This document contains recommended computer specifications for using Engage and answers to frequently asked questions posed by students.  Remember that if you have any questions or issues, you can always contact Technical Support by phone at 866-264-1537 or by e-mail at utica@support.edu.help.

Recommended Computer Specifications

The following table lists current recommended computer hardware and software features for using Engage.  Note that additional software applications may be necessary depending on the needs of individual courses.

Component Description
Operating System Windows 10 or Mac OS 11 with all current updates installed
RAM 4 GB or more
Hardware peripherals Microphone/speakers/webcam if student is taking courses requiring voice chats, video conferencing, or voice-over presentations
Printer to facilitate proofing and revising of assignments
Internet connection High-speed/broadband connection
Web browser Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
Media players / plugins Adobe Acrobat Reader, QuickTime Player, WinZip
Microsoft Office Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

Visit the Utica University Online - Technology and Support Services page for more details.

Students should use the most current version of one of the web browsers listed in the table above to access Engage.  These browsers are free, and the determination of which to use is a matter of personal preference.  Note that cookies must be enabled in the browser.  Most browsers have cookies enabled by default.  If you are unsure of whether your browser is configured properly, contact Technical Support for assistance.

Because most courses feature content created using Microsoft Office programs like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, it is highly recommended that students acquire these programs.  All Utica University students receive free access to Office. Most courses will require some form of word processing software, such as Microsoft Word (included in Microsoft Office), Google Drive, or Apple Pages. Depending on your course, you might need to use your browser to interact on an online discussion board. Other courses might require video conferencing software, such as Skype, as well as the digital or audio recording capabilities of a digital camera, smartphone camera or computer camera. Please contact an enrollment counselor for full technology requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I connect to the Engage website?

If you cannot reach Engage, the first thing you should do is verify that you have Internet connectivity.  Try to reach another website like http://www.google.com.  If you cannot reach other websites, verify that your networking hardware is connected properly.  You may need to contact your Internet Service Provider to determine whether you are currently experiencing an outage.  If Engage is the only website that you are unable to load, then contact Technical Support.

If you wish to perform additional network troubleshooting, consult the following additional steps that correspond to your computer’s operating system.

Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 10:

If your networking hardware is connected properly, follow the below steps to acquire a new IP address:

  1. Click the Start button in the Windows taskbar.
  2. Type cmd in the “Search programs and files” text entry area and press Enter.
  3. In the Command Prompt window that appears, type ipconfig /release and press Enter.
  4. After waiting thirty seconds, type ipconfig /renew and press Enter.
  5. Close the Command Prompt window and attempt to load the Engage website in your browser.

If you are still having issues, follow the below steps to clear your computer’s storage of the IP addresses of other computers and websites.

  1. Click the Start button in the Windows taskbar.
  2. Type cmd in the “Search programs and files” text entry area and press Enter.
  3. In the Command Prompt window that appears, type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
  4. Close the Command Prompt window and attempt to load the Engage website in your browser.
Troubleshooting Steps for Mac OS 11:

If your networking hardware is connected properly, follow the below steps to force a reconfiguration of your IP settings:

  1. Click System Preferences in the Apple menu.
  2. Click Network from the View menu.
  3. Click Active Network Ports from the Show menu.
  4. Deselect the “on” checkbox for the port that you use to connect to the Internet.
  5. Click Apply Now.
  6. Reselect the checkbox for the port.
  7. Click Apply Now.
  8. Attempt to load the Engage website using your browser.

What if I forgot my password?

Your Engage username and password credentials correspond to those associated with your Utica e-mail account.  If you have forgotten these credentials, click the “Forgotten your username or password?” link found on the Engage login screen to be directed to instructions on how to reset your password.

If you are entering your username and password correctly but are still unable to log in to Engage, contact Technical Support.

Why are images not showing up correctly?

Most internet browsers create a storage area on your computer’s hard drive called a cache.  The cache stores files that are encountered on frequently accessed websites.  Unfortunately, the cache can sometimes become full or have incorrect data saved to it.  Broken images are a symptom of this.

