Most courses, regardless of delivery format, will include Brightspace (D2L), which you’ll access from your own personal computer and/or from a classroom/lab computer. If your course is face-to-face on campus, check the web course description/details to confirm whether you’re required to or optionally permitted to bring your own laptop/device to class.

If you’re taking a continuing education course delivered on campus, we recommend that you download the SAITALERT app to your mobile device and enable notifications. It’s free and provides you with access to campus information, including safety alert notifications. Download for Android devices | Download for Apple devices

Before getting into information on SAIT accounts and logins, let’s clarify what our different course delivery formats (or “modes”) look like and what you can expect:

Course delivery formats and how they work

Our continuing education courses are offered in these delivery formats:

Within a course’s start and end dates, sessions are scheduled on specific days/times and locations. They run face-to-face in a classroom or lab setting with an instructor present. Students are expected to come to the SAIT campus to attend. Depending on the course, students may, in addition, access the online learning platform, Brightspace (D2L) for supporting course content and resources.

Within a course’s start and end date, sessions are scheduled on specific days/times (Calgary time). Students are expected to log in online (to MS Teams or Zoom — depending on the course) to attend/participate in real-time/live lectures with an instructor and classmates. Depending on the course, students may additionally access supporting course content in Brightspace (D2L). The instructor may record the virtual sessions and provide students with limited viewer access. Recordings are not a substitute for lecture attendance.

Within a course’s start and end date, students are expected to complete coursework and assessments as per the course outline and schedule provided in their Brightspace (D2L) course shell (and/or depending on the course, a third-party/partner online platform). There are no live lectures or discussions, but ongoing online instructor support is provided. This format is great if you’re an independent learner who requires the flexibility to log in anywhere, anytime. Some online courses can be completed before the course's end date. Some also offer the option to purchase a one-time course extension.

Within a course’s start and end date, delivery combines independent online learning with scheduled sessions (either virtual or on-campus classroom) with ongoing online instructor support included.

Computers and laptops

Most programs and courses offered at SAIT, regardless of delivery format, will require you to have access to a computer or laptop to review course content and resources.

If your course is face-to-face on campus, check the web course description/details to confirm whether you’re required to or optionally permitted to bring your own laptop/device to class.

For the best technical experience in your course, we recommend you:

All other course-specific software and hardware requirements (if any) are outlined in the course description and/or in the course section notes.

Need access to SAIT’s network? Learn more about our network and wifi access.

Accessing your learning resources

Once you've completed your course registration, within 48 hours, you'll receive:

  • a SAIT student nine-digit ID
  • a SAIT student “edu” email address

Your student confirmation and new email address (firstname.lastname@edu.sait.ca) and default password will be sent to your personal (or preferred) email address. This information will also be posted to your student account profile for reference.

You will also receive access to

  • Microsoft 365, which includes apps such as Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • Zoom
  • Brightspace (D2L)
  • OneDrive
  • LinkedIn Learning

Please note: after 12 months of inactivity, your student/alumni account, including access to Microsoft 365, Outlook, D2L, and LinkedIn Learning, will be deactivated. Make sure to back up any files you’ve saved in your OneDrive.

The first time you sign in, you will be prompted to change your password from the default to a new secure password using a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and unique characters.

For assistance to resetting your password, follow these Microsoft 365 self-serve password reset instructions, or contact ITS.Support@sait.ca or 403.774.5200.

  1. Go to: https://www.office.com/.
  2. Enter your SAIT credentials. Your username is your SAIT student “edu” email address in the format firstname.lastname@edu.sait.ca . 
  3. Once you’re in, from your My Apps dashboard, you'll be able to access your email and navigate to your course materials in Brightspace (D2L). Your course material will be available at midnight on the course start date. 

All communications from your course instructors as well as general/ institutional emails, will be sent to your student email account. Emails from our advising team are sent to your personal/preferred email address.

Microsoft Teams is one of the best ways to connect and collaborate with your classmates and instructors during the duration of your course.

Before the start of your first virtual (online synchronous) session, you can expect to receive a Microsoft Teams meeting invite (automated email) to your SAIT student email address.

When you click the invite link to join the virtual meeting, you’ll be:

  • redirected to the MS Teams group channel or,
  • prompted to sign in to your Microsoft Teams account through your Microsoft 365.

If you experience issues accessing your virtual Microsoft Teams session, contact the instructor who set up the session.

Sessions or lectures recorded on Teams may be available as a reference for a limited time (either in the MS Teams channel for the course or as separate movie files saved in the Brightspace (D2L) course.

Learn more about Microsoft Teams

Before the start of your first virtual (online synchronous) session, you can expect to receive a zoom meeting invite (automated email) to your SAIT student email address.

When you click on the link provided, you’ll be:

  • automatically redirected to the Zoom meetings space or,
  • prompted to sign in to Zoom first using your Microsoft 365 credentials.

If you experience issues accessing your virtual Zoom session, contact the instructor who set up the session.

Sessions or lectures recorded on Zoom may be available as a reference for a limited time, depending on how and where the recordings are saved. Recordings that remain in the Zoom (cloud) platform are deleted in 180 days.

Brightspace (D2L) is an online portal that connects you with course content and resources. We recommend that you have the latest browsing versions of the following platforms:

  • Google Chrome
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Safari (Apple users only)

Although you can access Brightspace (D2L) using a tablet or phone, for the best possible Brightspace (D2L) learning experience, we recommend using your desktop computer or laptop.

To access your course(s) in Brightspace (D2L), follow Microsoft 365 login instructions.

Some of our courses include online quizzes and exams that are proctored using Respondus LockDown Browser. Depending on the course requirements and exam(s), a webcam may be required. Downloadable instructions will be provided in your course material. Should you experience any technical difficulties downloading or installing the software, contact the instructor for your course.

Accessibility services

Accessibility Services help reduce barriers to learning at SAIT in the classroom and online. If you have or think you may have a condition affecting your learning, please contact our Accessibility Services advisors at the start of your course to set up accommodation requests.

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Campus services

We offer a variety of services available on campus to help you learn successfully.

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