e-services Third Party Access

Third-Party Access is a convenient and secure system that allows students to share selected academic records with third parties (parents, employers, etc.). To do this, students create third-party accounts and share the login information with the third party they choose. Currently, the items that can be shared with a third party are the advising transcript, class schedules, financial aid awards, and grade reports. Billing statements and payments are available through the Transact system.

All third-party access is controlled by the student. Academic records are covered by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which means that they may be released only with the student's authorization. In creating a Third-Party Access account and distributing the login information to a third party, the student is providing that authorization. The Office of the Registrar or the Helpdesk cannot set up accounts for third parties or provide them access to existing accounts or change the items designated for access or give out usernames and passwords. All these account functions are controlled solely by the student. Records authorized for release to a third-party account may only be released through that account. University officials cannot release the records by other means (print, email, phone or face-to-face conversations) unless specifically authorized by the student.

e-services Third Party Access vs. Transact Third Party Access

Beginning July 2011, all billing transactions are handled through the Transact system, which includes a third party access utility. It works much like e-services Third Party Access: for both the student sets up the account and provides login information to the third party. Users of third party accounts just need to make sure they are using the right account: e-services is for academic information; Transact is for bills and payments.

Creating an Account

To create an account, the student selects the Third-Party Access link from his/her e-services menu. The first page is the acknowledgement of responsibilities. After confirming these, the student enters his/her Third-Party Access portal, which lists all the accounts he/she has created and their status (active or deactivated). There are links on this page to create new accounts, view the access logs of existing accounts, update existing accounts, and deactivate existing accounts. To create a new account, the student simply needs to create a new username and password for the account and designate the reports that account should have access to. When this is completed, he/she receives a confirmation page with the information that he/she needs to share with the third party for account access.

Providing Access to the Third Party

When a student creates an account, the confirmation page displays the information the third party will need to use the account: username, password, and web address of the login page. The student communicates this information to the third party. The student is responsible for all the login information for the third party. The Office of the Registrar or the Helpdesk can tell third parties where the login page is located, but cannot give out any information about usernames, passwords, or access privileges. These offices cannot change access privileges.

Accessing a Third-Party Account

To access a third-party account, the third party uses the login information provided by the student. The third-party account login page is at https://www.depauw.edu/e/thirdparty. The first screen of the login is an acknowledgement that the third party is authorized to view this account. Then the login page itself accepts the username and password provided by the student to the third party. If the password and username are accepted, then the third party portal appears where the reports selected by the student may be viewed. If the third party does not see a report he/she is expecting to see, he/she should contact the student about the account settings.

If the password and username are not accepted, the third party should try again. Usernames are not case sensitive, but passwords are. If the login is still unsuccessful, the third party should contact the student for correct login information. If the account has been deactivated, a message to that effect will be displayed. In this case, the third party should contact the student for information about the status of the account.

Updating an Account

To update an account, the student goes to his/her third-party access portal in e-services and selects the update link next to the account. He/she may then make the desired changes to the username, password, or report access.

Deactivating an Account

To deactivate an account, the student selects the expire link in the Actions area next to the account. He/she will receive a confirmation prompt. Deactivation is effective immediately. If the third party attempts to access the account, he/she gets a message, "Your account is currently deactivated." The student may reactivate the account by selecting the update link next to the account.

Account Deletion

All accounts are automatically deleted on August 1 of each year or when the student withdraws from the University. After August 1, the student may create accounts for the new academic year.

Access Logs

Each account login and each report access is logged. The student's list of accounts displays the last time the account was accessed. If the student selects the View Access Logs option at the top of the page, he/she will get a detailed list of all account accesses.