Pathfinder Guidebook · FYE 100 Module 2 · Building Your Support System
10 Essential Skills in this module
  • 1Communication
  • 4Interpersonal Relations
  • 9Knowledge Application
Trail Tip

Set Up Your Digital Presence

Two quick tasks that help you show up as a real person in a digital course.

About 5 minutes 5 of 9 in this module
Optional · Highly recommended

Two quick tasks that help you show up as a real person in a digital course.

Online courses can feel anonymous. A profile photo and working email on your phone go a long way toward making you feel like a real participant rather than a username in a gradebook.

Instructors will tell you it's genuinely nice to see faces on discussion posts and in the gradebook. It makes a course feel like a community. Take five minutes and do these.

Put your KCTCS email on your phone

Your KCTCS email is how OCTC reaches you about everything that matters: class announcements, financial aid, deadlines, and instructor messages. Having it on your phone means you'll actually see them.

Before you start

Install and set up the Microsoft Authenticator app first. It's required for secure sign-in and protects your account. Search "Microsoft Authenticator" in the App Store or Google Play.

Install the Outlook app

  • Go to the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android).
  • Search for Microsoft Outlook and install it.

Add your KCTCS account

  1. Open the Outlook app.
  2. Tap Add Account, or enter your school email address if you're prompted.
  3. Enter your KCTCS email address. It looks like jdoe0000@kctcs.edu.
  4. Tap Add Account or Continue.
  5. You'll be taken to the KCTCS sign-in page. Enter your full KCTCS email and password.
  6. Follow any security prompts that appear.

Verify your sign-in

  • If you're asked, approve the sign-in in the Microsoft Authenticator app.
  • Once you're verified, your KCTCS email starts syncing automatically.

You're all set. You can now send and receive KCTCS email from your phone.

Pathfinder Tip

Turn on notifications for Outlook. Missing a message from your instructor or financial aid can have real consequences.

Add a photo to your profiles

A photo on your Blackboard and Microsoft profiles takes a few minutes and makes a real difference in how connected your online courses feel, for you and for everyone you work with.

See also

Lesson 1.5 lists the steps for your Blackboard profile.

How to update your Blackboard profile

Add a photo so your instructor and classmates can put a face to your name.

Watch the video (opens in a new tab)

How to update your Microsoft profile

Your Microsoft photo appears in Outlook, Teams, and the other Office apps you'll use at OCTC.

Watch the video (opens in a new tab)

Prefer steps to a video?

  1. Go to myaccount.microsoft.com (opens in a new tab).
  2. Sign in with your full KCTCS email address and password.
  3. Select Personal Info from the left menu.
  4. Select your current photo or initials, then Upload a new photo. Choose an image and select Save.
  5. Your photo appears across Outlook, Teams, and Word Online within a few minutes.
Pathfinder Tip

You don't need a professional headshot. A clear, recent photo where people can see your face is all it takes.