If you are seeing error icons where images should be, clear the browser cache.  Instructions for how to clear the browser cache for Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Safari can be found at the following link: https://www.utica.edu/academic/iits/compuserservices/helpsheets/cache.cfm

Why was I automatically logged out of Engage?

To protect your privacy, your user account will automatically be logged out of Engage if you are inactive for 90 minutes.  The inactivity timer starts as soon as a webpage finishes loading.

If you are working on an assignment within Engage that takes longer than 60 minutes, be sure to save your work.  If you are automatically logged out of Engage while working on an assignment, you could lose your progress.  Therefore, it is recommended that you regularly copy your work to a document saved on your local computer so that you have a backup.

I sent a message using the Mail feature in Engage, but it is not showing up in the mail thread.  Where is my message?

If you are looking for a message that you have sent using Engage's mail feature, click the Mail drop down menu and select Sent to access your Sent folder.  The Sent folder is the objective location for all outgoing messages that have been successfully transmitted to recipients.

When you are reading through message threads in your Inbox, keep in mind that any message that you send will not appear under "Related Messages" in any Inbox thread until the recipient replies to your message.  Therefore, if you cannot recall whether you have responded to a recently received message in your Inbox, make sure you check the Sent folder to conclusively answer this question.

When writing a forum post, why do I get an error when I click the “Post to forum” button?

If you do not have the ability to make a post to a forum, contact Technical Support.  An Engage setting may need to be changed.

Why do multiple copies of the same forum post exist?

If you click your browser's Refresh button after clicking the "Post to forum" button, then your forum post will be submitted to Engage multiple times.  To prevent this, avoid refreshing the page when submitting forum posts.

There are new forum posts that I have not read, but the Unread column says that there are zero unread posts.  Why is this the case?

The Unread column will be automatically adjusted if you have received the full content of new forum posts in your email account as a result of being subscribed to the forum.  This behavior is controlled by the "Email digest type" setting found within My profile settings > Edit profile.  If this option is set to either "Complete (daily email with full posts)" or "No digest (single email per forum post)", then Engage considers any forum posts that have been e-mailed to the user as having been read by that user.

If the user does not wish the Unread counter to be automatically adjusted when subscription emails are sent, then the "Email digest type" setting must be changed to "Subjects (daily email with subjects only)".

What should I do if a link to a resource within a course does not work?

First, verify that you have Internet connectivity.  If you are using a wireless Internet connection, make sure you are still in range of the wireless network.

Second, identify whether the problem is due to an error with an application installed on your computer.  For example, if a course links to a document that is saved in a .PDF format, do you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed?  Can you open Adobe Acrobat Reader without the program displaying an error?  Make a note of any specific error text that is displayed.

Third, determine the scope of the problem.  Note the specific links within the course that are not functioning.  If multiple links are failing, do they share something in common?  For example, are multiple links to forum posts broken?  Answers to questions of scope lead you closer to the root cause of the problem.

If possible, consult with other students or faculty to see if they are experiencing the same issue with the links you identified.  If the issue persists, contact Technical Support.

Why can’t I upload an assignment?

If you are having any issues uploading an assignment that has an imminent due date, contact Technical Support immediately.

If the assignment directions state that you must upload files to complete your assignment but no dropbox is available, contact Technical Support so that a record of your attempt is recorded.

If uploading an assignment results in a TurnItIn error, please note the error code and contact Technical Support with this information.  In many cases, TurnItIn errors resolve themselves in a few hours as the TurnItIn server is synchronized with the Engage website.

Why hasn’t my quiz attempt been submitted?

If you notice any errors with the submission of a quiz attempt, contact Technical Support immediately.  Do not browse to any other websites until a Technical Support representative has diagnosed the issue.

How can I adjust the font size of a syllabus?

Depending on your printer’s configuration settings, a course syllabus that is printed from Engage may have a smaller font size than is desired.  To print the syllabus using the font size intended by the instructor, consult the following steps:

  1. Access the course syllabus.
  2. Click “Print all pages” in the upper right corner.
  3. Right click on the webpage.  A dialog box will display.
  4. Select the “Print webpage as a pdf” option.
  5. The syllabus will print as a PDF.