A: The Parent Portal gives parents access to their student’s academic information at Southern. It serves as both a resource hub and an identity verification tool. Parents must have a Southern parent account to use it. If they want to pay their bills then they will have to go to the payment portal instead.

Q: Does the parent need to create an account to view their student’s information?

A: Yes — unless the parent already has an existing Southern username and password (e.g., they are also a Southern employee or alumnus). Otherwise, a parent account must be created through the invite process.

Q: How does a parent create their account?

A: The student must first grant access and send an invite. Once the parent receives the invite email, they follow the link, enter personal details, and create a password. See Creating an Account for full step-by-step instructions.

TIP: There may be up to a 30-minute delay before a newly created parent account can log in. Microsoft will also require MFA setup on first login (see Section 4 for MFA details). Also make sure parents are using their full southern username including the @southern.edu at the end of it.

Q: Why does the student have to grant permissions first?

A: Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), student education records are protected. Unless the student is a minor, they must explicitly grant access to their parent. Advise the caller to speak with their student about granting permissions.

Q: How does a student grant access to their parent?

A: The student needs to follow these steps. See Granting Access for the full walkthrough:

1. Log into MyAccess and navigate to Academic Profile.

2. Click the green “Manage Access” button.

3. Check the boxes for which parent should have permissions and click “Confirm.”

4. Verify the Current Local Address is correct and click “Confirm.”

5. Select an option under Emergency Text Message System.

6. Click “Save & Continue.”

IMPORTANT: If the parent’s name does not appear in the list, the student needs to submit a parent information change form first. See the “Changing Parent Information” question below.

Q: Where does the parent log in?

A: Parents log in at southern.edu/parents. Scroll down the page to find the LOGIN link in the green rectangle. Use the Southern email and Southern password created during the account setup.

Q: Can a parent pay their student’s bill online?

A: Yes, but billing is handled through TouchNet, not the Parent Portal. Go to southern.edu/pay. This requires a separate TouchNet Authorized User account. See Section 3 below for details on the difference.

TRANSFER TO: Student Finance — ext. 2535

If the parent needs additional help with the payment portal beyond basic login/password issues, transfer them to Student Finance.

Q: How does a parent update their personal information?

A: The student needs to fill out the change form at MyAccess OnBase Form or by emailing parentinfo@southern.edu. Processing may take several business days. See Change Parent Information for more details.

2 PASSWORD & LOGIN TROUBLESHOOTING

Q: The parent forgot their Southern username. What do we tell them?

A: Call the Campus Card Desk at ext. 2707 or 1-800-SOUTHERN. We can look up their username in the system.

Q: How does a parent reset their Southern (Parent Portal) password?

A: Direct them to the password reset page: MyAccess Account Management. They will need their Southern email address and access to their MFA verification method. See Change Southern Account Password for step-by-step instructions.

1. Go to the password reset link and enter their Southern email.

2. Solve the CAPTCHA and click Next.

3. Complete MFA verification (they may need to do two methods).

4. Set a new password.

Q: The parent is getting an error when trying to log into MyAccess or the Parent Portal.

A: Try these two steps in order. See Issues Logging In for reference:

1. Have them clear their browser cache and try again.

2. If that doesn’t work, click the “Can’t Log In?” button below the Sign In prompt and follow the steps.

TIP: Clearing the cache resolves most login errors after resetting MFA

Q: The parent is having trouble changing their password. What should we do?

A: If the self-service reset isn’t working, the IT Help Desk can assist directly. Have the caller contact us at 423-236-2707 during business hours. See Problems Changing Password for more context.

3 TOUCHNET vs. PARENT PORTAL — KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

	Parent Portal	TouchNet
Purpose	Academic info, student records, general resources	Online payments, payment plans, 1098-T forms, statements
Login URL	southern.edu/parents	southern.edu/pay
Account Type	Southern parent account (created via student invite)	Authorized User account (separate from parent account)
Password Reset	MyAccess Account Management page	TouchNet login page → “Forgot Password?”
Who Grants Access?	Student (via MyAccess → Manage Access)	Student (within TouchNet)
Extra Help?	IT Help Desk — ext. 2707	Student Finance — ext. 2535

Q: How does a parent reset their TouchNet (Authorized User) password?

A: Direct them to southern.edu/pay. See Authorized User - Resetting Password for full details:

1. Click the “Authorized User” gray button.

2. Click “Forgot password?” in the lower right.

3. Check email for a temporary password (remind them to check spam).

4. Log in with the temporary password and set a new one.

IMPORTANT: If the parent copies and pastes the temporary password from the email, make sure they remove any extra spaces before or after the password. Also watch for capitalization and special characters.

Q: The parent’s TouchNet account is locked. What do we do?

A: If the password was entered incorrectly too many times, the account locks for 30 minutes automatically. They can either wait for the lock to expire, or reset their password at southern.edu/pay. Southern Student Finance Department can also manually unlock the account or trigger a password reset if needed.

Q: The parent needs help beyond basic login issues with the payment portal.

A: For any questions about billing, payment plans, 1098-T forms, account balances, or other financial matters within TouchNet, transfer the call to Student Finance.

TRANSFER TO: Student Finance — ext. 2535

Student Finance handles everything related to the payment portal.

