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June 6, 2023 - This is an updated copy of the document: CCCID: The Use & Significance of the CCCID in the CCC SSO Initiative. Pending approval, it will replace the original. |
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OpenCCC is the federated identity initiative and systemwide student account system for the California Community Colleges system. Developed by the CCC Technology Center, the OpenCCC system has generated over 25 million unique student accounts (as of June 2023) supporting single sign-on access to many systemwide technology applications.
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What is the CCCID?
When a new OpenCCC student account is created the system generates a unique student identifier for the user called the CCCID (California Community Colleges ID) and stores the user's validated credentials and minimum personal identifiable information in a secure identity management system enabling single sign-on access to admissions applications and other systemwide web-based services.
CCCID &
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Authentication
The CCCID is the master link between the identity management system, community colleges, and all systemwide technology services. When a user is authenticated to use an application or service such as CCCApply, Canvas or MyPath, the CCCID is passed to that service to identify the unique individual. In this way, services and applications can maintain personal accounts for the user anonymously, thus ensuring the privacy and security of the user’s data.
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See |
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below: What information do students need to create their OpenCCC account? |
CCCID Facts
The CCCID is unique to each individual student
The CCCID is generated when the student/user creates an OpenCCC account
The CCCID is used to identify the student during sign-on by systemwide technology applications
The CCCID is securely stored in a systemwide identity management system and delivered to the college via SuperGlue for Apply or via Data Warehouse Direct Connect service
The CCCID can be used for student identification and deduplication by the college
The CCCID is the mandated student identifier for every California Community College student
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Every student is assigned a unique CCCID during the OpenCCC account creation process which is required in order to apply to a California Community College or use any systemwide web application or service. Therefore, Thus most students create their OpenCCC account when they apply for admission using via the CCCApply online application or as part of the MyPath onboarding process. However, regardless of when and where, every student must start In some cases existing students who do not yet have a CCCID will encounter the OpenCCC Sign In page the first time they attempt to access a systemwide application, such as Canvas. Either way, every student will begin the account creation process from the Sign In page by clicking the Create an Account link on the OpenCCC Sign In page.
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For more information, see How To Create A New OpenCCC Account. |
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To create an account students need a unique email address or mobile phone number, whichever they prefer, to receive a time-sensitive verification security code in order to validate their identity. Once validated, only a few other details are required to complete the Account Profile processstudent account, including:
Name & Address
Birthdate
Secure password
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For more informationstep by step instructions, see How to Sign In to Your OpenCCC Account. |
The significance of the CCCID for Single Sign-On (SSO)
The CCCID is used for multiple purposes across the California Community Colleges system. The CCC Chancellor's Office and other systemwide organizations rely on the CCCID to track the student progress and the educational choices made throughout the course of their academic journey. Students that attend multiple colleges across the system are tracked in one central location (OpenCCC Student Account System) and their CCCID can be used for research (locally and systemwide) to better align support and services across the system.
The objective of the CCC SSO Proxy is to back-up the OpenCCC system and ensure that every CCC student has a CCCID. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that colleges store student CCCIDs in their Active Directory or LDAP directory in order to pass this attribute with the EPPN when the student signs in (authenticates) to a CCC web application, such as CCCApply, Canvas, and MyPath.
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For more information, see the CCC SSO Federation Resource Guide. |
How do colleges get the CCCID?
Most students create their OpenCCC Account - which generates their unique CCCID - during the application for admission process to their selected California Community College, either via CCCApply or the CVC/OEI program. The CCCID is passed to the college with the student’s account data when the application is submitted. Application and student account data is delivered to the college via SuperGlue for Apply.
Other ways for colleges to get student CCCIDs:
SuperGlue for Apply: Account data is delivered to the college as part of the student’s submitted application data viathrough SuperGlue for Apply and via the College Adaptor.
Data Warehouse Report Server: The college can also gather student Colleges can get application and account data including the CCCID from applications that have been started by a student but from both submitted and in-progress applications, those that students started but have not yet submitted (, in -progress application) from the CCC Data Warehouse Report Server.
CCCApply Report Center: Account data (including the CCCID) can be accessed in the CCCApply Report Center for submitted applications.
SSO Proxy: For accounts created via the SSO Proxy, the CCC Technology Center is developing a mechanism to return the CCCIDs back to the college through the Data Warehouse Report Server.
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For accounts created via the SSO Proxy, how do colleges get the data into their systems?
For existing students that do not have an OpenCCC account and no CCCID, they will be prompted to create an account the first time they attempt to access a systemwide technology application by the SSO Proxy service. Once the account is created, the college can obtain the student’s CCCID via the CCCApply Report Center or the CCC Data Warehouse Report Server.
What is the full set of account data fields delivered to the college?
All account data fields are delivered to the college with the student’s submitted CCCApply application or CC Promise Grant application. Alternately, colleges can access student account data via the CCCApply Report Center or the CCC Data Warehouse Report Server. For a complete list of self-reported and system-generated account fields, see the CCCApply Standard & Noncredit Application Data Dictionary, or any of the other CCCApply application data dictionaries.
Is there a significant number of duplicate CCCID
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records found?
No. The number of duplicates CCCID account across the entire system is approximately .2% and decreasing. Though some colleges have raised concerns about the potential for duplicates, at this time we are finding that very few duplicates are being reported (less than 100 duplicates at most colleges, and in even more cases - less than that). The CCC Technology Center recommends that colleges use
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If a duplicate account is found, the CCCTC recommends using the account that aligns |
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with the most recently submitted CCCApply application when associating |
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it to a student account at your college |
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For the OpenCCC Accounts that are created via the SSO Proxy, how do the colleges get these accounts back into their systems?
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The significance of the CCCID for Single Sign-On (SSO)
The CCCID is used for multiple purposes across the California Community Colleges system. The CCC Chancellor's Office and other systemwide organizations rely on the CCCID to track the student progress and the educational choices made throughout the course of their academic journey. Students that attend multiple colleges across the system are tracked in one central location (OpenCCC Student Account System) and their CCCID can be used for research (locally and systemwide) to better align support and services across the system.
The objective of the CCC SSO Proxy is to back-up the OpenCCC system and ensure that every CCC student has a CCCID. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that colleges store student CCCIDs in their Active Directory or LDAP directory in order to pass this attribute with the EPPN when the student signs in (authenticates) to a CCC web application, such as CCCApply, Canvas, and MyPath.
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For more information, see the CCC SSO Federation Resource Guide. |
What is the EPPN?
The EduPersonPrincipalName (EPPN) is the unique identifier for a user (applicant, student, faculty, staff) across all college IdPs.
For the the Student population, a Central OpenCCC Id (CCCID) is a unique correlation ID for a single student across the entire CCC system and is a key SAML attribute requirement across all service providers. Many colleges will be able to lookup the CCCID from their directory servers, but for the colleges that dont don't store CCCID, the central IdP proxy will be used to lookup the CCCID for a given EPPN and included it in the list of SAML attributes sent to the final Service Provider.
The EPPN has the syntax of an email address, but it should be considered a "globally unique federated identifier" rather than an email address. It is generally the most important attribute to be shared with federated services. Note that the value of EPPN does not have to match what the user fills in enters as their username when they login, and the user does not need to know what their EPPN is, as it is shared between the IdP and the service. It should be unique, rarely change, and not be reassigned to another user.
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