Colleague Administrative Database
Colleague is Lesley University's administrative database. The database software is licensed by Datatel, a higher education software company that provides services to over 700 colleges and universities. The database contains a wide variety of student and financial information, including information on courses (such as schedules and registrations), students (demographic and academic information), and departmental budgets.
Data stored in Colleague is entered and maintained by various Lesley University departments. Administrative Applications, a group within University Technology, maintains the database applications and files, as well as the server on which they reside. Administrative Applications also maintains end-user account profiles, which define the access and reporting options that are available to individual account holders.
Accounts
Faculty and staff (including temporary and student staff) may request access to the Colleague database. To request a Colleague account, a person must complete and submit an account request form.
The Colleague database contains confidential information about Lesley students and employees, as well as the University's financial data. Due to the sensitive nature of this data, it is vital that all account holders take account security seriously. Accounts cannot be created until a completed account request form, including all required signatures, is received by Administrative Applications.
All users who access Lesley University's Colleague administrative database must do so in accordance with the Lesley University Electronic Environment Policy as well as the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. In addition to University policies and federal and state laws, account holders are expected to comply with the following:
- Use information only for your official job duties.
- Share database information only with authorized individuals who require the information for their official job duties.
- Choose your password carefully. See our Password Guidelines section below.
- Keep secure any information that you extract from the database.
- Report any problems you experience to your department's system manager (if applicable) and to Administrative Applications at adminapps@lesley.edu.
- Never share your account name and password with another person.
- Never leave an open Colleague session unattended.
An account request form must be signed by the person requesting the account and by the department head or dean to whom the person reports. In addition, signatures from one or more of the following departments are required, depending on the access requested:
- Office of the University Registrar - for Student System (ST) access
- Finance - for Colleague Financials (CF) access
- Human Resources - for Human Resources (HR) access
Once you have filled out the account request form [pdf] and obtained the required signatures, return the form to Administrative Applications by fax at 617.349.8989 for processing. Account requests are typically processed within one week of the receipt of a completed account request form. You will be notified by email when your account setup is complete. New Colleague users are required to attend a mandatory basic training session. You will receive your login name and password following attendance.
There are two options for requesting additional access. Please note that all requests for access to budget information must be submitted using the account request form.
1. Submit an account request form [pdf] indicating "Account Update" as the type of request. Be sure to obtain all required signatures before submitting your form.
2. The head of the department that oversees the data to which access is requested can send a request to Administrative Applications at adminapps@lesley.edu. This email message should specify the access that is needed and whether that access should be inquiry-only or maintenance level access. The departments that oversee data are listed in the Request an Account section of this page.
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Passwords
- Passwords must be at least six characters long.
- Your password can be any combination of letters and/or numbers. The most secure passwords contain both letters and numbers, and do not contain recognizable words or names.
- Do not use special characters. Characters, such as asterisks and question marks, will not be recognized by Colleague and should be avoided.
- Choose something you can remember easily. If you have to write it down to remember it, it isn't a good password!
- Choose something others can't guess. Don't use the names of relatives, friends, or pets, your address or car model, etc.
The system will periodically require you to change your password. You will be notified of this requirement when you attempt to log in.
Unlike other Lesley accounts, you cannot change your Colleague database password unless you are prompted to do so. If you would like to change your account password at any other time, please contact University Technology by email at ut@lesley.edu or by phone at 617.349.8770. Staff will reset your password and when you log in you will be prompted to select a new password of your choosing.
If your password isn't working, please start your troubleshooting as follows:
- Your Colleague database password is not the same as your other Lesley University passwords. Be sure to type in your Colleague password.
- Check the caps lock indicator light on your keyboard -- if it's lit, turn it off and try again.
- Your password must be entered exactly as it was when you selected it. Go slowly and type carefully.
After three unsuccessful attempts to log in, the system will refuse further attempts to connect. If this happens, and if you think you've simply mistyped your password, quit out of your Colleague software application and begin again. If you cannot remember your Colleague password, contact University Technology by email at ut@lesley.edu or by phone at 617.349.8770 to have your password reset.
Required Software
Database information can be accessed in two ways: via a direct connection to the database or via LOIS. A direct connection to the database allows access to more information than that which is available via LOIS. In most cases, faculty access Colleague via LOIS while staff use direct connections.
To access the Colleague database directly, you must be connected to the Lesley Network and have a Colleague administrative database account. Staff who use PC computers should use Datatel's User Interface software, and staff who are using a Macintosh computer should use Microphone Telnet. All University-owned computers, depending on the platform, should have one of these two options installed. If you require direct access to Colleague and do not have the required software installed on your desktop computer (or don't know if you do or not), please contact University Technology by email at ut@lesley.edu or by phone at 617.349.8770.
A special note for Microphone Telnet users: During Summer 2007, we'll be phasing out the use of Microphone Telnet, which will be replaced by User Interface. This new software is not yet available for the Mac platform. As soon as possible after software release, we will be offering demonstrations of User Interface for Mac users. These sessions will be announced via email to all Colleague account holders.
In certain cases, staff require direct access to the Colleague database from an off-campus location. To discuss options for off-campus direct access, please contact University Technology by email at ut@lesley.edu or by phone at 617.349.8770.
No special software is required to access the Colleague database via LOIS. Simply connect to LOIS using a supported internet browser, log in, and you will have access to information based on your current status.
Accessing Data
Any data that is recorded in the Colleague database can be downloaded into a data file and from there can be used with other software such as Microsoft Word or Excel. If your work requires access to a data file, please connect with the department that oversees the data to initiate this request. These departments are listed in the Request an Account section of this page.
Enhancement Requests
The Colleague database offers a wide array of features and reports. If you have questions about available options, please contact the department that maintains the process or data that is of interest to you so that you can learn more about available options. The departments that are responsible for data are listed in the Request an Account section of this page.
If existing options do not meet current or expected needs, you may complete an Enhancement Request form [doc]. Completing the request form helps University Technology as well as department staff to become familiar with existing (or expected) needs and project goals.
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