Information Technology 

Flashline

FlashLine is Kent State University’s web-based portal that provides access to the university’s online academic, student and administrative services, such as email, Blackboard Learn, financial aid, bursar’s account and registrar.

You can access FlashLine by logging in from Kent State’s home page at http://www.kent.edu. Student services are available via Student in the panel on the left. Click on Student to access most student services, including basic financial aid information, course offerings, class registration, and student information. To register for classes online, click on Student in the panel on then click on Dashboard to access registration information under “Check Registration Status.” If you are an employee, you can also access paystubs and direct deposit information via the Employee panel.  

Accounts

If you are new to Kent State, two pieces of information will be included in your letter of admission.

Kent State ID number: It is a 9-digit unique number that begins with an "8".  You will need this number to log into your FlashLine account initially.  The university will use this number to identify you instead of your Social Security Number. The information is also in FlashLine under your Student Dashboard.  This number should be memorized and not shared with others for security reasons.

FlashLine user name:  It is the first part of your kent.edu email address (before @kent.edu).  It is 8 characters long and comprised of a combination of your name and possibly some numbers.  Your username is unique to you.  You will log into FlashLine and other Kent State accounts with your username.

If you forgot your password, or have never logged into Flashline, please see the instructions on how to recover your password provided by Technology Support.

OR

If you have never logged into Flashline before, you will need to set up your account and set your password.  You may access your account using the temporary password set by KSU.  Your default password is set according to the formula mmmyyxxxxx:

• mmm = first three letters of the birth month
• yy = last two digits of the birth year
• xxxxx = last five digits of your Kent State ID Number (formerly, Banner ID)

If you can log in using your FlashLine username and default password, you will be prompted to provide an alternate email address, set up the answers to several security questions, and change your password. By doing so, you’ll be able to access these questions in the future to reset your own password if you ever forget it. NOTE:  If you forget your password and are unable to provide the answers to your security questions, you may have to visit a campus location for assistance.

Contact the Kent State Help Desk at (330) 672-HELP (4357) if you need assistance.

E-mail

Accessing your Kent State University (KSU) email is important to communicate with your professors, fellow students, and to receive relevant information from KSU.  There are several options to access your email, however, the easiest is to log in via Flashline with your KSU ID and password. If you do not have access to your KSU ID, please contact the Help Desk at (330) 672-HELP (4357).

Once you log in, there will be an email icon located at the top right of the screen. Click the icon to access your e-mail.

KSU has partnered with Google Apps for education to provide your e-mail.  This means that you can access your e-mail from virtually any device (Smart Phone, Tablet, etc…).  To configure your device to check your KSU e-mail, please read the instructions provided by Technology Support.

Blackboard

Blackboard Learn is Kent State University’s Learning Management System (LMS) and will be the platform for most of the online classes.  Blackboard allows professors to post syllabi, assignments, quizzes, and readings.  However, not every course will have associated Blackboard content, and each professor can determine when to allow access to their Blackboard content.  If you do not see your course in Blackboard immediately, it could mean that the professor did not publish the course material yet.   If you have any questions regarding why you are not able to access a Blackboard course once the semester starts, you should e-mail your professor to ensure that the content is accessible.

There are two ways to access Blackboard Learn.  The first is to log in via Flashline and click on the Blackboard icon in the top right of the menu bar.

The second is to go to http://learn.kent.edu and log in with your Flashline ID and password.

Blackboard Learn works best with the following Internet browsers: Google Chrome (Recommended), Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari.

Please note that Blackboard Learn is down every Sunday from 5am-7am for scheduled maintenance.

If you are unable to login to Blackboard learn with your Flashline ID and Password, please contact Technology Help Line at (330) 672-HELP for assistance.

Software Purchases

As a Kent State student, you have access to free software, as well as discounts. You can access a free subscription of Microsoft Office 365 until up to two years after you graduate with your degree,  as well as statistical and qualitative data analysis tools. 

You can view a full list of software available to you by browsing the KSU Software Catalog. 

Computer Service and Repair

The TechHelp Service and Repair Center is Kent State’s on-site technology service center, available to help all students, faculty, and staff resolve issues with their personal computers and mobile devices.
Workers are trained to provide quick and affordable service, ensuring you’ll never have to leave the Kent Campus to get professional technology support. They are located in the Tri-Towers Rotunda, where you can receive computer assistance with cases such as network, wireless and login support; virus and spyware removal, and hardware installation and repair.