Student Identity Verification in Distance Learning
Purpose
This policy is in place to ensure that student identity can be verified safely and efficiently when in-person verification cannot be achieved effectively.
Scope
This policy directly or indirectly impacts the following:
- Any credit-bearing distance-learning courses or programs.
- Any credit-bearing hybrid in-person and distance learning courses or programs.
- Any credit-bearing in-person courses or programs where an online LMS is utilized to submit classwork, view course materials, or take quizzes/exams.
Procedures
Linking Student Identity to Login Credentials
Verification of student identity begins when they apply for Keuka College. Identity information is confirmed by Admissions and Financial Aid within our enrollment management software. Student biographic, demographic, admissions, and enrollment records are maintained here during this stage.
After acceptance, a student and their biographic, demographic, admissions, and enrollment records are imported into our Student Information System (SIS).
After the student deposits, information is imported from the SIS into Information Technology’s Directory Management System. A username is created based on this information in our local Directory Service and replicated to our cloud messaging and collaboration services. The username and password (in separate emails) are sent to the student’s personal email address.
Upon first login, a student is required to change their password. This allows the student the ability to log in with a personalized password from that moment on. It also ensures that if the original password is compromised, it will not allow successful login. Authentication methods are also required which allows students to recover their account should they forget their password.
Multifactor authentication is required for student accounts.
Verification Supporting Information
College-wide applications, including email and the LMS, utilize Single Sign-On (SSO) to affirm identity of sent information. SSO is a method that allows Users to access various applications using the same credentials that are linked to the user's identity.
As outlined in the Identity and Access Management policy and Information Security policy, students are responsible for maintaining the security of their username and password. These may not be shared or given to anyone other than the person to whom they were assigned. Users are responsible for any use and activity of their account.
In many courses and programs, live interaction on video is also utilized for visual identification.
Policy
All credit-bearing courses and programs offering a portion or all of its course materials through online learning or distance education must verify that a student whom registers for said course or program is the same student that participates in and completes the course to receive academic credit.
Compliance
This policy is designed to comply with or is based on the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA).