SPARK Access for Guests

About Guest Access in SPARK

Temporary Speaker and Contributor Accounts are available for guests to your SPARK course. All guests can view course content and participate in online discussions and chats, but do not have access to SPARK's course design or student management tools via the Build and Teach tabs.

Note: Only Primary Instructors (i.e., the instructors eligible to request the SPARK course) can request access changes to SPARK. Primary Instructors also take responsibility for their guests' compliance with the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) regulations (pdf, 254k, page 57) and OIT's Acceptable Use Policy.

Your guest has an OIT Account

Request Contributor access for guests who have an active OIT Account, but are not formally associated with your course. Students enrolled in your class, TAs, and co-instructors are automatically input into SPARK via SPIRE.

Contributors can be visiting scholars, guest speakers from your department or other departments on campus, students repeating the online component of your course, or other student assistants.

1. Fill out the SPARK Special Accounts Form. Make sure you select the Contributor option for each guest and provide a rationale for your request in the Comments box.
2. Once SPARK is updated, your guests will be able to access your course and participate in course activities. Note: Adding contributor access in SPARK is a manual process and may take up to three (3) business days.

Your guest does not have an OIT Account

Request a Temporary Speaker Account for guests who are not affiliated with UMass Amherst and do not have an active OIT Account.

• Temporary Speaker Accounts provide access to SPARK for maximum one (1) week.
  All temporary accounts are deleted at the end of the requested access period. If your guests need access for a longer period of time, fill out the NENS (Non-Enployee, Non-Student) Application (pdf, 424k), then use the SPARK Special Accounts Form to request Contributor access on their behalf. Note: Please do not request a temporary account as a buffer while your guest's NENS Application is being processed.
   
• Temporary Speaker Accounts are not available for guests with an OIT Account.
  If your guests are...
  a. Graduate or undergraduate TAs, or co-instructors, contact your Academic Scheduling Representative and request that they be input into SPIRE. 

b. UMass Amherst students, ask them to register for your course in SPIRE.

c. Five-College students, ask them to complete the interchange registration process.

To request a Temporary Speaker Account:

1. Fill out the Temporary Speaker Account Form. Make sure you list your current email address and telephone number as this information will be used to contact you. Note: Creating temporary accounts in SPARK is a manual process and may take up to three (3) business days.
2. Once your request has been evaluated, you will receive an email confirming your request or describing any additional steps you need to take.
3. Once SPARK is updated, an Academic Computing staff member will call you with the user name(s) and password(s) for your temporary account(s).