SMG IT Services (ITS)

SMGtools

Support: smgtools@bu.edu

For tool-by-tool instructions, see SMGtools Instructions.

SMGtools, http://smgtools.bu.edu, lets faculty manage their courses online. The system is built on Sakai (http://sakaiproject.org), an open source platform developed in collaboration with other educational institutions to provide an enhanced learning environment for higher education. The Boston University School of Management is an official Sakai partner.

To log into SMGtools, go to http://smgtools.bu.edu and enter your BU username (the portion of your BU email address that precedes the @ symbol) and your Kerberos password.

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FAQ Topics for All Users

User Accounts and Logging In

What are my username and password?
Why can't I log into SMGtools?
What should I do if I forgot my password?
How can I change my password?

Course Sites and Access

How do I know what course sites I can access?
Why don't I see all my classes on SMGtools?
How are class user lists updated on SMGtools?
How can I get access to a course site?
How much space can my files take up on SMGtools?

Navigation secrets you need to know

Why doesn't the browser's back button do what I expect?
Why can't I see all of my sites in the tabs?
Why can't I see content posted under Resources anymore?

Instructions for Use

Are there instructions available online?

FAQ Topics for Instructors

Course Site Creation

How can I have a course site created?
Why can't some of my students see my site?
Why can't some of my students log into SMGtools?
How can I set up sites for my student groups?
Will content from my previous SMGtools sites be copied over?

 

User Lists

Can I add users to my courses?
What if I'm trying to add a user who is not registered for my course and does not have access to SMGtools (e.g., visiting students)?
How can I add TAs or other Instructors to my courses?

Instructions for Use

Are instructions available online?

Online Research (Pardee Library)

How can I make the Pardee Library online resources available to my students through SMGtools?
How can I post persistent links to database articles in SMGtools?

 

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FAQ Answers for All Users

User Accounts and Logging In

What are my username and password?
Your username for SMGtools is your ACS username: your BU email address without the @bu.edu. If your BU email address is 'johndoe@bu.edu' your username is johndoe.

Your password is your Kerberos password.

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Why can't I log into SMGtools?
It's usually one of two issues:

1. You're entering the wrong login information.
   Make sure you are entering the correct (Kerberos, or BU email) username and password.
   OR
2. You have not activated your Active Directory login.
   Click here to activate your Active Directory login
   

What should I do if I forgot my password?
SMGtools uses your Kerberos (BU email) password. Kerberos passwords are maintained by the main Office of Information Technology (OIT). If you have forgotten your Kerberos password, you will need to re-establish it in person at the Office of Information Technology located at 111 Cummington Street. You must present your BU ID card for photo verification.

 

How can I change my password?
SMGtools uses your Kerberos (BU email) password. Kerberos passwords are maintained by the main Office of Information Technology (OIT). You can change your ACS (Kerberos) password by going to the link below and completing the online form for changing your Kerberos password.
Change Your Kerberos Password

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Course Sites and Access

How do I know what course sites I can access?
Once you log into SMGtools, up to five course sites will appear as tabs along the top of the web page. If you have more than five courses, some will appear in the -more- dropdown at the upper right.

You can also see your course sites by logging into SMGnet. On SMGnet, you will see your course websites listed as links. Clicking on a link will prompt you to log into the system.

 

Why aren't all my classes on SMGtools?
Before you see a course listed on SMGtools,

1. The instructor must make the site "published." Instructors may keep sites unpublished before the semester starts while they are still preparing them.
2. You must be added to the user list for that course site. If you've recently added a course or received your ACS account it may take a few hours for those details to update.

• Even if you have more than five sites, only five appear in the tabs at the top of the page. See "Why can't I see all of my sites in the tabs?"
• It may be that your course website is not located on SMGtools but on Blackboard instead. To see all your course websites in both SMGtools and Blackboard, log into SMGnet. Your courses will appear as active links to SMGtools or Blackboard.

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How are class user lists updated on SMGtools?
Initial class lists are uploaded two weeks before classes open for a given semester. They are then updated several times a day from the latest registrar information, until the registration deadline.

Students who add a class late or receive their ACS account late may see a delay of a few hours before their registration is reflected on SMGtools.

How can I get access to a course site?
Students are added automatically through scheduled updates from registrar information. If you're "sitting in" on a class or otherwise not officially registered, the instructor for the course site can add you, provided you have an account on the system.

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How much space can my files take up on SMGtools?
Answer: There is a quota of 600MB for each tab or site on SMGtools and an individual file size limit of 50MB.

 

Navigation secrets you need to know

Why doesn't the browser's back button do what I expect?
In SMGtools, clicking the browser back button takes you to your previous tool. This is the way the system is built. To compensate, each tool—e.g., Resources, Assignments, etc.—has a built-in button of its own known as the "reset" button. You can find this reset button at the top left corner of each tool. Clicking on it will return you to the starting point of that tool.

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Why can't I see all of my sites in the tabs?
Only five sites appear in the tabs at the top of the page. If you have more than five sites, a drop-down list appears on the far right of your screen, showing additional sites. You can customize this display.
To reorder or hide site tabs:
go to My Workspace > Preferences > Customize Tabs.

