Skip to main content
Las Positas College

Authentication

Federal law 34 C.F.R. § 602.17(g) requires "institutions that offer distance education or correspondence education to have processes in place through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education or correspondence education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the academic credit. The agency meets this requirement if it—

(1) Requires institutions to verify the identity of a student who participates in class or coursework by using, at the option of the institution, methods such as—

(i) A secure login and pass code;
(ii) Proctored examinations; and
(iii) New or other technologies and practices that are effective in verifying student identity; and

(2) Makes clear in writing that institutions must use processes that protect student privacy and notify students of any projected additional student charges associated with the verification of student identity at the time of registration or enrollment. "

LPC currently meets the authentication requirement by providing a secure login system for Canvas. Using that login system and incorporating best practices for instructor-student contact, such as getting to know students and their writing styles, are effective means to help to ensure that students registered for the course are truly the ones contributing to it. For instructors teaching hybrid courses with proctored exams on campus, this might be less of an issue than for those who teaching fully online courses.

The college provides tips to students on how to choose a password.  It also provides a Privacy Statement on the Online Learning web site.