If you are a Vaal University of Technology (VUT) student trying to get into Blackboard for the first time, or you cannot log in and do not know why, this guide covers everything you need.
VUTELA is the name VUT uses for its version of Blackboard. It is the VUT online portal where you access your lecture notes, submit assignments, take online tests, and communicate with your lecturers. Without access to it, you are essentially locked out of a big part of your studies.
The good news is that logging in is straightforward once you know the steps. The problem most students run into is trying to log in before updating their default password, which does not work. Here is the right order to do things.
Before You Log In for the First Time
If it is your first time logging in and you have not yet updated the default password, you must update your password first before accessing Blackboard. Skipping this step is the number one reason new VUT students cannot get into VUTELA.
Your default credentials are your VUT student email (your student number followed by @edu.vut.ac.za ) and your date of birth as your password, using the format YYYYMMDD.
So if your student number is 123456789 and you were born on 15 March 2001, your default email is 123456789@edu.vut.ac.za and your default password is 20010315.
You cannot use this default password to log into VUTELA directly. You must change it first.
Step 1: First, Update Your Password
Go to the VUT password update page and log in using your student email and your default date of birth password. Once you are in, create a new password that you will remember.
In your browser address bar, type the following URL and press Enter: https://sso-student.vut.ac.za/adfs/portal/updatepassword/. Enter your VUT student email, your old or default password, then type and confirm your new password, and click submit.
Once that is done, your new password is what you will use for everything going forward: VUTELA, your VUT student email, and Eduroam WiFi on campus.
Step 2: Register Your Security Questions
This step takes two minutes and saves you a lot of trouble later.
After updating your password, register your security questions so that you can reset your own password in the future without contacting the helpdesk.
You do this through the IT Student Services page on the VUT website. It will ask you for the updated login details. Pick questions and answers you will actually remember. These are what the system uses to verify your identity if you ever need to reset your password later.
Step 3: Log in to VUTELA
Now that your password is set up, you can actually log in.
Go to vut.blackboard.com. On the login page, sign in with a third-party account, choose Login as V Student, then enter your VUT student email and password.
You may be prompted to approve the login through Microsoft Authenticator. If you have not set up the Authenticator app yet, download it on your phone, add your VUT account, and use it to approve sign-ins. This is a security step VUT uses to protect student accounts.
Once you are inside VUTELA, your enrolled courses will appear on your dashboard. Click on any course to find lecture materials, announcements, assignment submission links, and any online tests your lecturer has set up.
What to Do If You Forgot Your Password
If you have already registered your security questions, resetting your password is something you can do yourself.
Open your browser and go to https://resetmypassword.vut.ac.za/default.aspx. Enter your student number and click next. Answer the three security questions you set up during registration. If your answers are correct, you will be taken to a screen where you can enter and confirm a new password.
If you have not registered your security questions yet and cannot remember your password, you will need to contact the IT helpdesk directly for assistance.
Sometimes things just do not work, even when you follow every step correctly. If you are stuck, here is who to contact:
For login problems specifically, email it_support@vut.ac.za. For VUTELA content or access issues, email vutela@vut.ac.za. The phone number for IT Services is 016 950 9111.
Operating hours are 07:45am to 4:30pm on weekdays. The helpdesk is closed on weekends and public holidays, and turnaround time for email queries is 24 hours.
If you email them on a Friday afternoon, do not expect a reply until Monday morning. Plan around that if you have an assignment due over the weekend.
Common Login Problems and Quick Fixes
You get an "incorrect password" error even though you are sure it is right. Your password may have expired. VUT student passwords expire periodically. Go back to the update password link and set a new one.
Your account is locked. Too many failed login attempts can lock your account temporarily. Wait a short while before trying again, or contact the helpdesk to unlock it.
Your courses are not showing up on VUTELA. This usually means your registration has not been fully processed yet, or your lecturer has not published the course content. Give it a day or two after registration closes. If it still does not show after that, contact your faculty or the VUTELA support email.
The session keeps timing out. If you cannot log in because you left your session unattended for too long, clear your browser history. In Internet Explorer, go to settings, click safety, click delete browser history, then click delete. For Google Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, select all time as the time range, check browsing history and cookies, then clear the data. Try logging in again after that.
What You Can Do Inside VUTELA
Once you are logged in, here is what the platform gives you access to:
Your course materials, which includes lecture notes, slides, and reading resources uploaded by your lecturers. Assignment submission, where you upload your work before the deadline and get confirmation that it was received. Online tests and assessments that some lecturers conduct through the platform instead of in class. Announcements from your faculty or individual lecturers about changes to schedules, test dates, or other updates. A calendar that shows upcoming deadlines and academic events across your courses.
Check VUTELA regularly. Lecturers sometimes post important updates or time-sensitive information on there without sending a separate email. Missing an announcement is not an excuse most departments accept.
A Note for New VUT Students
The login process feels complicated the first time, but once your password is updated and your security questions are registered, getting into VUTELA is quick. The two-step setup at the beginning is the only part that catches people out.
If you are still figuring out your way around university life beyond just logging into systems, VarsityToolkit has guides that can help you navigate the bigger picture, from choosing the right course to applying for scholarships: How to Use VarsityToolkit.
And if you are applying to VUT for the first time and want to understand the scholarship options available to you, how to apply for Scholarships While Applying to University.