until the first few days of the semester. If you are in the first week of the semester and still do not see any courses listed, call the IMC for help at (816) 271-4172.

Q. My instructor told me to use WebCT Email to send him a message. What does he mean?
A. WebCT has its own internal email system. This is completely separate from your Western email. You do not have an actual WebCT email address. Every course in WebCT has an email tool. This allows students and instructors in that specific class only to communicate through email. This means that you may have to check email in every WebCT course you are enrolled. If an instructor asks you to send a message or assignments using WebCT email, he wants you to log in to WebCT and use the email tool to send the message to him. You will still need to check your Western email in addition to the email in your WebCT courses.

Q. How do I forward my WebCT email to my Western email account?
A. Some instructors may not require you to use the WebCT email system to communicate. They may also tell you that you can forward your WebCT email to your Western email account. To forward your WebCT email to your Western email, log in to WebCT and your course. Go to the Email tool. Click the 'Message Settings' button. Next to 'Mail forwarding', place a checkmark by 'Forward my mail to' and enter your western email address in the box. Click the 'Update' button.
Please note: If you forward your email from WebCT to your Western account, you cannot reply to the sender. You will have to know the person's email address and send a new message to the person or go back into WebCT and send the message using WebCT email.

Q. When I click the print button, why does it only print the navigation menu on the left?
A. WebCT is comprised of a series of web pages that use frames. Frames are what allow you to see the WebCT toolbar at the top of the screen and the course menu on the left of the screen at all times even while you are reading down through a document. To print a page in WebCT, you first have to indicate which frame you want to print. To do this, all you have to do is click your mouse anywhere on the text you want to print. You don't have to highlight, just click. Then, hit the 'Print' button in your browser toolbar or choose 'Print' from the File menu in your browser.

Q. Is my browser and operating system compatible with WebCT?
A. WebCT has tested and supports the following operating systems with WebCT 8:

Microsoft Windows 98 2nd Edition, 2000, and XP operating systems
Macintosh OS 9, OS 10.1.x, and 10.2.x operating systems. WebCT has tested and supports the following web browser versions with WebCT 8:

	Netscape Navigator	Microsoft Internet Explorer	AOL	Not Supported
Windows 98 2nd Ed., 2000, and XP	6.2.x and 7.0	5.0, 5.5, and 6.0	7.0 and 8.0	Netscape 4.7x to 4.8, 6.0 and 6.1 Internet Explorer 4.0, 5.5 SP1
Macintosh OS 9.x	6.2.x	5.1		Netscape 4.7x to 4.8 and 6.1
Macintosh OS 10.1.x	6.2.x and 7.0	5.1 and 5.2	AOL for OS X	Netscape 4.7x to 4.8 and 6.1
Macintosh OS 10.2.x	6.2.x and 7.0	5.2	AOL for OS X	Netscape 4.7x to 4.8 and 6.1

For the most current information on supported browsers, visit the WebCT Browser Tune-Up page.

Q. How should I configure my browser?
A. Your browser may need to be configured in order for you to access all of WebCT's features. Follow the links below for instructions, or visit the WebCT Browser Tune-Up page and follow the prompts to prepare your browser settings.

Windows Operating Systems:
Netscape Navigator
Microsoft Internet Explorer

Macintosh Operating Systems:
Netscape Navigator
Internet Explorer

Q. Why can't I open my quiz?
A. You may have a browser configuration problem. If when trying to open a quiz, the window doesn't open or you get some other error, it is likely a browser configuration problem. Visit the WebCT Browser Tune-Up page to check and/or configure your browser settings.

Does it say 'Completed' next 'Status' below the quiz? This means that the quiz has already been taken. Instructors will often only allow you to take a quiz one time. If you have already taken the quiz, you will not be able to take it again. Contact your instructor if you have any questions.

Q. Why doesn’t the chat room work?
A. Most likely there is a configuration problem with your browser or you are behind a firewall. Visit the WebCT Browser Tune-Up page to check and/or configure your browser settings. Contact the person responsible for your network to find out if you are behind a firewall and any steps you can take. If you are using an Internet Service Provider (ISP), contact their technical support. If the chat room opens but you get a message saying that the chat server is unavailable or a similar message, contact the IMC at (816) 271-5880.

Q. In what format should I submit my work online?
A. First, check the syllabus to see if your instructor has specified which format you should use. If none is specified, always submit your assignments as Rich Text Format (RTF) when possible. RTF files can be opened by any word processor. To save as RTF, when you save the file and give it a file name, you should also see a box that allows you to choose the file type. Select Rich Text from the drop-down list.

Q. How do I contact technical support?
A. You can send an email to webct@missouriwestern.edu. If you are not able to log in to WebCT or certain tools in WebCT don't work, contact the Information Technology Office Help Desk at (816) 271-4555. For all other questions regarding WebCT and your courses, contact the IMC at (816) 271-4172.