Business Need

Although approximately 80% of CCC students currently have a CCCID, students who enroll outside of the online systemwide application (i.e., CCCApply) are more likely to not have a CCCID in their local college’s Student Information System (SIS). The objective of the new account creation tool is to provide our colleges and institutions with a simple and efficient process that will ensure every student has a lifelong CCC systemwide account and student identifier.

Use Cases

About the Account Creation Tool

The OpenCCC Account Creation tool has been implemented in the CCC Administrator, which houses the CCCApply Administrator. The tool allows authorized staff to create OpenCCC student accounts (CCCIDs) as using the same type of role-based authorized access in place for the CCCApply Administrator.  

How It Works

Single Account Creation

The single account creation process allows authorized staff to a single OpenCCC account on behalf of a student (one at a time) who may not have access to systemwide technology applications, such as an incarcerated student. Many institutions are creating accounts for this population with the intention of also submitting an admission application for the student.

When an account is created using the single account creation process, several system defaults and flags are set that both support staff through these activities and remove certain security blocks designed to prevent fraud. Staff should be aware of the triggers in place when determining which account creation process they choose to use.

Multi-Account Creation

The multi account creation process allows staff to upload a list of student account data information via a configurable spreadsheet. Each row representing a student in the spreadsheet will either generate a new account and CCCID, or identify if a duplicate account already exists in the system and populate the existing CCCID in the response. Staff may also include an existing student ID or other college-generated identifier for easy matching in their systems.

Use as much of the student’s current and accurate information to support the most efficient account recovery

To prevent the additional password reset requirement following the initial sign-in following account creation, ensure the “use-temp-password” field in the upload file is set to FALSE.

Reclaiming Ownership & Account Recovery

Once an account is created on behalf of a student, the student will be able to take ownership of that account at any time using the temporary credentials used by the Institution to create the account. With those credentials, the student can sign in to either CCCApply or OpenCCC, update their email address in their Account Profile, and then complete the password reset/verification process again using their updated information. Learn more about the student account recovery process, see Process for Students to Reclaim Ownership of Their Account in the Student Workflows section below.

Tool Functionality

^{*Recommended as the most efficient process for creating bulk accounts using the same verified institutional email account.}

Benefits

• Accounts created using the OpenCCC Administrator tool will bypass the IDme verification process and the CCCApply spam filter.

• Allows authorized staff users to create multiple student accounts under one single parent email account.

• Once the parent, or master, email account is verified through the standard two-factor validation process, all “email +1” addresses will resolve back to the verified account.

• No need to create a unique email account per student.

• No need to verify each account when created.

• The student can take ownership of their account at any time.

• To prevent an immediate password reset following initial sign-in, set the “use-temp-password” field to FALSE.

• The ability to set a temporary password as True or False is a feature in the Multi-Account Creation process. The Single Account Creation process automatically sets the temporary password to True, enforcing the password reset process for security purposes.

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College Preparation & Recommendations

Establishing the appropriate business processes will be essential for your institution to use the Account Creation tools effectively.

Tracking New Account Information

Develop a process for tracking and storing the data and credentials used for each new account created, including the email address used, the password used, the “use-temporary-password” value set, and the unique CCCID generated during account creation or provided by the system through duplicate account prevention.

Providing Students with Account Recovery Process

Creating clear messaging directing students on how to reclaim, recover, and update their account profile using the temporary credentials used on their behalf.

• Once the student is ready and able to reclaim ownership of the account created on their behalf, they will need the account credentials and student identity information used for the account recovery process. Ideally, a process for each use case should be developed.

• Using the temporary credentials used by the Institution to create the account, the student will sign in, update their email address in their OpenCCC Account Profile, and then complete the password reset/verification process again using their now accurate information. For details on reclaiming ownership of their account, see the Account Workflows section below.

Obtaining Student Permission

It is recommended that Institutions implement a process, where reasonable, to obtain permission from the student before creating an account and/or submitting an application on their behalf.

• For example, incarcerated students typically complete a paper application which both provides the student’s personal identity information and gives the college permission to enroll them in classes, including creating a student account and online application.

