Verification of Student Identity for Online/Distance Learning

Purpose

The policy and procedures below are designed to comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), concerning verification of student identify in distance learning or online learning; in addition, they also support the privacy provisions of the Privacy Information Protection Act (PIPA).

Scope

The policy applies to all students in all credit-bearing, online/distance education courses offered by New York Institute of Technology, regardless of physical location, beginning with the application for admission and continuing through a student's graduation, transfer or withdrawal from the college. All methods of verifying the student's identity must protect the privacy of the student.

Policy Statement

All credit-bearing courses and programs offered through online learning or distance education must verify that the student who register for an online or distance education course or program is the same student that participates and completes the course to receive academic credit.

Procedure

Online Learning/Distance Education

The verification of a student's identity begins at the time of admission and the first course registration. After a student has been through the admission process and makes their deposit to attend, Information Technology Services is responsible for creating a secure, unique login and password for the paid/deposited student using a FERPA-compliant procedure.

Both the New York Tech Office of Admissions and the New York Tech Office of the Registrar maintain student biographic, demographic, admission and enrollment records in the New York Tech Student Information System (SIS). This authoritative data is replicated into the New York Tech Identity Management system (IDM), which creates Single Sign On (SSO) authentication records in addition to authorization, controls in the New York Tech hosted Learning Management System (LMS). Access to the LMS requires valid SSO credentials in addition to an official class registration.

Upon SSO account creation, an individualized claim email is delivered to the student's personal email address. Upon clicking the claim link, the workflow directs the student to create a permanent password and to set up a Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) device. The registered MFA device will then be used to authenticate students when accessing university applications.

All sensitive data, including FERPA-governed and enrollment related records, are presented to students via encrypted transport methods, predominantly HTTPS. Access to such information requires valid SSO credentials, in addition to authorization controls within the LMS and/or SIS. As noted, authorization controls are primarily dictated by enrollment records within the SIS.

Students are responsible for maintaining the security of their login information and password. This information 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.

All students taking online courses are using Canvas, New York Tech's course management system, which requires secure usernames and passwords.

New York Tech's distance learning classrooms use video conferencing technologies to deliver instruction. This technology provides visual identification as well as the secure user name and passwords.

All methods of verifying student identity in distance learning protect the privacy of student information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for domestic, U.S.-based students, and under PIPA for students at our Vancouver campus. The privacy of students who enroll in online courses at New York Tech in the United States is protected under the institution's policies regarding student privacy. For students enrolled at the Vancouver campus, please refer to the Personal Information Protection Policy.

New York Tech does not charge a fee for student identity verification. Students would be notified of additional fees, if any, prior to and during the registration process through various publications i.e., New York Tech Catalog, and on the New York Tech website.