Frequently Asked Questions

The Context

The password website sometimes produces error PWM 5015 during an unsuccessful password change, without any explanation of the cause of the error. It simply reads, “An error has occurred. If this error occurs repeatedly please contact your help desk.”

The Cause

This error often occurs if a new password is too similar to a previous password.

The Resolution

Restart the password change process and enter an entirely different password than what has been used in the past. The site should accept the password. If the error persists, try varying the password further.

The Context

Students cannot register for courses via the CAMS Student Portal unless pop-ups are enabled in the web browser. But by default, most browsers block pop-ups.

How to Enable Pop-ups for CAMS

The steps for allowing pop-ups for CAMS differ with each browser. Click on a link below to view the steps for each of the major browsers:

Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge

Internet Explorer Safari

The Context

Gordon-Conwell email accounts are hosted on the Microsoft platform, and student, faculty, and staff accounts include a free subscription to Microsoft Office 365. In addition to accessing the online version of office applications, you can download and install the full Microsoft Office suite on a select number of computers and mobile devices for free, with just your Gordon-Conwell email address and password.

How to Install on a Windows or Mac Computer

1. Please log into portal.office.com with your full Gordon-Conwell email address (e.g. [email protected]) and password.
2. If you are asked which account you want to use (Work/school or Personal), select Work or school account created by your IT department.
3. You will see a list of the Microsoft Office apps you have access to. Clicking an individual app will take you to the online version of the app.
4. To download the desktop version of the Microsoft Office suite, click Install Office near the top right corner and select one of the download options.
5. Once the download has completed, run the file and allow it to install.
6. Once the installation has completed, open one of the Microsoft Office programs.
7. The software should ask you to log in to activate it. To do so, enter your Gordon-Conwell email address and password again (note again that this is a work/school account, not a personal Microsoft account, if you are asked what kind it is).
8. Your Microsoft Office 365 subscription should now be activated and ready to use!

How to Install on a Mobile Device (e.g. Tablet, Phone, Chromebook)

1. Install the individual Microsoft Office apps (e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint) from your device’s App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Once the installation has completed, open one of the Microsoft Office apps.
3. The app should ask you to log in to activate it. To do so, enter your Gordon-Conwell email address and password (note that this is a work/school account, not a personal Microsoft account, if you are asked what kind it is).
4. Your Microsoft Office 365 application should now be activated and ready to use!

Please make sure that you have done the following steps:

• Please go to the CAMS Student Portal.
• Be sure that you are only entering your username (not your full Gordon-Conwell email address) and password. CAMS will not accept email addresses.
• Please make sure you are not using Internet Explorer 6 or lower; older browsers may not work. We recommend the latest version of Google Chrome, as it is most compatible with our portals.
• Please try clearing the browsing data from your browser and trying more than one browser.
• If you also cannot log into any other portals, you most likely need a password reset. In that case, visit password.gordonconwell.edu to change your password. If after changing your password, you can log into other portals but not CAMS, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
• If you are a returning student whose account has been inactive for two years or more, it may need to be re-enabled. In this case, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

New students should be automatically added to Canvas upon receiving their login credentials.

Returning students must first register for a course using Canvas (Spring 2019 or beyond) before their Canvas accounts will be generated. Similarly, returning faculty must be assigned to teach a course using Canvas (Spring 2019 or beyond) before their Canvas accounts will be generated.

Please make sure your account is active and that you are registered for a course. To log into Canvas, please make sure you are entering your full gordonconwell.edu email address and the same password you use for the other portals.

Make sure that you are registered for the course and viewing the correct semester, as CAMS can only display one semester at a time. You can choose a term on the CAMS login page, or after you log in, you can change the term by clicking the change link in the upper left corner, next to the current term.

