College plans tighter security

5,000 students at South Lanarkshire College will use new technology

Campus security will be tightened

South Lanarkshire College is to install an identity management system to improve the campus and facilities access for its 5,000 students and 300 staff.

Under the contract with Salford Software the system will be installed in phases alongside the building of the college’s new campus, which is due to open in East Kilbride next January.

By having all systems linked into one identity management system, users will gain easier access and the college will benefit from a more efficient operation of its IT systems.

The first phase will include access to library services, email authentication, password self service, remote access for users and provisioning of students on to the college’s virtual learning environment.

Linda Young, management information systems manager at South Lanarkshire College, said: ‘We have a number of systems providing services to staff and students which require authentication and at present, those systems require individual usernames and passwords in order to access them.’

‘We need a system that can sufficiently automate the process of provisioning and de-provisioning users in order to deliver a high standard of service and provide synchronisation of identity information between systems,’ she said.

The second phase of the implementation, planned for later this year, will provide access to the new campus building, its car parks and classrooms.

ID access cards will be provided to all students and staff granting them access based upon their identity to differing facilities within the campus.

‘The system will allow us to secure buildings and facilities so that relevant personnel have access,’ said Young.

She says the system will also allow the college to take attendance records as students can be ‘checked into’ classrooms, the data from which can be linked back to the college’s student records system.

‘Student attendance is a statutory requirement to receiving funding,’ said Young.