Accounts, Usernames, and Passwords Guide

This article provides an overview of MSU accounts, usernames, and passwords. This includes password assistance, password requirements, account durations, and more.

QUICK ACCESS:

• Your Murray State username & password
• Password Requirements
• About my Murray State accounts
• Murray State account durations

Your Murray State username & password

Faculty, staff, and students will use one username and password for nearly every MSU system, including myGate, Canvas, RacerMail/MSU Google Account, network access, wireless networks, library resources, and more. 

• New employees can find out their username and initial password by contacting the Service Desk at 270-809-2346 during University office hours.
• Newly-admitted students will set up their username and password from their application portal. If you are trying to set up your MSU accounts and cannot access the application portal, contact the Service Desk at 270-809-2346 during University office hours.

Forgot your password? No problem! Employees and students who remember their username but have forgotten their password can use our Password Self-Service option to reset their password at their convenience. NOTE: You will need to register for Password Self-Service before you can reset your password. If you have not set up Password Self-Service yet, please contact the Service Desk at 270-809-2346 during University office hours.

Know your password, but would like to update it anyway? Great! Just login to myGate and click on the “Change Password” button to set your Murray State password! 

Password Requirements

Murray State has updated password requirements to help our users set easier-to-remember passwords while continuing to stay secure. There are fewer requirements, which allow you to use a passphrase (such as combining random words into a longer string) rather than a shorter, but harder-to-remember complex password. The complexity of the password is now up to you! The new requirements are:

• 16-character minimum length
• Cannot include part of your first name, last name, or username
• Cannot use one of your last four passwords

Because of the new minimum character length, your Murray State password will never expire! However, it's always a good idea to update your password, especially if:

• you feel your account has been recently compromised 
• you have responded to a phishing email
• you have lost your phone
• you had a different account get hacked (bank account, email account, online shopping account, etc)

To change your password:

• If you can still access your myGate account, login to myGate and click the "Change Password" button.
• If you can't access myGate, but have signed up for Password Self-Service, go to the Password Self-Service page.
• If you can't access myGate and haven't signed up for Password Self-Service, contact the Service Desk at 270-809-2346.

About my Murray State University accounts

Your Murray State username and password will provide you access to most MSU systems, including

• myGate - Our employee and student information portal. Students can register for classes, pay bills, view important announcements, apply for scholarships, view balances, and much more. Employees can enter and approve leave/time, view W-2 information, view class rosters, view important announcements and more.
  • Log in to myGate at http://mygate.murraystate.edu/ 

• Canvas - Our learning management system. Students can view class information, submit assignments, syllabus, view grades, take online assessments, and communicate with your class and professor. Faculty can manage their online or hybrid (face-to-face and online) courses, including entering grades, contacting students, upload files and media, design assignments and assessments.
  • Log in to Canvas at http://canvas.murraystate.edu/ 
  • Canvas support article

• RacerMail/MSU Google Account - Murray State uses Google to power our email system. In addition, this provides us access to Google Calendar, Google Drive, and other Google services. 
  • Log in to RacerMail at http://racermail.murraystate.edu/ 
  • RacerMail/Google support articles

• Campus wireless networks and networked computers/computer labs
  • Connecting to the Internet in the Residential Colleges and College Courts
  • Access the MSUemployee Wireless Network
  • Access the MSUstudent Wireless Network
  • Accessing a campus computer
• Library database access
  • Access guides

• Other MSU systems that previously used your myGate credentials, such as OUCampus, Banner, etc.

Murray State account durations

myGate

• Employee will retain access to myGate for approximately 60 days after their last date of paid employment (see your Employee Clearance Record or contact Human Resources for this date). 
• Students will retain access to myGate for two years after graduation or leaving the University in case they need to re-enroll.

RacerMail/Google account
RacerMail/Google accounts are maintained for current faculty, current staff, and current students, as well as retirees. The following business rules have been set forth by Murray State University.

• Student email accounts remain active for 2 years following graduation. A 30-day notice is sent in advance of deletion.
• Students who leave the University or discontinue taking classes will have their accounts deleted after 2 years. A 30-day notice is sent in advance of deletion.
• Students actively using their email for Murray State University-related business may request continued usage. This is only granted for students completing course or program work, such as finishing up a research project, defending a thesis, or completing work with their academic advisor. This information will be verified at the time of the request before continued access is granted.  A 30-day notice is sent in advance of deletion.
• Employees' email accounts will be deleted 60 days following the last paid date of employment. The last paid date of employment is set by Human Resources and can be found on the Employee Clearance Record from Human Resources. 
• Retirees will retain email for life.