Sponsoring authorities are the people who authorize people in their units, called sponsorship administrators, to create and manage sponsored identities in MCommunity. Sponsoring authorities do not do sponsorship administration themselves.

This document explains the responsibilities of sponsoring authorities, lists the requirements for that role, and includes an agreement form that must be filled out and signed before someone can become a sponsoring authority.

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Responsibilities of Sponsoring Authorities

It is the responsibility of the sponsoring authority to oversee the sponsorship administrators s/he has authorized and ensure that appropriate policies and guidelines are followed. The sponsoring authority oversees sponsorship processes within his or her unit.

Specific sponsoring authority responsibilities include the following:

• Authorize only eligible, responsible people to be sponsorship administrators for your unit. For example, the people you authorize should be regular (not temporary) employees of U-M who are past their probation period. They should be trustworthy people who will take the responsibilities that go along with sponsorship administration seriously.
• Understand the security implications of sponsoring an individual for membership in the University community through MCommunity and ensure that the sponsorship administrators you authorize create and manage sponsorships with that in mind.
  • Sponsored individuals who receive a uniqname and UMICH Kerberos password can access any University system that requires only these credentials. Be aware that your unit/department is providing this access to the people your sponsorship administrators sponsor. Also be aware that sponsored individuals throughout the University will have access to any services your unit/department provides that require only a uniqname and UMICH Kerberos password for access.
  • When roles management is added to MCommunity sometime in 2009, your unit will be able to grant and remove access to your own systems by role. Be aware of the access your unit/department provides to sponsored individuals, and be aware that when your sponsorship administrators sponsor an individual, they are giving access to those systems to that individual.
• Set appropriate guidelines regarding expiry of your unit's sponsorships. That is, be sure that local sponsorship administrators understand that individuals should not, in most cases, be sponsored indefinitely.
• Renew and remove your sponsorship administration authorization as appropriate and necessary. You will receive regular reports of sponsorship administration activity for your unit to assist you with this. You will be asked to renew your authorization for your sponsorship administrators on a regular basis and to withdraw that authorization when people no longer need Sponsor System access.
• Set appropriate identity verification guidelines for your local sponsorship administrators. That is, provide them with procedures for verifying the identity information for the people your unit sponsors. It is your responsibility to ensure that data entered into the Sponsor System for your unit is accurate and true.

  The ITCS Accounts Office, for example, requires full name, last four digits of Social Security number, month and day of birthdate, and UMID to verify identity when resetting someone's password over the phone. You might require a photo ID or verfication of identity by the person requesting the sponsorship. You will likely want greater assurance of identity when sponsoring somone like an incoming faculty member than when sponsoring somone like a conference attendee.

• Ensure that your local sponsorship administrators follow all applicable U-M policies. Provide guidance to them in doing so and answer any questions that arise. Here are some of the most relevant policies:
  • Standard Practice Guide 601.07.0: U-M Proper Use Policy (PDF file)
  • Guidelines for Implementing the Proper Use Policy of the University of Michigan: Responsible Use of Technology Resources
  • MAIS Administrative Data Policies
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  Becoming a Sponsoring Authority

  The MCommunity Team and the ITCS Accounts Office will work together to identify the people at U-M who currently perform this function and encourage them to become sponsoring authorities before the MCommunity Sponsor System is introduced to campus in fall 2008. Once that system has been introduced, individuals wishing to become sponsoring authorities may request this authority by filling out the agreement form.
  • Sponsoring authorities must be regular (non-temporary) employees of the University.
  • Sponsoring authorities cannot also be sponsorship administrators. Sponsorship administration and authorization are separate activities that must be done by different people.
  • All sponsoring auathorities will need to complete the MCommunity Sponsoring Authority Agreement and Authorization Form (download form, PDF format).

  Unit directors will be asked to verify, on a regular basis, who their sponsoring authorities are. They will be provided with regular reports to assist them with this. These reports will not be available when the Sponsor System is first introduced. Sponsoring authorities will be asked what reports would be most useful to them, and the reports will be developed with their input once their sponsorship administrators have had a chance to begin using the system.

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  Sponsoring Authority Agreement and Authorization Form

  Please download the form (PDF file), fill it out, get the appropriate signatures, and fax it to the ITCS Accounts Office at (734) 647-4278.
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  Additional Resources

  Visit ITCS's Information System to obtain ITCS computer documentation and other resources. A list of relevant documents follows:
  Introduction to MCommunity (R1457)

  Introduction to the MCommunity Sponsor System (R1458)

  MCommunity Sponsorship Administration Policies and Agreement (R1459)

  ITCS's Online Help Desk provides a variety of computing help resources.

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