Welcome to ISU!
The Office of Information Technology is excited to help you get started with setting up your account.
What You Need
- Your ISU email address. This should have been included in your Acceptance Packet or Employment Letter.
- Student example address: ssam22@sycamores.indstate.edu
- Employee example address: Sycamore.Sam@indstate.edu
- Access to the personal email account you registered with ISU.
- Your smart phone.
- Reliable internet access.
- A computer. Technically this is optional, but activating your account using only your phone will require a few extra steps.
Estimated Time to Complete
Allow yourself 10 - 15 minutes to complete the account activation process.
Step 1
Install Microsoft Authenticator On Your Phone
ISU requires your account to have two-factor authentication for security. Once you've accessed your email account, you will be immediately prompted to add this security measure. The process will be easier if you already have the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone.
1. Go to your App or Play Store and search for "Microsoft Authenticator". The app should look like this:
2. Install the app, but do not set it up yet.
Step 2
Begin Account Activation
1. Go to the MyISU Portal (https://portal.indstate.edu).
2. Click the "Activate your Sycamore Login" link. It is located directly beneath the "Log In" button. You will be directed to a new page displaying the screen below.
3. Enter your ISU email address in the first box. Students: Please note that "sycamores" ends with an "s".
4. Complete the Captcha step by either entering the letters shown or using the words in the audio.
5. Click "Next".
Verify Personal Email
6. Make sure you have access to the email address shown on the next page and click "Email".
7. If you do not have access, you will need to contact the Technology Support Center for assistance in changing your personal email address on file.
8. It may take several minutes to receive your email to your personal account. The email should look like the one shown below.
9. Once you have the code, return to the screen where you are activating your account and type in the code, then click "Next"
Setup Password
Now you will be prompted to select a password. Password requirements are:
10. Minimum of 8 characters
11. Must contain three of these four options: uppercase (A-Z), lowercase (a-z), number (0-9), or special characters (!#%).
12. Once you click "Finish" you should see a confirmation page.
13. You should now be taken back to the MyISU login page.
Step 3
Agree to Terms of Service
1. If you are not already on the MyISU page, navigate to https://portal.indstate.edu.
2. Click the "Log In" button.
3. Enter your full ISU email address and click "Next".
4. Enter the password you set up in the previous step and click "Sign in".
5. Next you will be asked if you would like to stay signed in. If you are using a personal device, click "Yes". Click "No" if you are using a public or shared device.
6. The first time you sign in, you will be presented with our terms of use documentation. You must click the down arrow next to the document to read the text before you can select to agree.
Step 4
Set Up MFA
In this final step, you will need to set up your multi-factor authentication (MFA) to provide additional security on your account. You should receive the following prompt after agreeing to the terms of service.
1. Verify that the email address at the top of the screen is yours, then click "Next".
2. It will now prompt you to install the Microsoft Authenticator app. However, you already did this at the beginning. Go ahead and open the app on your phone, then click "Next" on the prompt. (If you don't have a smartphone, you can click the "I want to use a different method" option at the bottom.)
3. The next screen should show a QR code.
4. On your phone, in the Microsoft Authenticator, click the "+" button in the top right corner if it is not already prompting you to add an account.
5. Select the option for "Work or school account".
6. Select the "Scan a QR code" option and scan the QR code that is displayed on the computer.
7. It may take a short time for your device to sync with your account. Once it is synced, you will get a prompt to test the Authentication process.
8. On your phone you should see a prompt asking you to verify authentication. Type in the number shown on the computer and approve. *Note* If your phone has any security in place, you will first have a prompt to verify your id on the phone. This is usually done with FaceID, fingerprint, or a pin number.
9. You should see a message on the computer that your notification was approved; click "Next".
10. Your computer should show that your account has been successfully secured. Click the "Done" button and you should be able to use your account to access University resources.