Institution Authorization & Access

Authorized access to the OpenCCC Administrator and the Account Creation tools must be requested in writing by a director-level administrator, supervisor, or Dean at the CCC institution.

• Send an email to CCCTC Staff Support along with a statement from a director-level administrator stating that “[approved staff’s name and title} “is authorized to use the OpenCCC Administrator system for the purposes of creating and maintaining one or more OpenCCC student accounts (CCCIDs) on behalf of students who do not currently have an account or who are unable to establish an account on their own.”

Authorized CCC Administrator (CAP) Account

As mentioned previously, the Account Creation tool functionality resides in the OpenCCC Administrator, a new admin system within the CCC Administrator - the same Core Administrator Platform (CAP) system that houses the CCCApply Administrator. Access to the new administrator requires a CAP staff account with the new OpenCCC Admin role. All CAP accounts and roles are configured by the CCCTC Staff Support (staffsupportccctc@openccc.zendesk.com).

• If you already have an established CAP account, contact CCCTC Staff Support to add the new OpenCCC Admin role to your access credentials. No other credentials are needed to access the new administrator system.

• If you do not have a CAP account, send an email request to CCCTC Staff Support (staffsupportccctc@openccc.zendesk.com) to get that started.

  • Consult your college IT department to obtain your EPPN credentials and provide them to the support engineer during account setup.

• Once your staff account is created and/or upgraded with the new role, continue using your college-specific CCCApply Administrator URL to access the CCC Administrator tool via your institution IDP.

Below are suggested recommendations for streamlining the process of creating accounts and submitting applications on behalf of incarcerated students or students with limited technology.

Establish a Generic Institutional Email Address and OpenCCC Account

In order for the OpenCCC Account Creation tool to create an account on behalf of a student, the college or institution will use a process where multiple additional user accounts can be generated from one OpenCCC account with a verified (parent) institution email address. The institution or master account is created using the existing OpenCCC account creation and verification processes. With the email address from the master account verified, the staff user can use the tool to create additional (proxy) accounts with email addresses that employ the “plus 1” workaround which will bypass the sign in email verification requirement (2FA) when the staff member creates an application or signs in on behalf of the student. All accounts created using the master or parent email address, including each instance using “email + 1” will resolve back to the parent email account - which has already be verified.

One of our recommendations for streamlining the overall account creation and application submission processes on behalf of a student is to create a generic or master OpenCCC account and email address that can be verified once and then used by the college to quickly create single or multiple additional accounts. Below are some tips to get you started.

• Work with your college or district IT Administrator to set up a master/parent email account for this purpose.

  • This will allow multiple accounts to be created from one verified email address.

  • The email address must be associated with your institution, not a personal account.

  • All “email + 1” or child email addresses will resolve to the primary email address.
    

• Create a generic OpenCCC account using the institution's email address and complete the verification process.

  1. Go to the OpenCCC Sign In page using the CCCApply application link for your college.

  2. Click on “Create An Account” link and complete all required account fields for the master/parent user.

  3. Set Email as your Primary Contact Method and then verify the email address using the 2FA verification process.

Generating & Handling Secure Passwords

It is always important to generate, store, handle, and transmit passwords and other user credentials in a secure manner, especially when creating CCCID accounts and applications on behalf of a student. The CCC Technology Center adheres to the guidelines for Selecting Passwords/Phrases as specified in the CCCTC Information Security Policy which states that passwords/phrases MUST NOT be:

• Revealed to anyone, including other institutional staff

• Stored, written down, or transmitted using unencrypted text

• Used, copied, or inserted into unencrypted email messages or other forms of electronic communication.

Maintaining a Secure Tracking Sheet for Created Accounts

In order to track and manage the accounts you create on behalf of students, we recommend maintaining a secure, password-protected spreadsheet for capturing the new user account data, including the username and password. This process can help in the following ways:

• Easily sign in as the user to create an application on their behalf.

• Maintains a roster/record of all accounts created for a specific term, institution and/or agency.

• Can be used to provide students their account information when they leave the institution, should they request it.

Below is an example of a simple tracking sheet created in Google Sheets that includes all the data fields required for account creation using the OpenCCC account creation tool.

