The login process, also known as authentication, is crucial as it plays a vital role in ensuring the security of your Faculty Success data. Striking a balance between accessibility and data security is key, making it easy for users to access Faculty Success while safeguarding information. The more integrated the authentication process is for users, the lower the chances of forgetting passwords or resorting to writing them down, which could compromise security. Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to utilize the same username and password they use for other purposes, such as accessing portals or emails.
By default, Faculty Success authenticates users through their Watermark Navigator Username and Password. To access Faculty Success or any other Watermark solution enabled for your institution, users enter the Email address and Password associated with their Watermark account.
Institutions that require an alternative authentication method can also use one of the supported advanced options. These include SAML through Watermark Navigator and Shibboleth, which allow users to sign in through an institution-managed authentication system. Additional information about configuring and using each of these authentication methods is available in its respective article.
Types of Single Sign-On:
Faculty Success supports four methods of SSO, as listed below and only one may be in place at a time. For an in-depth understanding of these methods, you can watch a video overview following the list that delves into the types of SSO solutions Faculty Success supports.
- Watermark Navigator Username/Password: Our default approach to maintaining a single account across all Watermark products. Email and Password are used to authenticate throughout the Watermark product suite.
- SAML through Watermark Navigator: Recognized as the most secure and user-friendly option, particularly beneficial for users with multiple Watermark products. This method allows for seamless switches between products without the need for users to re-authenticate. We highly recommend this method.
- Shibboleth Authentication: Users can access Faculty Success through your campus's Shibboleth Identity Provider.
Depending on the SSO method you opt to implement, it's important to ensure that users' Faculty Success usernames and email addresses exactly match their corresponding campus usernames and email addresses. This alignment is essential for a successful authentication when utilizing SSO in Faculty Success.
Setting up Single Sign-On
By default, users are configured with Watermark Navigator Username/Password when initially set up in Faculty Success. If you prefer to implement your institutional SSO method, we have created individual articles for each authentication type. These articles provide additional insights and instructions on setting up SSO for your campus. Click on the authentication name you wish to implement to proceed with the SSO setup for your campus.
Managing Single Sign-On
As a Faculty Success Administrator, you have the ability to change the authentication method for any user account using the Users and Security tool at any given time. However, it's important to highlight that changing the authentication method for users in the University Administrator or College Administrator security roles is restricted. This restriction is in place to prevent inadvertently locking out users in an Administrator role from Faculty Success. To make changes for users in Administrator roles, submit a General Work Request.
When updating the SSO for your campus Faculty Success instance, refer to the relevant article for setup requirements found in the "Setting Up Single Sign-On" section of this article. Follow the provided instructions to meet the necessary criteria for implementing the new SSO for your campus Faculty Success instance.