Purpose: As required by Middle States Commission on Higher Education, to verify compliance with Federal Regulations requiring that institutions have effective procedures in place to ensure that the students who register in a distance or correspondence education course are the same students who participate in and complete the course, and receive the academic credit (34 CFR 602.17 (g)).
This policy is intended to reflect La Roche University’s commitment to the principles, goals, and ideal described in the University’s Mission Statement.
Revision History: New
Persons Affected: Faculty and students
Policy: A new federal policy to verify the identity of online students has been put into place by the U.S. Department of Education. In response to this policy, La Roche University is requiring that all students enrolled in courses where all or part of the graded activity is delivered online, to verify their identity with the student authentication system, Biometric Signature ID.
Biometric Signature ID, through their gesture biometrics technology, will ensure that La Roche University maintains the highest level of academic integrity in online learning.
Faculty teaching only face-to-face classes, with no online component, are not required to use BioSig-ID. However, if they use the LMS (Canvas) as a supplemental classroom aid to allow students to submit assignments through the site, then the student identity verification through BioSig-ID will be required.
Every course syllabus should include the following paragraph:
Biometric Signature ID
Online courses at La Roche University require students to participate in a new security system. This new software system is used to verify a student’s ID using just your mouse, touchpad, stylus, or touch screen, and all courses which require taking an exam, quiz and/or any gradable assignment online will require student verification. No special hardware or software downloads are necessary. This identification technology is from a company called Biometric Signature ID (BSI). Verifying student identification is a new mandate from the federal government with which our institution needs to comply. Instructions to enroll can be found on the intranet in the Online Student Services page.
This new software system enables a student to easily verify their identity using a mouse, stylus, touchpad or touch screen and does not require any special hardware or software.
- Students will register and enroll ONE TIME ONLY to create a password in the first course of the session.
- This same password will be used for all courses to access gradable events.
- Students will be required to watch a short instructional video to understand “HOW” to use the gesture biometric technology.
- Faculty will place the instructional video as a link with introductory remarks and as an assignment.
https://intranet.laroche.edu/OL/bio-sig.cfm - During the first contact into the course, and after viewing the video, the student will register and enroll using the link provided.
Procedures:
- At the beginning of each semester, the student establishes a “password” using BioSig-ID in the first course in which they receive a BioSig-ID assignment. Returning students simply verify their identity using their existing password.
- It is strongly suggested that faculty create an assignment (gradable event) where the students must authenticate their identity as suggested for any gradable event such as a test or assignment that is turned in remotely via Canvas.
- The more times a student uses BioSig-ID, the more valid the authentication becomes and the less likely the student is to forget his or her BioSig-ID password.
Definitions:
- Biometric Signature ID – BioSig-ID
- Learning Management System (LMS) - La Roche uses Canvas as their learning management system.
- Online course – Asynchronous online instruction delivered to a group of students or an individual student, without any face-to-face meeting requirement.
- Online hybrid course – Blended classes with some face-to-face component, but where 51% to 99% of the direct instruction is online.
- On-campus course is delivered face-to-face, including those that use web-based technology to facilitate what is essentially a face-to-face course. This includes the use of Canvas to post syllabus and assignments. An on-campus course requires less than 50% of that course to be offered online.
Authority: The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean delegates the authority to implement and oversee this policy to the Online Learning and Faculty Support & Technology Coordinator.
Continuous renewal: This policy will be reviewed two years from its effective date to determine its effectiveness and appropriateness; or sooner to reflect substantive change.