4 MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION (MFA) SETUP

MFA is required for all Southern accounts. When a parent or student creates their account or logs in for the first time, Microsoft will prompt them to set up MFA. Direct them to southern.edu/mfa for the full visual guide. Here is a summary of the steps:

Q: How do you set up MFA?

A: Walk them through the following steps:

1. Go to mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info.

2. Enter their Southern email address and click Next.

3. Enter their password and sign in.

4. Choose Yes or No when asked to stay signed in.

5. Click Next at the “More information required” prompt.

6. Keep clicking Next until a QR code appears on screen. Leave this screen open.

7. On their phone, download the Microsoft Authenticator app (iPhone or Android).

8. Open the Authenticator app, select Work or School Account, then Scan QR Code.

9. Scan the QR code from step 6. Click Next and approve the test notification.

10. Click “I want to set up a different method” to also add their phone number as a backup.

11. Choose “Phone,” enter their number, select text or call, and verify.

12. Click Done. MFA is now set up.

IMPORTANT: It may take up to 30 minutes for a new Southern account to sync with Microsoft before MFA can be set up.

Q: The caller got a new phone and needs MFA on it. What do they do?

A: Direct them to the guide at Got a New Phone?. If they can still access their account via their old phone or backup phone number, they can update MFA themselves at mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info. If they are completely locked out, IT Help Desk can reset their MFA.

Q: The caller received an MFA prompt they didn’t expect. What should they do?

A: Tell them to DENY the request immediately. An unexpected MFA prompt may mean someone else is trying to access their account. They should contact the IT Help Desk so we can investigate and secure the account.

IMPORTANT: Never approve an MFA request you did not initiate. This could indicate a compromised account.

5 STUDENT ACCOUNT — QUICK REFERENCE

Q: How does a new student create their Southern account and email?

A: The student will need their Southern ID number (provided by Admissions). See Creating a Southern Account/Email for the full guide:

1. Go to myaccess.southern.edu and click “Manage Account.”

2. Enter Southern ID number, date of birth, and accept the Usage Agreement.

3. Enter last four of SSN.

4. Enter a recovery email, phone number, choose a username, and complete setup.

TIP: After account creation, the student will need to set up MFA before they can fully use their account. Direct them to southern.edu/mfa (see Section 4).

Q: A student can’t remember their username. What do we do?

A: Look it up at the Campus Card Desk or call ext. 2707. We can verify their identity and provide their username.

Q: How does a student reset their Southern account password?

A: Same process as the parent portal password. Direct them to MyAccess Account Management and follow the MFA-verified password reset process.

6 WI-FI & NETWORK CONNECTIONS

Q: A student wants to set up ethernet in their dorm room. How do they do it?

A: They need to register their device on the network. Direct them to the device registration page: Manual Device Registration Guide. Here’s a summary:

1. Go to ipregister.southern.edu and log in with their Southern credentials.

2. Click “Create Device.”

3. Enter the device’s MAC address (found in the device’s network settings).

4. Give the device a name for their reference.

5. Configure AirGroup and sharing options as needed.

6. Agree to terms and click “Create.” A device receipt with a password will appear.

7. Connect the device to the “sau-psk” network using their username and the generated password.

TIP: Each registered device gets its own unique password. The student can manage or delete their devices later from the same ipregister.southern.edu page.

Q: A student wants to connect a PlayStation, Smart TV, or other smart device to Wi-Fi.

A: Smart devices, gaming consoles, and IoT devices connect to the SAU-IOT Wi-Fi network. To get a password, direct them to go.southern.edu/wifi. They’ll receive a unique password for the SAU-IOT network.

7 KNOW WHEN TO TRANSFER — NOT OUR DEPARTMENT

Some calls will come to us that need to be handled by another department. Here’s a quick guide for the most common transfers:

If the caller needs help with...	Transfer to	Contact
Payment portal, billing, payment plans, 1098-T, account balances	Student Finance	ext. 2535 \| studentfinance@southern.edu
eClass / Online Campus (eclass.e.southern.edu) — course content, login issues, grades	eClass Support	ext. 2087 \| eclasshelp@southern.edu

Q: A caller needs help with eClass or Online Campus. What do we do?

A: eClass (eclass.e.southern.edu) is also referred to as Online Campus. Any issues with eClass — login problems, course content, assignments, grades — should go to eClass Support, not us. See eClass Help for reference.

TRANSFER TO: eClass Support — ext. 2087

Email: eclasshelp@southern.edu

Do not troubleshoot eClass issues at the Help Desk. Transfer the call or provide the email.

8 WHEN TO ESCALATE TO FULL-TIME IT STAFF

If basic troubleshooting doesn’t resolve the issue, escalate to a full-time IT staff member. Common escalation scenarios include:

1. Parent’s name does not appear in MyAccess after the change form has been submitted and processed.

2. Password reset is not working even after clearing cache and verifying MFA.

3. TouchNet account needs to be manually unlocked or reset by Student Finance.

4. Student’s account appears disabled or locked at the system level.

5. The caller is unable to receive MFA verification codes and has no backup method.

6. MFA needs to be completely reset on someone’s account.

7. Any issue you’re unsure about — it’s always okay to ask for help!

Questions? Contact the IT Help Desk at 423-236-2707 or visit helpdesk.southern.edu

Last Updated: February 2026

Creation date: 2/9/2026 11:02 AM (brandonrf@southern.edu) Updated: 2/9/2026 1:54 PM (brandonrf@southern.edu)