Open

Staff Account Sharing Prohibited

Approved users must agree to never share their authorized CAP account with other staff members for the purpose using the OpenCCC Administrator (or any purpose).

ID Verification Bypass

Accounts created by staff in the OpenCCC Administrator are assumed to be legitimate. By design applications submitted by staff will bypass the IDme Verification workflow process, and the database will store a temporary value of “staff_verified” for the <idme_workflow_status> field for one year from the date/time the account was created. The stored value expires after one year or switches to “unverified” when the student changes their email address or other profile data.

Fraud Status Value

Every “staff verified” CCCApply application submitted will run through the CCCApply spam filter, however they will not be held. Instead, a special fraud status field value will be stored in the database indicating that the application is “identified_verified_not_fraud” <fraud_status = 7>, verified by staff at the time of submission. Colleges should consult the CCCApply Standard & Noncredit data dictionary for more details.

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User Guide

• Single Account Creation Process

• Multi Account Creation Process

Single Account Creation Process

The steps below outline the steps for creating a single OpenCCC student account in the OpenCCC Administrator.

Step 1: Sign In to the OpenCCC Administrator in CAP.

1. Navigate to the CCC Administrator (CAP) homepage using your existing college-specific URL configured to your college MIS code. Note: Be sure to use the Production Admin environment URL unless you are testing in the Pilot Administrator.

2. From the landing page, select OpenCCC Administrator from the Applications drop menu in the header. The Add OpenCCC User page will display.

Open

Step 2: Complete the Add OpenCCC User form.

Other than some system flags and default settings*, the single account creation form (Add OpenCCC User) requires the same information required in the standard OpenCCC account creation process. Please review the Add OpenCCC User Fields table below for field specifications and default settings.

The Add OpenCCC User Form Fields

Step 3: Save Form & Capture CCCID

After entering all the required fields in the Add OpenCCC User page, click “Save” to finish creating the new account. A Success notification box will display a confirmation of the new account’s key credential elements: username, email address, and the CCCID.

We recommend capturing this information on your secure tracking sheet. Please ensure that the sheet is password-protected and stored in a secure location.

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Multi Account Creation Process

The ability to create multiple accounts is also under-development. This process will mostly support colleges that have a number of current or former students who may have enrolled prior to the college implementing the new OpenCCCApply system.

Process

1. Go to the CCC Administrator > OpenCCC Administrator using the unique college-specific URL configured to your college MIS code.

2. Click on the Multi Account Creation link in the header of the Add OpenCCC User page.

3. From the Multi Account Creation screen, download the multi account upload template by clicking the Download Template button at the bottom of the screen.

   1. The template provides the columns and format of the information required.

       

   2. If downloaded successfully, a Success message will appear.

4. Open the downloaded file named “bulkAccountCreateTemplate”, typically it can be found in your local downloads folder.

5. Complete the multi account creation file with the required information and save in the CSV format.

   1. Open the downloaded template (CSV file) in your preferred spreadsheet application, such as MicroSoft Excel, and populate each column row with the required data.

   2. IMPORTANT: Column order is important and specified in the header row.

   3. Leave the last three columns blank.

6. Return to the Multi Account Creation screen and prepare to upload your saved CSV file.

   1. First click the Choose File button to relocate your saved file.

   2. Then click Upload File to complete the upload.

7. Following the upload, the file is processed. A Success or Failure message will be displayed indicating the status of the multi account creation process and execution time. If successful, the results can be downloaded. If the process fails, the file should be corrected and re-uploaded.

8. View the results of your upload. Click the Download Results button. Find and open the file in your preferred spreadsheet program.

The results will be displayed in the last three columns of the sheet: “status”, “cccid” and “message” columns.

Populating the Multi Account Creation File

While the single user account creation process mimics the primary account creation process that students use to create their OpenCCC account, the multi account creation process is requires slightly different input requirements. These differences are described below.

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What happens during the upload process?

Each row in the CSV file should represent a single, unique student user. The personal information provided must be as true and accurate as possible, and all OpenCCC account requirements must be included. The data column order is important and noted in the header row.

