Frequently Asked Questions

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If you need assistance you may reach us by email support@magnapubs.com or calling 800-433-0499 or 608-246-3590. 

Our customer support department is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.

Online Subscriptions

I forgot the password for my online subscription.

  1. Go to the "Account Recovery" page.

I can't access my newsletter subscription online.
Print copy subscribers do not have access to the online newsletters. If you are a print copy subscriber you may upgrade to an online subscription. Please contact us for immediate assistance at support@magnapubs.com or call 800-433-0499 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday Central time.

I signed up to receive email notifications reminding me of new issues but I am not receiving them.

  • The email reminders may be blocked by your institution's spam filter. Your IT department may be able to help you by white listing emails containing "magnapubsmail.com."
  • Email reminders may be automatically directed to your junk mail folder. Please add "magnapubsmail.com" to your accepted senders list.
  • Each new issue is always available by going to www.magnapubs.com and logging in to your account.
  • Contact  support@magnapubs.com  or call 800-433-0499 for troubleshooting help.

How do I transfer my subscription to a colleague at my institution?
Please contact Customer Service at 800-433-0499 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central time or email support@magnapubs.com.

Group Online Subscriptions

How does a Group Online Subscription work?
Click here for details on how a Group Online Subscription can provide your institution with online access to one or more Magna newsletters for your entire campus community.

How will the Campus Administrator notify the campus community about the group online subscription?
The Campus Administrator receives detailed sign-up instructions when an institution purchases a site license then distributes these instructions to eligible subscribers campus-wide by email, by posting on an internal intranet, or including in an internal newsletter. You will get the most out of your subscription by disseminating the sign-up instructions at the beginning of each new semester.

I would like to create an account but I don’t know the Authorization Code.
Your group’s Campus Administrator can provide this information to you. If you don’t know who the administrator is, email support@magnapubs.com.  For security, we will forward your email request to your Campus Administrator. You need to use the Authorization Code just once, when you first create your account. Thereafter, you will log in using your email address and the personal password that you create to access your online subscription.

I signed up to receive email alerts but I am not receiving them.
Please log into the website and go to "My Account". On the left you will see a "Manage Email" link. Select the newsletter updates which you'd like to receive.

Magna Online Seminars

All Magna Online Seminar Frequently Asked Questions are now available on their own page located here: Magna Online Seminar FAQs.

Magna Online Courses

What is a Magna Online Course?
Magna Online Courses are delivered completely over the internet and are available for a number of specific learning outcomes. Unlike a training video or a webinar, a Magna Online Course is designed to be taken individually, at the learner’s pace and convenience. Upon successful completion, the learner receives a printable certificate as an indication that the material has been mastered.

Magna online courses consist of a series of video presentations, activities, readings, checks on learning (quizzes) and a final certification. The courses are asynchronous, so that individuals are not locked into any time frame to complete a course. Typically a course consists of several modules or lessons, each concluding with a check on learning that can be taken before continuing on to the next module.

Click here to view the current course offerings.

What technology do I need to view a Magna Online Course?

  • Broadband Internet connection, at least 512 Kbps.    
  • Sound card with speakers.
  • The Mozilla Firefox internet browser is the reccomended brower for both PC and Mac.
  • Cookies enabled in your web browser.
  • Some of the courses use pop-up windows, therefore you will need to disable pop-up blockers in your browser.
  • Projector if you will be viewing course modules as a group.
Operating System Browser Media Player
Windows 2000 or later Internet Explorer 6.0 with Service Pack 1 or later
or
Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later		 Windows Media Player 9.0 or later
Mac OSX 10.4.8 or later
Safari 2.0.4 or later
or
Firefox 2.0 or later		 Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 or later (You should be prompted to download/install upon first attempt to play a presentation. If not, you can download it here: http://silverlight.net/.)

What is the role of the Campus Administrator?
A designated Campus Administrator has the duties of communicating the availability of the course, providing the enrollment key to those who are authorized to take the course, monitoring learner progress (optional), and ordering additional seats as needed. The Campus Administrator must be enrolled in the course. Optionally, the Campus Administrator may perform other functions such as leading group sessions; communicating with Magna support staff; and communicating with Magna editors about the group’s experience with the course.

How do I log in for my Magna Online Course?
It’s easy to get started with a Magna Online Course. Just follow these steps.

  1. Go to http://magnapubs.com/online/courses/  Entere your course login information and login.
  2. If this is your first time at the course, select the "Create a new account" button and supply the required information. You will receive an email notification confirming your username. Keep a copy of this email along with your unique password -- you will need this information to log in to the course.
  3. Your campus’s Campus Administrator will you supply you with the Enrollment Key. The Enrollment Key is used only once to gain access to the course. Thereafter, you will need only your username and unique password.
  4. If you are returning to a course, enter your username and password in the provided fields and log in.

