Purpose  Scope Policy General Statement Requests for SIS Access Employees Eligible for SIS User Account Student Access to SIS Sharing of SIS Accounts Password Expiration Guidelines SIS Account Deletions Employees Transferring To Another Position Within a Dept. Employees Transferring to Another Dept. or Division Exiting Employees Procedure Request for a New SIS User Account Requests for Changes to an Existing SIS User Account Requests to Cancel an Existing SIS User Account Requests for New Password Other User Assistance Form: Request for Student Information System Access Adobe PDF Form   (Fill out on-line and print for signature, OR  print and fill out by hand or typewriter.)

The following revisions are not marked due to the numerous occurrences throughout this policy: Changes have been made to reflect the current ITSD organizational structure. Financial Aid & Veterans Services department name has been updated. Other revisions are marked with .    Key revisions include: Employees granted a SIS user account are bound by the confidentiality statement on the access request form, by the university's  policy on release of "directory information" and FERPA statement as contained in the UNCW Undergraduate Catalog, and by Administrative Policy ITS 1.00 (Responsible Use of Electronic Resources).  Passwords on all SIS accounts automatically expire every 90 days. SIS accounts are automatically deleted for non-use every 180 days. To request a new SIS user account or to request changes to an existing SIS user account, use the new Request for Student Information System Access form.

Explains policy and procedures regarding user access to the Student Information System (SIS).

Applies to all university departments and activities.

General Statement

  The Student Information System (SIS) is a campus-wide data processing system for maintaining the student records of the university. Major functional activities within SIS include, but are not limited to:  admitting students, registering students for classes, awarding financial aid, billing and collection of  tuition and fees and student accounts receivable, housing, advising, orientation, grades, and managing academic transcripts.

SIS contains confidential student information that is protected by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Consequently, access to SIS is limited to the extent that an employee's official duties require such information. The employee's department head is responsible for determining that SIS access is required to perform official duties and that SIS access is updated or terminated as necessary.

  All faculty and staff employees granted a SIS user account must abide by the confidentiality statement on the access request form, by the university's policy on release of "directory information" and FERPA statement as contained in the UNCW Undergraduate Catalog, and by Policy ITS 1.00 (Responsible Use of Electronic Resources).     The Registrar's Office is the owner of student records data and is responsible for ensuring the data is secured under FERPA regulations.  The Registrar's Office may be contacted for questions concerning the confidentiality of student records.

Requests for SIS Access
 

a.    Submittal and Justification of Requests by Department Head.
 
All requests for employee access to SIS require signature authorization from the employee's department head, dean, or Vice Chancellor and must clearly specify the SIS information being requested and the purpose for which SIS screens will be used by the employee. If access is being requested for a department head, the department head's supervisor must sign the request.


b.  Approval of SIS Screen Access.

 
University offices having data ownership are responsible for approving user access to specific SIS screens. Data ownership is defined as direct accountability for the reliability and confidentiality of data and for the accurate transfer or entry of data. Data ownership for SIS is shared by the university offices indicated below:
 

Responsible Office/Data Owner	SIS Screens*
Office of the Registrar	001-199 and 600 series
Office of Admissions	200 series
Office of Financial Aid & Veterans Services	300 series
Cashier/Student Accounts	400 series
Housing Office	500 series
* Some SIS screens within a series are customized products for a specific office.  If user access is requested for one of the customized screens, DAS is responsible for requesting approval from the specific responsible office.

 
Pre-approved screen packages have been established and are appropriate in most cases. However, if an employee's job duties require the use of screens not included in the assigned screen package, the employee's department head may request additional screen access from the appropriate office(s) having data ownership. Adequate justification will be required for the request to be approved.
Note: The On-Course Degree Audit Package may be combined with the Faculty or Advising Package after attending a Registrar's Office on-line degree audit training session.
 
Broad access to SIS is rarely permitted. Employees permitted to have broad screen/view access to SIS must receive approval from all offices having data ownership.


c.    Establishment of SIS User Accounts.
 

Once screen access is approved, the Department of Application Services (DAS) will establish SIS user accounts and assign screen access or appropriate screen packages.


Employees Eligible to Have a SIS User Account

Permanent and temporary employees may receive a SIS user account only when justified by their department head and approved by the data owners. However, temporary employees may be granted short-term specified access only. Should the need for temporary access cease before the access period expires, the department head is responsible for submitting a request  to cancel the temporary employee's access to SIS.

Student Access to SIS

  SIS access may be granted on a short-term specified basis only  to student employees whose job responsibilities require SIS access,  under the same requirements as other temporary employees. If the student employee's need for access ceases before the access period expires, the department head is responsible for notifying the Department of Administrative Services to cancel the student employee's access to SIS.

