STUDENT IDENTITY VERIFICATION, PRIVACY, AND PASSWORD SECURITY IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

Effective Date: 5/26/2022

Date of Last Revision: 12/6/2023

PURPOSE
This policy applies to all distance education courses and programs offered by Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College, beginning with the application for admission and continuing through to a student's graduation, transfer, or withdrawal from study. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College operates in compliance with the provisions of the United States Federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), Public Law 1 10-315, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Principles of Accreditation Standard 10.6.

POLICY

All courses and programs offered through distance learning methods must verify that the student who registers for a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives academic credit. Courses and programs may be synchronous and/or asynchronous. Student login credential management procedures and password security measures protect the privacy of students' personal identity information and the integrity of student records. In addition to adhering to FERPA regulations, Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College uses the following methods to verify student identity and protect student privacy in distance education:
A secure login and password: NLTCC students utilize a unique student ID and password to login to official college systems. The systems used by students include, but are not limited to, the learning management system (CANVAS), Log On Louisiana records management (LOLA), college email system (Microsoft Office 365), and Library Digital Resources and Databases.   
The Office of Information Technology limits system administrative access to employees who directly manage the system and provides a password-protected secure entry portal to ensure that the student enrolled in a distance-education course is the student who accesses the on-line classroom.

Students are responsible for maintaining login credentials in confidence and informing the IT department if suspicious activity or breach occurs. Students are never asked or required to disclose their account passwords for any reason.
Passwords may not contain any element of the user's first and last name, must be between 12 and 20 characters, and must contain at least one uppercase letter, one number, and at least one special character.
No other person(s) is allowed to request a password or access to a user's password or account. This is not limited to but includes spouses, parents, relatives, and friends, even if the student user has signed a FERPA release document for parent or guardian. 
Proctored examinations: Distance learning courses utilize electronically proctored or in-person examinations and other activities requiring face-to-face interaction that minimize the possibility of
and discourage academic dishonesty. Students present credentials, i.e. school ID badge or State License, for examinations.
NLTCC employs an online proctoring service for distance education courses, programs, and webbased assessments. Students must verify their identity by presenting a valid photo ID to the camera so that the software matches the name of the student user with the- name on the valid ID. Facial recognition and comparison of the photo ID to a live student- screenshot also support identity verification and provide protection against misrepresentation- while preserving academic integrity.
     

New or emerging technologies and practices: NLTCC may employ technologies that it deems effective in verifying student identification, especially for fully on-line asynchronous courses and programs. Examples include, but are not limited to, multi-factor authentication and IP address login analytics.

All methods of verifying student identity in distance education must protect the privacy of student information. Personally identifiable information collected by NLTCC may be used, at the discretion of the institution and in compliance with applicable state and federal laws, as the basis for identity verification. Additionally, instructors of online courses must visually verify the student's identity during the first week of the course. Methods of verification used can vary from online meetings to student submitted videos. The process is to ensure the student's identity and prevent fraud.

If any fees associated with the verification of student identity and protection of student privacy are to be charged to students, then the students must be notified of these charges in writing at the time of registration or enrollment.