What if I forget the Enrollment Key?
Once you have logged into the course, you will no longer need the Enrollment Key. However, if your initial log-in was not successful, please contact your on campus Administrator to request the Enrollment Key.

Why didn't I receive a confirmation email after registering for this course?
Your spam filter may be blocking emails from an unknown source. Take a moment to check your spam filter to see if your confirmation email has been blocked.

How do I navigate a Magna Online Course?
Magna Online Courses allow you to explore a course at your own pace. Course navigation tips follow:

  1. Each time you enter an activity, you will navigate away from the main course page. You can return to the main course page in one of two ways:
    • Click the course name link located in the menu bar on all activity screens, or
    • Jump to an activity using the dropdown menu located at the top right of all activity screens.
  2. You will move through a course by beginning in the Course Overview section then moving to each subsequent unit. Within each unit, begin with the first activity, then move to the next activity, and so on.
  3. With all video content, you are able to pause, play, stop, and control volume at any time.
    • MediaSite presentations play automatically.
    • Face Off discussions do not play automatically; click on the arrow icon to start the video.
  4. Where slides are used, they are presented one at a time as the presenter goes through them and they advance automatically. A printable version of the slide presentation is available and is typically included in the Course Resources module.
  5. Each unit contains an ungraded quiz called a Check on Learning. At the bottom of each Check on Learning are two buttons: “Save without submitting”; and “Submit all and finish”.
    • Click “Save without submitting” if you do not want to finish the Check on Learning, but would like the computer to store your answers until the next time you log in.
    • Click “Submit all and finish” if you want to finish the Check on Learning and move on to the next unit.
  6. When you add a post to a Discussion Forum, you will receive a message that your post was successful; you have 30 minutes to edit it if you wish.
  7. Each time you exit the course, click the Logout button located at the top right corner of the main course page

How does the Magna Online Course assessment work?
Each course includes two types of assessment: Checks on Learning and a Final Exam.Checks on Learning are ungraded quizzes at the end of each unit. When you submit a finished Check on Learning, you will receive feedback for your answers. You may attempt Checks on Learning as many times as you like. The Final Exam is a graded, cumulative assessment of what you have learned. You must pass the Final Exam with a minimum score of 80 percent to receive a Certificate of Completion. This certificate is a printable PDF that is not available until you pass the Final Exam. You may attempt the Final Exam three times.

Why didn't I receive a grade on a quiz?
Quizzes, or Checks on Learning, are not graded, and do not count toward your final score. You may take a quiz as many times as you wish to help in mastering the course material.

What are Post-certification Forums?
Earning your Certificate of Completion ends the academic component of the course, but the learning process does not stop there. Your user account will remain active, allowing you to log in at any time to email your instructors, respond to fellow users’ comments, or re-visit course activities for reference. For courses that are available on a semester basis, you user will account will remain active for a six month period, typically from January 1 through July 31, and from July 1 through December 31.

Why am I receiving emails that contain course participants' comments?
In some Forum Discussions, you have an option to subscribe or unsubscribe. If you are subscribed, you will receive email notices when new comments are posted. To change this setting, go to the Forum Discussion main page, and in the upper right select "Unsubscribe to this forum".

I am having audio playback issues. What can I do to resolve this?
Please check that you meet the minimum requirements, including having bandwidth speed of at least 512 Kbps. If you can't hear the audio, make sure your computer's speakers are properly connected, turned on, and not muted. Also verify that your computer’s volume control is turned up (on a PC, this is typically found in the system tray in the bottom right corner of the Windows task bar or under Control Panel > Sound).

Troubleshooting Tips For PC Users
Adjust streaming protocol settings in Windows Media Player to solve playback issues by following the the steps below:

  1. Open Windows Media Player.
  2. Select Tools from the menu bar;  then select Options.
  3. Go to the PLAYER tab and be sure "Connect to Internet" is checked.
  4. Go to NETWORK tab, and under the heading "Streaming Protocols", be sure all of the boxes EXCEPT the box that says UDP are checked.
  5. Close out of Media Player and re-connect to the presentation link (you may have to exit your Browser first before the changes can take effect).

Please consult with your IT staff to ensure the following ports are open for the Windows Media stream:

  • UDP: 554, 5005
  • TCP: 554
  • HTTP: 80

Troubleshooting Tips for Mac users
Make sure you have installed the latest Silverlight plug-in by clicking here.
There are known compatibility issues with Silverlight version 1 and Firefox version 3. If you are having playback issues using Firefox version 3 or later, please use Safari to connect to the presentation.

If you are still having playback issues, adjust the streaming protocol settings in Windows Media Player:

  1. Open Windows Media Player and click Tools>Options.
  2. Go to the Player tab and be sure "Connect to Internet" is marked with a check.
  3. Go to Network tab, and under the heading "Streaming Protocols", be sure all of the boxes except the box that says UDP are marked with a check.
  4. Close out of Media Player and re-connect to the presentation link (you may have to exit your browser first before the changes take effect).

Please consult with your IT staff to ensure the following ports are open for the Windows Media stream:

  • UDP: 554, 5005
  • TCP: 554
  • HTTP: 80

I am using a Mac, and I meet the requirements for playing a Magna Online Course, but it still does not work. What else can I do?
It is likely that your computer has the Flip4Mac Windows Media component for QuickTime installed. This interferes with the Media Player plug-in that is required to play NCSL online programs. To disable the Flip4Mac plug-in:

  1. Click your desktop, and select Apple > System Preferences to open the Mac System Preferences.
  2. Under Other, click Flip4Mac WMV.
  3. On the Plug-in tab, clear the "Use Flip4Mac WMV Internet Plug-in" checkbox.
  4. Exit the dialog to save your changes.
  5. Try to play a presentation. You may have to re-launch your browser for the change to take effect.

Do you have transcripts of Magna Online Courses?
At this time we do not offer transcripts for Magna Online Courses.

Do you offer Continuing Education Credits for Magna Online Courses?
At this time we do not offer Continuing Education Credits for any of our programs.

Does Magna Online Courses offer a satisfaction guarantee?
If you are not completely satisfied with your online course, you may return it for a full refund within 30 days of purchase.

Who do I contact if I have additional questions or need more information regarding a Magna Online Courses?

Email support@magnapubs.com or call 800-433-0499 (outside the U.S. and Canada call 608-246-3590). Our office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Central time.

Back Issues/Reprints/Copyright Information

Can I get back issues and reprints?
Yes, you can search our website for back issues and then purchase an issue in PDF format for reading on screen or printing.

Can I email copies of my electronic issues to others?
Unless you have a specific license allowing multiple distribution, any copying or emailing of complete articles or issues is in violation of copyright laws. Institutional site licenses are available and we will generally grant permission for an occasional reprint use if you contact dburns@magnapubs.com.

Can I reprint articles from a publication?
Because of copyright laws, reprints are not allowed without specific permission, even for internal use. Please refer to the Copyright Clearance Center information in each issue. If you have specific requests for reprints please send the details to dburns@magnapubs.com and request permission. Often we can grant an occasional, single permission for education use without charge.

I have a paid print subscription. Can I get access to archives?
Archives are only for paid online subscribers. You may switch your print subscription and apply the remaining months to an electronic subscription, which will also give you archive access. Email support@magnapubs.com with your request.

Can I make copies of an audio conference or Web seminar CD?
Creating copies of CDs and distribution is prohibited by copyright law, even for internal use, without prior permission. If you need additional copies of a specific title, contact support@magnapubs.com for a reduced rate on additional copies.

Can I record a Magna Online Seminar?
Copyright law does not permit live recording of a Magna Online Seminar. However, recordings of all Magna Online Seminars are available to participants for half price.

Can I relay or “conference in” the Magna Online Seminar to other sites?
Each registration to a Magna Online Seminar constitutes one location where it can be heard by as many people as can be accommodated there. Any recording, relaying, or other retransmitting of a Magna Online Seminar is prohibited. If you have additional sites that would like to register for the same program, please contact support@magnapubs.com.

Is it within the copyright guidelines to place a newsletter/book/Magna Online Seminar CD on reserve in our library to allow multiple users to access it at different times?
Yes, it would be within copyright guidelines to have the newsletter/book/CD on reserve in your library. These products can be routed or placed in a central location for others to use. Duplication is not permitted. Being the purchaser of the product, you will want to make it known to others that they cannot duplicate it.

Conference Proposals and Article Submission Questions

Who should I contact to propose a workshop for either a Teaching Professor or National Center for Student Leadership conference?
To propose a National Center for Student Leadership conference session:
Susan Liimatta, Interim Conference Director, at (608) 227-8103 or susan.liimatta@ncslcollege.com.

To propose a Teaching Professor conference session:
MaryAnn Mlekush at (608) 227-8138 or mmlekush@magnapubs.com.

Who should I contact to propose presenting a Magna Online Seminar?
To propose a Magna Online Seminar:
1. Print out our Presentation Proposal Form (Word document) scan and email, mail, or fax it back to us.
    or
2. Contact Catherine Stover, Editorial Manager, at (608) 227-8166 or catherine.stover@magnapubs.com.

Who should I contact to write an article for one of Magna's newsletters or propose a special report?
We welcome your submissions and proposals. To submit an article, please read the following author guidelines (.pdf) for specific newsletters or contact the Editorial Department at editor@magnapubs.com or (608) 227-8120.

To propose a special report
Contact the Editorial Department at editor@magnapubs.com or (608) 227-8120.

 

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