Please follow these steps:

1. Check your course registration status, either in the CAMS Student portal or with your campus/program’s registration office. It could be that you cannot see your course in Canvas because you are not registered for the class.
2. Check that the class is using Canvas and has been published (made available for students). Not every class uses an online learning platform, and most classes will only be visible in Canvas if and when the professor publishes them.
   • If this is a Semlink+ or Digital Live course, the course site should be published 10 days before the start date. Please direct questions to Digital Education: [email protected]
   • If this is a residential course, the professor is the one to publish the course site. If you cannot yet see the course, please contact the professor to inquire about whether he/she will use Canvas.
   • If this is a D.Min cohort or section, please direct questions to the D.Min office: [email protected]
   • If you are a student in the Online MAR program, please direct questions to: [email protected]

In general:

• Contact Technology Services primarily if you cannot log into Canvas.
• Contact Digital Education if you are having difficulties within Canvas.

By default, Microsoft no longer allows automatic forwarding of our institutional email to external email accounts. As a result, if you have forwarding enabled from your GCTS email address to a personal email address and someone emails your GCTS address, the sender will receive a message saying the email was rejected. In reality, the email reached your GCTS inbox but was not forwarded to the external account.

To avoid these error messages, we are asking all Gordon-Conwell users with email forwarding enabled to disable it. Here are instructions for turning off forwarding.

The easiest way to add your Gordon-Conwell email to your mobile device is to install the Outlook app from your device’s App Store or Google Play Store and simply log into Outlook with your gordonconwell.edu email address and password.

Apple App Store Google Play Store

If you are adding your Gordon-Conwell email to your device’s built in mail application, please select Exchange (not Outlook) as the account type. This will cause all the mail settings to automatically populate, and you will only need to enter your gordonconwell.edu email address and password. Although our email uses the Outlook platform, it is technically a Microsoft Exchange organizational account, not a Microsoft Outlook account.

Anyone with a Gordon-Conwell account can print directly from library lab computers to the printer(s) in the library. Staff and faculty can also print directly from their seminary-issued computers. To print from a personal computer or device, connect to the Gordon-Conwell campus network (via WiFi or Ethernet), navigate to mobility.gordonconwell.edu, and follow the instructions.

The steps for clearing browsing data differ slightly with each browser. Click on a link below to view the steps for each of the major browsers:

Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge

Internet Explorer Safari for Mac Safari for iOS

Hamilton

1. Hamilton event requests should be placed through FS Direct, in which case Media Services will be notified of your request.
2. If you are unfamiliar with this process, contact your supervisor or adviser.
3. In that case, all Media Services requests should be emailed to [email protected] two weeks prior to the event.
4. No matter the method, please include the following information in your request:
   1. Department hosting the event.
   2. Location of event.
   3. Event start time and end time.
   4. If you would like a sound check or display check prior to the event, please specify.
   5. Name of the event and names of speakers/participants.
   6. Sound Support: Do you need microphones? How many and what type – wireless lapel, wireless handheld, podium, tabletop microphone for panel?
   7. Display Support: Do you need projection? Do you need sound amplification for your presentation?
   8. Recording Support: Do you need video recording? Audio recording? If so, be sure to have your speakers/participants sign a recording release form.
   9. Zoom Support: How many participants will be joining remotely, and how many will be present locally? Do you already have a meeting link you would like to use? If so, please provide it. Would you like Media to provide a laptop, or do you have one you will use?

Boston

For Boston media needs, please contact Technology Services. Contact information and hours are on our main Technology Services page: tech.gordonconwell.edu

The GCTS library maintains access to many online/ebook resources through the Digital Theological Library (DTL). As you begin making use of this resource, you will notice that it does not use your typical GCTS username/password combination for login. To access the DTL:

1. Go to the Digital Theological Library website: https://libguides.thedtl.org/
2. You can search for books without logging in.
3. To view an ebook you’ve found, you will be prompted to select your school from the dropdown list and enter your student ID number. Please select Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and enter your 6-digit student ID number (also found on your student ID card, which you use to check out physical books from the GCTS libraries).

For more information, please visit the GCTS Library website and/or contact the GCTS Library department.