Sharing of SIS User Accounts

Each employee must have a unique username in order to access SIS. An employee is not permitted in any circumstance to share his or her SIS user account or to login to the system using another employee's password and access code. An employee permanently filling a vacant position should never be given another employee's access or a previous employee's access codes.

Password Expiration Guidelines

  Passwords on all SIS accounts automatically expire every 90 days.  Prior to the planned expiration date, users will receive an electronic message via SIS at login, prompting them to change their password.

SIS Account Deletions

  SIS accounts are automatically deleted for non-use every 180 days.  Prior to the planned deletion date, users will receive an e-mail notification.  Once a SIS account has been deleted, the employee's department head will need to request a new SIS account for the employee if SIS access is required at a later date.

Employees Transferring to Another Position Within a Department

If an employee transfers to another position within the same department, the department head is responsible for reviewing the employee's existing SIS access and for ensuring that appropriate requests are submitted to the Department of Application Services if the employee's SIS access needs to be canceled or if the employee's existing SIS access needs to be changed.

Employees Transferring to Another Department or Division

If an employee transfers to another department or division at UNCW, the current department head is responsible for submitting a request to the Department of Application Services to cancel the employee's existing SIS access.   If SIS access is required in the new position, the employee's new department head is responsible for submitting a request for new access as appropriate.

Exiting Employees

Employees who are terminating employment at UNCW will be required to sign out through the Department of Application Services as a part of the exit process prior to their last day of employment. If the terminating employee has SIS access, it will be canceled at that time. If employment termination is sudden, the department head is responsible for notifying the Department of Application Services to cancel system access for that individual as expeditiously as possible.

1.   Requests for a New SIS User Account

• Complete a Request for Student Information System Access form, which may be accessed  from the Administrative Forms Directory, the Computer Operations Web site, or the following Web address:   http://www.uncw.edu/sp/AdmForms/FormsPDF/inf430.pdf .
• Ensure that the request is signed by the employee and the employee's department head.
•   Send two copies of the completed form to the Department of Applications Services (DAS).
• DAS will obtain approvals from the appropriate office(s) having data ownership and will establish a new SIS user account for the employee.
•   Once access has been established, Computer Operations will mail to the requesting employee via campus mail a sealed, confidential envelope containing a computer-generated interim password, instructions for accessing SIS, and  UNCW's policy on the responsible use of electronic resources.  The interim password must be changed to a  password of the user's choice during the first login.

2.    Requests for Changes to An Existing SIS User Account
 
•   A request to change access should follow the same procedure as a request for a new SIS user account.
• Clearly indicate whether changes should be made to individual screen access or to standard screen packages and explain the purpose for which the screens will be used by the employee.

3.    Requests to Cancel An Existing SIS User Account
 
•   When an employee transfers to another position within the same department and no longer requires SIS access or when an employee transfers to another university department, the employee's department head will need to send a memo or e-mail  to the Department of Application Services requesting that the employee's SIS access be canceled.  The memo or e-mail must provide the employee's full name, department,  SIS operator number, and date the SIS account should be canceled.

Note:  If SIS access is required in the new position in another university department, the new department head must request a new SIS user account for the employee by submitting a new Request for Student Information System Access form as indicated above.
•   When an employee leaves university employment, the exiting employee is required to sign out through the Department of Application Services on the Exit Clearance Form for Faculty/Staff prior to the employee's last day of employment.  If the employee has a SIS user account, access will be canceled at that time.
• If employment termination is sudden and SIS access needs to be canceled immediately, the department head should contact the Department of Application Services (ext. 3648) to cancel access.

4.    Request for New Password if Password is Lost, Forgotten, or Expired
 
•   For username password (first password at logon, user-assigned), contact Computer Operations at extension 3541.  Computer Operations will assign an interim password to allow the employee to re-enter the system.  Interim passwords are sent via campus mail in a sealed, confidential envelope or may be picked up from Computer Operations.  Passwords will not be given out over the telephone.
• For SIS operator number password (second password, system-assigned), operator number, or other access codes, contact DAS System Liaison at extension 3892. Computer Operations will mail to the requesting employee via campus mail a sealed, confidential envelope containing log-in information, instructions for accessing SIS, and the university's policy on the responsible use of electronic resources. This will include all information needed to allow the employee to re-access SIS. Upon request, the employee may pick up this information from Computer Operations.

5.    Other User Assistance
 
• To check on the status of a request to establish, change, or cancel a SIS user account, contact DAS System Liaison at extension 3892.
• Contact the appropriate responsible office (data owner) as noted in the policy section  for assistance regarding screen usage or interpretation of data on SIS screens.