The InCommon Steward Program extends the benefits of federated identity management to K-12 school districts and community colleges. The Steward (a state or regional network) manages the implementation and InCommon provides the infrastructure and operational experience.
Benefits for the Steward
- Enhances collaboration with K-12 and community college members
- Federated identity management reduces support traffic by reducing signons
- Federated IdP increases security and simplicity by reducing the need for multiple credentials
- Provides access to a national trust infrastructure and teaching, learning and research services across all of U.S. research and education
- Leverages the existing InCommon Federation technical and support infrastructure
Benefits for the School District and Community College
- New possibilities for sharing of services and software
- Potential seamless transition from one educational level to the next
- Access to national and international resources
- Reduces the number of passwords individuals need to remember, and reduces the likelihood that their credentials will be compromised
- The Steward manages the technical infrastructure, so no need for additional resources and technical expertise
Background
In 2017, a proof of concept of the Steward Program was conducted in partnership with MCNC, the North Carolina regional network, to test assumptions about benefits, challenges and costs of the program.