 

Why can't I see content posted under Resources anymore?
Sometimes, if you have a side pane exposed in your browser window (e.g., the Favorites toolbar or Search panes in Internet Explorer), its width on your screen pushes your Resources content far down on the page. The content is still there; use the scroll bar on the right of your screen to find the content, or close the extra pane to return the content to the top of the page.

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Instructions for Use

Are instructions available online?
Yes, students should see the Getting Started with SMGtools document in the Quick Reference Guides section for an overview.

SMGtools Online Instructions are available for instructors and for students using group (team) sites. Click here to view these instructions.

There is also a Help tool within SMGtools. When you are logged into a course site, the Help tool appears as the last tool button on the left side of the page. You can also launch the Help tool by clicking on any of the small question mark symbols you see. It is context-sensitive, so clicking on a small question mark symbol will bring you to the help page for the particular tool you are using at the time.

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FAQ Answers for Instructors

Course Site Creation

How can I have a course site created?
Course sites are automatically created from registration data; each section of each course gets its own site. If you wish to combine sections or courses in your site, send a note to smgtools@bu.edu.

 

Why can't some of my students see my site?

1. Some or all of your students may not yet be on the user list for the course from the registrar.
2. Your site may not yet be "published". When sites are first created they are "unpublished" - or inaccessible to students - by default. You need to "publish" them when you are satisfied with their content. Go to Site Info and Manage Access.

 

Why can't some of my students log into SMGtools?
Click here to see the previous section listing some possibilities.

 

How can I set up sites for my student groups?
Student group sites are created by ITS upon request from the instructor. While there is a group feature instructors can use within their course sites, more collaboration tools are available if we give each student team its own course site. Instructors are not included in these group sites unless so requested.

Request a group site by completing the spreadsheet here and sending it to smgtools@bu.edu. You will receive a confirmation message when the group sites have been created.

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Will content from my previous SMGtools sites be copied over?
You can do this independently, following the instructions below, or ITS can assist you. See details for both options:

Go it alone -
You can Copy Resources content from one site to another directly within the Web browser or through WebDAV network connections:

Within the Web browser -

• Within the Resources tool of the site whose content you are copying, scroll toward the bottom of the page and expand the Show Other Sites link by clicking on it. This will expose the Resources areas from your other sites, where you will likely be copying content "to".
• Check the boxes next to any Resource items you want to copy.
• Click the Copy button at the upper left of the Resources tool.
• At the bottom of the page, select a clipboard icon and click on it to paste content to the associated folder.

Using WebDAV -

WebDAV lets you map the Resources areas of your sites as network drives on your computer. Once you have established WebDAV connections for the sites you want transfer content among, you can use copy and paste commands as you would to copy items from your desktop to a network drive. Click here for WebDAV setup instructions.

Request ITS Assistance -
Mail your request to smgtools@bu.edu and include complete details of which courses are involved (include sections and semesters).

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User Lists

Can I add users to my courses?
Yes, but in most cases you shouldn't have to because of the automatic upload process. However, any unregistered users will need to be added by you. This includes any extra instructors, teaching assistants, students "sitting in" on the class, etc.

To add a user to your course, go to Site Info and click on Add Participants. In the FIRST text box you see, enter the BU username (the portion of a BU email address that precedes the @ symbol) for the user you wish to add, then complete the pages that follow. See the next section for instructions on adding users who are not registered for your course and do not have access to SMGtools e.g., visiting students.

 

What if I'm trying to add a user who is not registered for my course and does not have access to SMGtools (e.g., a colleague at another university)?
These users will be considered guests on the system. To add a guest user to your course, go to Site Info and click on Add Participants. In the SECOND text box that you see, type their full email address (e.g., johndoe@tufts.edu). Complete the pages that follow and be sure to opt to send an email notification to them when prompted. This email notification will inform them that they have been added to your site and it will include an auto-generated password that they will use to log into the system.

 

How can I add TAs or other Instructors to my courses?
Use the same process described above for adding users and select the TA or Instructor role at the appropriate step. If the user already exists in your site, then assign them the 'Teaching Assistant' or 'Instructor' role using the drop-down menu next to their name under Site Info.

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Instructions for Use

Are instructions available online?
Yes, students should see the Getting Started with SMGtools document in the Quick Reference Guides section for an overview.

SMGtools Online Instructions are available for instructors and for students using group (team) sites. There is also a Help tool within SMGtools. This Help tool appears as a button in the left-hand tool menu. You can also launch the Help tool by clicking on a small circled question mark at the upper right. Since this link is context-sensitive, it will bring you to the help page for the particular tool you have open at the time.

Pardee Library

How can I make the Pardee Library online resources available to my students through SMGtools?

You can either link to them in your course site (see below) or direct students to the Pardee Library web site.

 

How can I post persistent links to database articles in SMGtools?
Provided the library database in question supports this option (see the Pardee Library site for more information), copy the article link (the URL or web address of the page) and then paste it into an announcement, or as a content item in the "Resources" area.

From Resources:

1. Click on the Add button next to a folder
2. In the Add Item Type drop-down menu, select Add Web Links (URLs)
3. In the Web Address (URL) text area, paste the URl you have copied
4. Provide a Title
5. Click Add Web Links Now.

All databases that support such linking have resolved any copyright concerns before making this feature available.

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Didn't find the answer to your question?

You can contact our SMGtools Administrators by sending email to smgtools@bu.edu.