StarID Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Us
- Email address: starid.helpdesk@csu.mnscu.edu
- Local Phone: (651) 917-4733
- Toll-free: (888) 667-2848
- TTY: (651) 282-2660
Welcome to our general questions and answers section. If you don't find an answer to your question, please contact the StarID Help Desk at (651) 917-4733 or send an email to starid.helpdesk@csu.mnscu.edu.
Table of Contents
StarID
- What can I do with my StarID?
- See our list of services supported by StarID.
- What is a StarID?
- The StarID is a username and password that will be used across the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to access information technology systems and services. As StarIDs are issued and systems are configured to use StarID the number of usernames and passwords students and employees will need to remember and use will be reduced. Ideally, all systems will be able to use StarID so people will have a single username and password.
- Why does StarID look like this?
- The StarID format consists of two letters followed by four numbers, followed by two letters such as ab1234cd. The StarID format was selected based on analysis of usernames across the entire Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Your StarID can be used across all institutions so using any part of your name, college, university, TechID, netID or D2L username is not possible because these identifiers may be duplicated across institutions and because of increased privacy requirements and laws like FERPA. Even email addresses are assigned and re-assigned at many institutions. The StarID is never duplicated and never re-assigned. This means that once issued, you can use the same StarID every time you visit a participating institution over the lifetime of your relationship with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Find out about the StarID.
- What's happening with StarID?
- Check the Recent Events section on the StarID Home Page and the News & Events page.
- StarID is not case sensitive
- StarID is not case sensitive. You can enter it in lower case or upper case. The system defaults to lower case for display purposes. Please note that passwords are case sensitive. We recommend that you leave your CAPS LOCK key off when logging into any of the StarID enabled services.
- Who is eligible for a StarID?
- We are working with our enterprise and campus technology partners to provide a StarID to all faculty, staff, students, and official visitors of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The first release with an initial set of users is complete and we are now ready to assign StarIDs for those Faculty and Staff who wish to obtain one.
- Faculty and Staff
- If you would like a StarID you may request a StarID through this web site or the StarID Help Desk.
- Students
- StarID services for students are not yet available.
- Official Visitors
- StarID services for visitors are not yet available.
- How can I get a StarID?
- If you are eligible for StarID, see above for eligibility, and would like to use one of the supported services, you may request a StarID through this web site or the StarID Help Desk. Include the following in your request:
- First and last name
- College/University
- TechID
- College or University email
Requests from either method are processed twice weekly. Please submit all requests before noon Monday or noon Wednesday for availability by noon the next business day.
StarID Self Service
Information Required
- What's my TechID/Employee ID?
- Your TechID (also referred to as 'employee ID' at some campuses) is an eight-digit number that identifies a single record in ISRS, the main record system used by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Every person who is an employee has a record in ISRS and that record has a TechID value associated with it. Your employer's HR office can provide you the TechID associated with your employee record in ISRS.
- What's my PIN/password?
- Your PIN (also referred to as 'password' at some campuses) is a six digit number that is used along with a TechID to log into some ISRS applications. The initial PIN value is set to one of three values depending on the data available when the ISRS record is created: birth date in YYMMDD format, last six digits of social security number, or a random six-digit number. Your PIN can be reset by your employer's HR office staff.
- What's my state employee number?
- Your state employee number is an eight-digit number that identifies your record in the State of Minnesota payroll system called SEMA4. Your state employee number is often referred to as a SEMA4 ID because it is associated with the SEMA4 system. Every employee of the State of Minnesota should have a single SEMA4 record. Your employer's HR office can provide you the SEMA4 number associated with your employee record in SEMA4.
- Having trouble with the last 4 digits of your social security number?
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Your social security number is a nine-digit number used by the Social Security Administration to track your social security program contributions and benefits. It is used by employers to pay social security contributions on behalf of employees.
Each person should have only one social security number. It is usually displayed using a specific format: 111-22-3333. Because revealing an entire social security number is not recommended, only the last four digits can be used as part of the information to identify you when performing StarID activities. Example: if your social security number were 111-22-3333, the last four digits would be 3333.
- What's my library card barcode?
- Your library card barcode is a 14-digit number that is associated with your record in the library record system. It is commonly printed on a campus ID card or printed on an adhesive label that is attached to a library card.
- Does it matter which institution I choose?
- No. You may use a valid TechID or library card barcode from any institution where you are employed. Just be sure to use the TechID or library card barcode associated with the selected institution.
- Am I an employee? I work at an institution.
- You must be an employee as defined by your local Human Resources Office. This means that you are an employee of the State of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. If you work for a vendor or contractor of the institution, you are not classified as a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities employee. See Who is eligible for a StarID for more information.
Passwords
- What are the password requirements?
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The password complexity requirement associated with the StarID complies with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities password security guideline:
- at least eight characters in length;
- includes at least one lower case letter;
- includes at least one upper case letter;
- includes at least one number;
- doesn't include your StarID, first name, last name, part of your SSN, TechID or SEMA4 ID;
- is not a previously used password.
- Would you like a password tip to help create a complex password you can remember?
- Using a pass phrase is a good way to create a complex password that you can remember without writing down. Statements about us are easier to remember than a random string of characters and you can recite the pass phrase to yourself while typing in your password.
Use these steps to create a strong password.
- Think of a sentence you can remember. For example, something about yourself or a line from a favorite song or movie: "O'er the ramparts we watched"
- Use the sentence directly if you can. Many of us are used to typing sentences and are less likely to make mistakes. If you've picked a good sentence that you can remember and type easily, you're done!
- If you can't use the sentence directly, add complexity. "O'er the ramparts we watched" is a good start: it has both upper and lowercase letters, spaces and punctuation, but it does not contain numbers. Replace a letter with a number, add a few more uppercase letters, and throw in some punctuation: "0'er the Ramparts We Watched..." Now it meets system password complexity guidelines. If you can remember and type that sentence easily, you're done!
- If you want a shorter password, convert the sentence to a password. Use the first letter of each word to create "0tRWW..." At 8 characters, that barely meets the guidelines. Remember, though, that longer passwords are stronger: "0'erTheRam..." or "0'er,,,TheRWW..."
For your privacy and security, create a password you can remember and don't share or write it down!
- Would you like to learn more about Board Policies and System Procedures?
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The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is governed by a Board of Trustees. Governance authority is established and documented using the following structure:
Type Authority Implementation Board Policy Board of Trustees (Policy 1A.1, Part 3, Subpart D) Full compliance, no exceptions allowed System Procedure Chancellor (Policy 1A.1, Part 3, Subpart M) Required, approved exceptions allowed System Guideline Chancellor, chancellor's designee or executive director of internal auditing (Policy 1A.1, Part 3, Subpart K) Required, approved exceptions allowed Note: Any references found on the ITS web site referring to IT standards or IT guidelines are being revised to fit into the above framework. In most instances, IT standards and IT guidelines become system guidelines.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has a shared-governance tradition that is used when establishing or modifying policies, procedures, standards and guidelines.
For more information, see the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board Policies and System Procedures.
Error Messages
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- This error is caused when you use your browser's BACK or FORWARD button.
- Click OK on the error message
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If you have any trouble with the above steps, simply close your browser and return to starid.mnscu.edu to restart your transaction from the beginning.
- Browser's BACK and FORWARD buttons don't work.
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DO NOT USE THE BACK or FORWARD button.
If you use your browser's BACK or FORWARD button and try to continue your transaction, you'll receive the error message, “The form has already been submitted”. To clear this error, follow these steps.
Contact Us
- Do you want to Contact Us?
- You will find contact information and hours of operation above and on our StarID Help Desk page.
