Re: Student domain password expiration policy

[Thomas Carter <tcarter () AUSTINCOLLEGE EDU>]

While a much smaller institution, we implemented an annual password change for students a year and a half ago. Students 
are used to having to change passwords and create complex, secure passwords, so we didn’t need to do much communication 
there. Our primary focus at first was to communicate that the password change was coming. We involved Student Life to 
communicate through RAs and others, put signs everywhere, sent reminder emails, and placed posters outside the entrance 
to the cafeteria. It’s also in our IT portion of freshmen orientation.

The second issue for communication is password expiration. Since students aren’t frequently logging in to a system that 
will warn them of impending password expiration, we needed an alternate method. We use ManageEngine’s ADSelfService for 
students to change their own passwords; it also has the ability to send emails to users if their password is expiring 
within a specified time. The email message is configurable as well.

I’d say it’s gone very smoothly for us; we’re past the initial change as well as the first expiration. Help desk calls 
have been minimal to non-existent.  Faculty and staff password changes on the other hand….

Thomas Carter
Network & Operations Manager
Austin College



From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of Mitchell 
Pautz
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 9:54 PM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: [SECURITY] Student domain password expiration policy


Our institution starting October and each year following will require students to change their domain passwords. 
Student email is hosted by Google. Our students can reset their passwords through our portal. Has anyone successfully 
managed a project like this? If so, would you be willing to share what you learned? I would be interested in learning 
how you managed the technical and communication pieces in partcular.

Thanks ahead of time,
Mitch Pautz
CSU Fullerton
657-278-2544