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Microsoft 365 and Okta Login Behavior for Employees With Both Staff and Student Accounts
Summary
If you have both a staff and a student account, you may see sign-in issues when switching between ACC applications and student Microsoft 365. This is usually caused by using two different Okta identities in the same browser session.
Key point: A single browser session can be signed into only one Okta account at a time.
Who This Applies To
This article applies to employees who have both:
How Sign-In Works at ACC
Staff access
Many ACC applications are authenticated through Okta and require a staff Okta login.
Student Microsoft 365 access
Student Microsoft 365 access requires authentication through a student Okta login.
Why This Causes Problems
Because of single sign-on behavior:
A single browser session cannot be signed into both staff Okta and student Okta at the same time.
If you try to use both in one browser session, you may see:
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Being signed into the wrong account
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Unexpected redirects during login
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Access errors (Oops events) even though your account is valid
This behavior is expected and is not caused by a password issue.
Recommended Way to Use Both Accounts
If you need to use both staff apps and student Microsoft 365:
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Treat staff and student access as separate sessions
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Use separate browser windows, browser profiles, or private browsing when switching roles
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Avoid switching between staff and student work in the same browser session
This keeps the staff and student Okta sessions from conflicting.
When to Contact Support
Contact support if:
Include in your request:
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Which account type you are using (staff or student)
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What you were trying to access (app name or Microsoft service)
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What you observed during sign-in (error message or behavior)
512-223-8324 [TECH] or via ticket at https://acchelp.austincc.edu/TDClient/277/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=10718