• All columns must be populated except the columns named ‘status’, ‘message’, and ‘cccid’; those columns should be empty upon upload.

• As each row of user data input is processed, the ‘status’, ‘message’, and ‘cccid’ columns will be set.

• If there is an error, then the ‘status’ column will display ‘Failure’; otherwise the ‘status’ column will display ‘Success’.

For the purposes of processing the multi account upload file multiple times, the following rules and procedures may apply:

• The “use temporary password” field currently does not override a previously processes upload.

• Skip input row if cccid has a value, which indicates an account has already been created for the user. Note: This allows the administrator to “fix” a CSV file for failed rows and then re-submit the same document.

• If a CCCID is present for a row, then new account creation is bypassed. This allows the administrator to edit the results file and re-submit (upload) again.

Error Messages

The column named ‘message’ will contain an error message if the user creation failed. One message will be returned per user row, for example:

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Account Creation Workflows

The following workflow processes can be used by authorized staff using the account creation tools for various use cases.

General Notes

• Always use the student’s legal name and date of birth when creating an account on their behalf

• Whenever possible, use the existing student’s personal email address when creating an account on their behalf

• If using an institutional email address to create one or more accounts, ensure the student’s account password is unique for account recovery

• Add new credentials to tracking sheet (including CCCID)

• Safeguard (temporary account credentials) if submitting an application on behalf of the new user

Staff Workflows

Create an account and submit a CCCApply application on behalf of a student:

1. Using the single account creation process.

Step 1: Create the student account using your institution’s verified account and email address.

1. Sign in to the CAP administrator and navigate to the Add OpenCCC User form in the OpenCCC Administrator.

2. On the Add OpenCCC User form, enter the verified email address used in your institution’s master OpenCCC account.

3. Reminder that “email+1” email prefixes resolve to the parent email address by the system.

4. If entering a Username, we recommend using a unique username or entering the prefix of the email address entered for the student account.

5. Enter the student’s legal name (last name required) and actual date of birth in the account. This supports account recovery by the student in the future.

6. Enter all remaining required information into the Add OpenCCC User form to create the student account and save the new account.

7. From the Success notification message following account creation, capture and safeguard the new account’s credentials (email address, password, and CCCID).

Step 2: Sign in to CCCApply and reset the password.

1. Navigate to the college’s website and click on the appropriate CCCApply application link. The Welcome page will display. Click the “Sign In” button.

   1. On the Sign In page, enter the email address used to create the student account.

   2. On the Password page, enter the secure password you used for the new account. Click to Sign In.

Step 3: Submit a CCCApply application on behalf of the student.

1. On the My Applications page, click “Start A New Application” to complete a new CCCApply application on behalf of the student.

2. From the Confirmation screen, copy and store the submitted application”s Confirmation number.

3. Scroll down through the post-submission sections, including the Special Links & Opportunities section, then click “Sign out”.

4. Suggestion: Document the account credentials and application Confirmation number on your secure tracking sheet.

5. Repeat process with the next student account, as necessary.

2. Using the multi account creation process.

Step 1: Create one or more student accounts using your institution’s verified account and email address.

1. Sign in to the CAP administrator system and select the OpenCCC Administrator from the Administrators drop down on the home page.

2. Click on the Multi Account Creation link at the top of the Add OpenCCC User page to open the Multi Account Creation page.

3. Download and populate the Multi Account Creation spreadsheet as described in the User Guide section.

4. Enter the verified email address used in your institution’s master OpenCCC account in the Email column. Reminder that “email+1” email prefixes resolve to the parent email address by the system.

5. Enter the student’s legal name (last name is required) and actual date of birth in the account. This supports the account recovery process that the student will need to use in the future.

6. Caution: Ensure the date format used in the Date of Birth (DOB) column meets the specified format: YYYY-MM-DD for all DOB dates entered.

7. Ensure the “use-temp-password” column value is set to FALSE to bypass the additional password reset process.

8. Enter all remaining required information for each new student account being created on the spreadsheet. Save the spreadsheet in a secure location.

9. Follow the Upload process described in the User Guide section above.

10. