The following frequently asked questions (F.A.Q.s) and answers are intended to address some of the basic questions regarding the use of Cougar Link. If you do not see your question asked here, please feel free to use the online form at the bottom of the page to submit a question.
The questions have been sorted into the following categories. You may click on a category to jump to that section.
- General Topics
- Logging In
- Memberships and Positions
- Settings
- Co-Curricular Transcripts (CCTs)
- Organization Management
General Topics
What is Cougar Link?
Cougar Link is Kean University's online student group management and co-curricular involvement tracking system. All Kean University students, faculty and staff have access to and can use Cougar Link to stay connected to their organization's members, learn about campus events, organizations and programs and keep track of their participation in programs and community service projects.
Each user's record of involvement and reflection are included on their official Kean University Co-Curricular Transcript.
Logging In
Do all students have access to Cougar Link?
Yes, every student with a KeanGOOGLE username and password has access to Cougar Link. The user name is the student's KeanGOOGLE email username without the "@kean.edu" and the password is also the same as the KeanGOOGLE email password.
Do professors and advisors have access to Cougar Link?
Yes, anyone with a KeanGOOGLE email and password has access to Cougar Link. The user will have to follow the same log in a student would and use their KeanGOOGLE username and password to log in. For more information about how to log in, please click here.
What do I do if I cannot log-in to my Cougar Link account?
Collegiate Link utilizes the same authentication process as the KeanGOOGLE E-mail system. Please refer to the troubleshooting section to verify you are logging in correctly.
Memberships and Positions
I am a member of an organization, how do I join it in Cougar Link?
Joining an organization in Cougar Link can occur two ways: you request to join or the organization's leadership requests that you become a member.
To request to join an organization, simply find the organization you are a member of by going to the organization's profile page or by finding the organization's name in the organization directory. When you are logged in, you will see a "Join Organization" button on the right side of the organization's profile. Once you click "Join Organization" you have officially requested to join the organization and a notification was sent to the organization's primary contact (in most cases, the organization's president) asking them to confirm your involvement. The organization's President or Secretary must then log-in to Cougar Link and approve your membership (meaning that you have fulfilled the organization's membership requirements as outlined in the organization's Student Group Structure and Purpose Statement). Once your membership has been approved, you will appear as a member of the organization.
If the organization's leadership requests that you become a member of their organization, they have submitted an invitation to you to join their organization. To confirm that you want to join the organization and are a member, simply follow the instructions in the invitation email or go back to the organization's profile page to confirm the membership.
I am a member of an organization and I have requested to join the organization in Cougar Link several days ago, but I still do not appear as a member. What do I do?
All membership requests must be approved by the organization's President and Secretary within Cougar Link. If you are a member of an organization and have met the membership requirements as outlined in the organization's Student Group Structure and Purpose Statement, but several days have passed and your membership has not be approved, you should contact the Center for Leadership and Service, located in Miron Student Center room 219, by emailing cls@kean.edu with your full name, your Kean University ID number, the organization that you have requested to join and your contact information. All membership requests that are brought to the attention of the Center for Leadership and Service must still be verified. Please be patient while we attempt to contact the organization to verify your membership.
What is a Primary Contact?
Each organization must have a Primary Contact. Primary Contact is the name of the position given to all organization's point of contact. Primary Contacts receive all system notification's and requests from prospective members and Kean University. Generally, the Primary Contact of each organization is the organization's President.
How do I become the Primary Contact for my organization?
The organization’s current president and secretary or campus administrators can promote users to the position of primary contact. The user with the appropriate organization’s administrative access will have access to the “Manage Roster” function under the “Roster” menu. Within the “Manage Roster” screen, the user can change the primary contact of the organization by clicking the "Change" button that is located to the right of the primary contact's name. When "Change" is selected, a dialogue will appear that asks the "Change Primary Contact To:" with a drop down list of all of the organization's members. The user must select the new primary contact and select "Save". Please note that in order to successfully change the primary contact, the user must be an existing member of the organization. If the new primary contact is not a member of the organization, then the new primary contact should be invited to join prior to making the primary contact change.
In the event that you are unable to contact your organization's president or secretary, you should contact the Center for Leadership and Service, located in Miron Student Center room 219, by emailing cls@kean.edu with your full name, your Kean University ID number, the organization that you have requested to become primary contact of and your contact information.
Why am I listed more than once within my organization?
As a result of a “bug” within the Cougar Link system, you may have been added to an organization more than once as a result of someone attempting to add you to an organization that you were currently a member of. As a result of this “bug” in the system, the user was not prevented from adding you the organization. If the organization’s leadership attempts to delete your additional entries from the organization, they will completely delete you from the organization and terminate your membership. All presidents and secretaries were notified about this “bug” and asked to disregard the multiple member listings. This issue is being addressed by the company Kean University is in partnership with and we expect it to be resolved in the near future.
Please contact the Center for Leadership and Service, located in Miron Student Center room 219, by calling 908-737-5170 or emailing cls@kean.edu if you have additional questions regarding this issue.
Settings
How do I edit my notifications?
Once you have logged in, you can edit your "Notification Settings" in the "Account" menu. Notifications from Cougar Link include system reminders, notices of approval or denial of applications, events, forms, etc..., as well as notifications from the organizations that you are a member of.
Notification settings have three options for when you would like to receive e-mail notifications: All messages and requests, Invitation requests only, and Do not send me e-mail notifications.
To access your notification settings directly, please click here. Please note that you must be logged in to view the page correctly.
Co-Curricular Transcripts (CCTs)
How do I access my Co-Curricular Transcript in Cougar Link?
To view an unofficial copy of your student group involvement activity and community service hours, students may utilize Cougar Link. To view your unofficial CCT in Cougar Link, please click here. You will be prompted to login to Cougar Link prior to being able to view your transcript.
Please note that this is an unofficial co-curricular transcript. Official transcripts will be printed on official Co-Curricular Transcript letterhead, be affixed with the Kean University seal and signed by the Vice President for Student Affairs.
To learn more information about Co-Curricular Transcripts, please click here.
Organization Management
How can I create a new organization?
Students can only create organizations during the Student Group Recognition process. The organization will only be proposed until it has been fully approved by the Center for Leadership and Service. Please click here to view more information about the Student Group Recognition process.
System administrators can create organizations in Cougar Link at any time. If your organization does not meet the Student Group Recognition guidelines, please contact the Cougar Link support team by emailing cougarlink@kean.edu.