Username Policy

Purpose:

This policy outlines the rules and practices by which Willamette Integrated Technology Services (WITS) will assign and maintain usernames on behalf of the University as part of an identity and access management plan. This policy applies to all individuals affiliated with the University that require an identity be established to access or utilize information systems - including faculty, staff, administrators, students, guests, contractors, and emeriti. Information systems may include but are not limited to: e-mail, internet access, file and print servers, application software, library resources, enterprise software, learning management systems, and cloud services.

Definitions Related to this Policy:

Username means a series of letters and numbers which uniquely identify an individual to various information systems. A username is also often referred to by the terms "login", "account name", "user name", "user id" or "Net ID". In Willamette's existing email system, the username also functions as the e-mail address when @willamette.edu is appended (e.g. the username bearcat becomes the e-mail address bearcat@willamette.edu.)

Policy:

1. Username Rules
   1. Usernames must be unique and will be assigned to identify an individual and only that individual.
   2. Usernames must not be re-assigned or transferred to a different individual, even when the individual originally assigned is no longer affiliated with the University.
   3. Multiple Usernames may be assigned to the same individual, however only one Username will be considered the primary Username for that individual at any time.
   4. Usernames must consist of 16 characters or less from the ASCII character set and will consist only of lower-case alphabetical (a-z) or numerical (0-9) characters.
   5. Usernames must be derived from the following name components of the individual it identifies, as recorded in the relevant system-of-record (as of this writing, the Colleague system)
      1. First Name(s) or First Initial(s)
      2. Middle Name(s) or Middle Initial(s)
      3. Last Name(s)
      4. Nickname(s)
   6. In the case where the names recorded in the system-of-record are not the individual’s preferred names, allowance will be made to permit substitution, inclusion, or exclusion of name components, with the intent that the Username be derived from the names commonly used by the individual. For example, using a middle name in lieu of a first name, or using only one part of a hyphenated last name.
   7. Usernames will only contain numerical (0-9) characters to ensure uniqueness in the case that a generated Username has already been assigned to another individual.
2. Changing Usernames - Changing a Username often involves making coordinated changes to multiple information systems and may have unintended consequences due to technical limitations of some information systems. In general, changing a Username should be avoided, however WITS will change the primary Username for an individual upon request due to a legal name change, a change in marital status, an offensive Username, or for reasons of personal safety or privacy.

Effective Date: May 01, 2015
Responsible Person/Primary Contact: CIO
Responsible University Office: WITS