Removal of Authenticated Services

Purpose

These rules and procedures set forth how access to information services should be managed upon permanent or temporary separation from active University employment. These rules and procedures apply to the Office of Information Technology, the Department of Human Resources, and the department/office in which the individual is/was employed.

Scope

These rules and procedures apply whenever an individual is leaving University employment due to suspension, termination with cause, resignation, retirement, military leave, and various forms of administrative leave.

Background

While employed, including during a layoff notice period, faculty and staff have access to three kinds of services:

  1. General information services, which include access to email and access to goWMU. It also includes access to self-service modules in goWMU. Access to these services is governed by other University policies, rules, and requirements, including the computing resources acceptable use policy.
  2. Enterprise information systems, which include the student information system, financial and human resources systems, the Kronos time-keeping system, advisor access to student records, reporting system access, and similar services. Access to these systems is provided only as necessary to perform one’s job. Access is authorized by a faculty or staff member’s supervisor and may be revoked by that supervisor.
  3. Departmental information systems, which include information systems specific to faculty or staff members’ individual department or college. These may include access to departmental or college file servers or access to other systems managed by individual departments. Access to these services is authorized by a faculty or staff member’s supervisor and may be revoked by that supervisor.

The table below describes different types of employment actions, the notifications that are required to suspend or terminate information services, and the rules that will be followed regarding those services.

EventNotification proceduresActions
Faculty: suspensionHR or supervisor notifies IT. IT consults HR if notification comes from supervisor. Advance notification desired for employees with access to enterprise systems. IT will consult with appropriate collective bargaining directors prior to taking action. General information and enterprise system
access may be suspended immediately by
IT. Departmental services access may be
suspended by department staff immediately. 
Faculty: for cause termination of employment HR or supervisor notifies IT. IT consults with HR and director of academic bargaining. General information and enterprise system
access suspended immediately by IT.
Departmental services access disabled
immediately by department technical staff. 
Faculty: sabbatical leave, administrative leave, continuous FMLA or other leave without pay HR, supervisor, or provost's office notifies IT. General information services continue.
Enterprise information services suspended. Departmental services access at department's discretion. 
Faculty: resignation or end of term appointment
 
IT is notified automatically through PeopleSoft data feed. General information services and enterprise information access extend 30 days after last semester of employment. Departmental services access disabled by department technical staff on last day of employment. 
Faculty: deathDepartment chair or dean notifies IT. See *Security team creates auto-reply message in email so no new email is accepted. Password is cleared. Phone service representative will change voicemail password to allow departmental access if requested.
Part-time instructors (PIO): end of termIT is notified automatically through PeopleSoft data feed.General information services and enterprise information access extend 30 days after last semester of employment. Email access extends 2 years after last semester of appointment. Departmental services access disabled by department technical staff on last day of employment.
Part-time instructors: otherFollow same notification procedures as full-time faculty. Follow same rules as full-time faculty. 
Staff: suspension HR or supervisor notifies IT. IT consults HR if notification comes from supervisor. Advance notification desired for employees with access to enterprise systems. General information and enterprise system access may be suspended immediately by IT. Departmental services access may be suspended by department staff immediately.
Staff: termination, resignation or end of temporary appointment HR or supervisor notifies IT. IT will consult with HR if notification comes from department. Advance notification desired for employees with access to enterprise systems.All services disabled on termination date. IT disables access to enterprise and general information systems. Department technical staff disable access to departmental systems on last day of employment.
Staff: administrative leave, military leave, extended continuous FMLA leave HR notifies IT through PeopleSoft update. General information services continue. Enterprise services may be suspended. Department access managed at department discretion. 
Staff: layoff 

1. HR notifies IT through PeopleSoft update.

2. Staff member's supervisor submits Employee Separation Request for removal of authenticated services

General information services continue during layoff notice period until layoff date. Enterprise services continue during the notice period only if employee works during that period. Departmental services stopped by department technical staff when employee stops working. 
Staff: deathStaff member's supervisor notifies IT. See *Security team creates auto-reply message in email so no new email is accepted. Password is cleared. Phone service representative will change voicemail password to allow departmental access if requested.
Retirements approved by WMU board of trustees: full-time benefits eligible faculty or staffHR or supervisor notifies IT. IT will consult with HR if notification comes from department. Advance notification desired for employees with access to enterprise systems.General information services generally continue. Enterprise services access stopped by IT. Departmental access stopped by department technical staff. 

Note

The above service rules and requirements are subject to provisions of collective bargaining agreements.

Providing notification

For immediate or planned suspension of privileges, HR or the supervisor should contact the IT security and privacy team at oit-security@wmich.edu.

Email Considerations

When a faculty or staff member leaves employment (other than approved retirement), an email address is typically deleted. If anyone sends a message to that address, generally the sender will receive a message indicating that the account no longer exists.

As an alternative, senders could receive an automated response when sending a message to the address. This message, which must be placed and approved by IT, typically informs the sender that the individual is no longer employed at Western Michigan University and directs the sender to another email address or to a phone number. The wording for this message will be asked for when completing the Employee Separation Request form.

When benefits-eligible faculty and staff retire, they continue to have email services, typically with the same email address, until the University is notified of their death. Other services that retirees retain are outlined on the Bronco NetID Services and Quotas page.

Supervised access to the contents of a former or suspended faculty or staff member’s email content requires approval from the general counsel and the CIO and is only granted to access critical university business messages.

Former employees who are current students

Former or suspended employees who are current students will have access only to those services that are normally made available to students.

Note

These rules and requirements may be amended at any time with or without notice by the chief information officer of Western Michigan University, consistent with current collective bargaining agreements, University policies, and applicable laws.

*See also IT Response to Death of a Student, Faculty or Staff Member