Norse Apps

Norse Apps is the Luther-supported version of Google’s suite of products, and includes Gmail (a.k.a Norse Mail), Calendar, Drive, Hangouts Meet, and the Google productivity suite (i.e. Docs, Slides, Sheets, and others). Current students, faculty, staff, and emeriti have access to Norse Apps.

Students: New students will be allocated a Norse Apps account for your time at Luther. Use this account for your Luther-related work (i.e., academic work and in communication with other Luther students, faculty, and staff). In anticipation of great things to come in the near future, we encourage you to create a second, separate email account that will allow you to establish an internet identity for use in personal (outside Luther) and professional settings (such as internships or job interviews).

Employees: Luther accounts and assigned computer equipment are for Luther-related work. If you don’t already have a personal email account, please create one. Personal files should be stored on personally-owned devices or within personally-owned accounts.

Accessing Norse Apps

Note: To access Norse Apps, you need a Norse Key username and password. If you don’t already have this information, contact the Technology Help Desk at x1000 or helpdesk@luther.edu.

• Visit mail.luther.edu or any Google sign-in page. Alternately, you can use the URLs for specific services, like accounts.google.com, mail.google.com, or drive.google.com.
• Your username is your Norse Key username followed by “@luther.edu”, and your password is your Norse Key password.
• If you’re just starting to use your account, you may be prompted to sign up for Google 2-Step Verification, a necessary security feature on Norse Mail accounts. We recommend that you turn this on the first time you sign in.

Turning on 2-Step Verification

2-Step Verification is a necessary extra layer of security on all Luther email accounts. 2-Step Verification protects your account by requiring more than just your password to sign in to your account. We recommend that you turn this on the first time you sign in. After your first login you have a two week grace period to set up 2-Step Verification on your email account. If you don’t enable 2-Step Verification in time, your account will be suspended and you will need to visit the Technology Help Desk.

Note: Accounts can only be re-enabled during standard business hours (8-5 Monday-Friday CST).

If you’re still within two weeks of your first sign-in , you can turn on 2-Step by choosing “Enroll” on the sign-up prompt immediately after login. Alternately, go straight to your 2-Step Verification settings.

During the enrollment process you’ll associate a phone with your account. You can find detailed instructions on our 2-Step Verification Guide.

After enrolling, you’ll see a screen where you can set up additional verification methods. We recommend that you turn on as many methods as possible , but at a minimum, you should print out a set of backup codes and set up a second form of authentication, preferably one that doesn’t rely on the same device. If you ever get locked out of your account, the Technology Help Desk can get you back in.

Trouble signing in

If you can’t get past the initial sign-in, you might be typing your password or username incorrectly or need to reset your password. Make sure you’re signing in with your Norse Key followed by @luther.edu, that you don’t have Caps Lock enabled, and that there are as many typed characters as there are in your password.

If you’re told that your need to contact your administrator to access the account , you have likely been locked out because 2-Step Verification wasn’t enabled on your account in time. The Technology Help Desk can re-enable your account and help you turn on 2-Step Verification during standard business hours (8-5 Monday-Friday CST). Note: Regaining access with this method assumes that you’ll turn on 2-Step Verification immediately, otherwise you risk your account being suspended again.

If you’re told that your account can’t be found, there is a possibility that your account has been deleted or is no longer active. You can contact the Technology Help Desk for more information. Accounts that have been deleted or are no longer active may still be recoverable for a short window of time.

If you arrive at a 2-Step verification screen but don’t have access to your backup method or your method isn’t working, the Technology Help Desk can grant you access with an 8-digit backup code during standard business hours (8-5 Monday-Friday CST). When you have your 8-digit code, start the sign-in process over and choose “Try another way”, or “More options”, or “My key isn’t working” (depending on your default sign-in method). At this point, you will see “Enter an 8-digit backup code” as an available 2-Step Verification option. After you’re back in, re-visit your 2-Step Verification settings to make sure you have a contingency option ready for the future.

Requesting an Email Alias

Norse Mail users may request an email alias in addition to their normal @luther.edu address. An email alias gives your Luther email inbox another address through which mail can be sent and delivered. Email aliases are helpful for various reasons, including simplification for the sake of networking (e.g. john.smith@luther.edu vs smitjo01@luther.edu). Visit the email alias page to learn more.

Name changes

Email aliases only serve as another address through which mail can be sent and delivered, and don’t affect how your name appears in any other context. You can change how your name appears in most contexts by changing the display name associated with your Norse Apps account.

While changing your display name covers most cases, depending on the circumstances, you might want to pursue additional actions. Contact the Student Engagement office for more information.

Further Help

If you would like help using specific services, the best resources are either Google’s own tutorials or the Technology Help Desk.

What happens to my account when I leave Luther

Students who leave Luther without qualifying for Alumni status (generally students who only attend Luther for a short time) lose their Norse Apps account.

Students who leave Luther and are classified as Alumni lose access to their account approximately 6 months after graduation. Students should anticipate and prepare for that transition.

All staff and non-emeritus faculty accounts are closed at the end of their employment. You can request a 30 day extension using this webform. Employees are required to have personal email accounts and take care during employment to separate work and personal content.

Emeritus faculty currently retain access for their account due to their continuing contributions to the college. As with all faculty, we recommend that you create a personal email account and take care during your employment to separate work and personal content.