Getting Access

Learner Access

• MSU Employee

  MSU employees (including Henry Ford researchers issued an MSU job title and NetID) should use their MSU NetID / password to access Ability.

  Ability accounts are automatically created through an HR feed based on active job assignments in MSU HR.

  Incoming or Former Employees

  Advanced access isn't typically granted prior to employees start date. An exception is incoming faculty applying for funding, with a training requirement on the application.

  Incoming faculty may be able to expedite the activation process using the Pre On-Boarding Form for Faculty (PDF).

  Incoming or former employees with a legitimate need to complete training should ask their department to request an Affiliate ID. See Affiliate (including providers)

• MSU Student

  MSU students should use their MSU NetID / password to access Ability.

  Ability accounts are automatically created through an Campus Solutions feed based on active enrollment.

  Incoming or Former Students

  Incoming or former students with a legitimate need to complete MSU training should ask their department to request an Affiliate ID. See Affiliate (Including Providers)

• Affiliate (including providers)

  Contact your department to determine whether an FPID account has already been requested for you. If not, the department sponsor should submit an Affiliate ID request to attest to the affiliation, put an end date on the required access, and specify required systems.

  Users should not complete training with any other account while an FPID is activated. This will result in multiple Ability accounts for the same user. For providers, this will block access to Athena.

  1) Requesting an Affiliate Account: Instructions for Sponsor

  Submit an Affiliate ID request with the following:

  1. Specify that the user needs access to Ability LMS for training.
  2. List any existing (former or future) NetID.
     • For existing NetIDs, the Identity Office will adjust the classification of the existing NetID to affiliate for the duration of the sponsored access (typically 1 year)
     • If no existing NetID, the Identity Office will create a new Affiliate ID.
  3. For incoming employee, set the expiration of the Affiliate ID to one week after the official employment start date.

  
  2) Using Affiliate Account in Ability

  The user will be notified once the FPID account is activated. Within 72 hours of ID activation, the user can log into Ability with the FPID and password. When the user logs in to Ability, their Ability account is created.

  3) Notify Ability Support Team

  Email ORRS.train@msu.edu with the user FPID, first name, and last name and the NetID of the MSU supervisor/sponsor (person responsible for monitoring the user's training). The Ability support team will provide appropriate access for the supervisor to assign training and  view the user's training records.

• Guest (e.g. field instructors, volunteers, performers, contractors)

  Guest ID accounts are intended for personnel meeting the following criteria:

  • not scheduled to become an MSU employee
  • not scheduled to become an MSU student
  • not being issued an MSU-sponsored FPID account
  • not required to access the Click Research Compliance System to create or edit a research project application
  • are required to complete MSU safety/compliance training for their role at MSU

  
  GuestID access is not for the general public. The software license is limited to users with a legitimate business need to complete MSU training.

  1) Create Guest ID Account

   Create a GuestID following instructions provided by MSU ITS.

  2) Using Guest ID Account in Ability

  Once the account has been created, log into Ability at with full email address and the password set when creating the account. When the user logs in to Ability, their Ability account is created.

  3) Notify Ability Support Team

  Email ORRS.train@msu.edu with the user email, first name, and last name and the NetID of the MSU supervisor/sponsor (person responsible for monitoring the user's training). The Ability support team will provide appropriate access for the supervisor to assign training and  view the user's training records.

For assistance with Ability learner access or specific recommendations for special circumstances, contact the Ability Helpdesk at ORRS.train@msu.edu.

Administrator Access

The Ability training compliance system collects and provides controlled access to information on employees, students, and learners needed for the effective and efficient assignment and tracking of training in accordance with and subject to the limitations of the university’s Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources. Prior to receiving Compliance Admin access, you will receive an introduction that includes acceptance of your responsibility to adhere to best practices and to respect and protect learners' privacy. 

• Unit Compliance Admin, PI Proxy

  Ability LMS users can be granted access to monitor training for any group defined in the system

  • Employees in a specified supervisor/principal investigator’s team
  • Employees in a specified department or with a specific job title
  • Students in a specified academic program

  
  Email ORRS.train@msu.edu to request additional access. In your request, include the group you need to view (e.g. department code, college, business unit, supervisor team...) and the type of training subjects you oversee. If requesting access to view a specified supervisor’s team, copy the supervisor on the request.

• Trainers, Program Owners

  New trainers working within programs already established in Ability: Email ORRS.train@msu.edu, including the name of the program(s) you instruct. 

  Hosting requests for new programs: see New Training Requests

Data Warehouse Access

If your unit requires large data sets to update another enterprise software system, you may submit an Access Request for the ORRS LMS tables in EDW. Contact ORRS.train@msu.edu for more information.

Assistance Logging In?

Contact the Ability Helpdesk at ORRS.train@msu.edu. You may be directed to contact the MSU Identity Office or to reset your NetID to resolve problems with your account.