Privacy Protection for Online Students

Morris College defines an Online Student as a student who is receiving all or part of their instruction in a location that is not the same as the location of the instructor. Student identification is initially established as the student is admitted to Morris via required official transcripts and state-issued photo-identification cards.  Once admitted, the student is assigned a unique five-digit student identification number (SID).  The student’s first and last names are incorporated into a username (e.g. Jane Doe - JanDoe), to access the Morris College Learning Management System (LMS) and Email System. The initial passwords are generated by the Student Information System and by a script in the IT Department, respectively. As students log into either the LMS or Email site, they are prompted to reset their password to further protect their login credentials.    The student identification numbers, usernames, and passwords for all students are maintained in the college’s Student Information System, which are accessible only by appropriate personnel through a secure password-protected login system, thereby protecting the privacy of all students.  Students are responsible for protecting their SID, username, and  password,  and  sharing  of  this  information  with  other  individuals  violates  the Computer Use Policy which is published in the Morris College Student Handbook.

Procedures for Implementation:

Final admission to Morris College requires a valid state-issued photo-identification card to document the identity of the student.  Once admitted, students are issued a five-digit student identification number (SID), which is generated within the Student Information System. Once enrolled at the college, the initial Student Identification card is issued at no cost to the student. The Information Technology Department then generates usernames and passwords for secure login to all college technology accounts (LMS, Email, etc.). All personally identifiable information is stored on secure servers, which can only be accessed through a password-protected login system. Students must present their Student Identification card when requesting any academic or financial records.

Publication of Policy and Procedure:

The Privacy Protection for Online Students Policy and Procedure is published on the College’s website and in the Student Handbook.

Compliance:

Compliance with the policy is mandated and failure to comply with or follow this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the College.