Ellucian Colleague is Stuck on a Purple Screen

Overview

If Ellucian Colleague becomes stuck on a blank screen or displays a spinning purple loading screen, the issue is often related to browser data, cookies, Single Sign-On (SSO), or browser privacy settings.

You may experience one or more of the following:

  • Colleague displays a blank screen.
  • A purple loading screen continues spinning indefinitely.
  • Colleague does not finish loading after you sign in.
  • Colleague worked previously but suddenly stops loading.
  • Colleague works in one browser but not another.

This article provides several troubleshooting steps you can try before contacting MCC IT Support Services.

Who This Applies To

This article applies to Metropolitan Community College (MCC) employees and users who access Ellucian Colleague through a web browser.

Quick Troubleshooting

Try the following steps in order. Test Colleague after each step to see if the issue has been resolved.

1. Perform a Hard Refresh 

A hard refresh forces your browser to reload the page instead of using previously cached information.

Windows:

  • Press Ctrl + F5
  • You can also try Ctrl + Shift + R

Mac:

  • Press Command (⌘) + Shift + R

After refreshing, allow Colleague a few moments to fully load.

2. Clear Colleague Site Data

Corrupted cookies or cached authentication information can prevent Colleague from completing the SSO login process.

  1. Open Colleague in your web browser.
  2. Click the padlock icon next to the website address.
  3. Select Cookies and site data or Site settings.
  4. Remove the cookies/site data associated with the Colleague website and MCC authentication domains.
  5. Close the browser completely.
  6. Reopen the browser.
  7. Navigate back to Colleague and sign in again.

Important: Only remove site data associated with Colleague/MCC websites. Removing all browser cookies may sign you out of other websites.

3. Check Third-Party Cookie Settings

Colleague and integrated applications may use cookies across multiple domains to complete authentication.

If your browser is blocking third-party cookies, Colleague may become stuck on the purple loading screen.

Check your browser's privacy or cookie settings and make sure third-party cookies are not being blocked for Colleague/MCC sites.

Supported browsers may include:

  • Google Chrome
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Safari

Note: Browser privacy settings and terminology may change as browsers are updated.

4. Try a Private or Incognito Window

Testing Colleague in a private browsing window can help determine whether cached information, browser extensions, or existing login sessions are causing the problem.

Google Chrome:

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows.
  • Press Command + Shift + N on Mac.

Microsoft Edge:

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + N.

Safari:

  • Open File > New Private Window.

Sign in to Colleague and see if the issue continues.

If Colleague works correctly in a private/incognito window, the issue may be related to cached browser data, cookies, or an installed browser extension.

5. Try a Different Browser

If Colleague continues to display a blank or spinning purple screen, try accessing it using another supported browser.

For example:

  • If you normally use Google Chrome, try Microsoft Edge.
  • If you normally use Microsoft Edge, try Google Chrome.

If Colleague works in another browser, the issue may be specific to your original browser's settings, cache, cookies, or extensions.

If the Problem Continues

If you have completed the troubleshooting steps above and Colleague is still displaying a blank or spinning purple screen, contact MCC IT Support Services.

When submitting a request, include:

  • Your name/MCC username.
  • The browser you are using.
  • The approximate time the issue occurred.
  • A screenshot of the blank or purple loading screen, if possible.
  • Whether Colleague works in another browser.
  • Whether Colleague works in a private/incognito window.
  • Any error message displayed on the screen.

This information can help IT determine whether the problem is related to your browser, authentication/SSO, or the Colleague service.

Important Information

If the issue affects multiple users, it may indicate a service or authentication issue rather than a problem with an individual computer. In this situation, contact MCC IT Support Services rather than repeatedly clearing browser data.

You can check the Ellucian Cloud Status on their status website. 

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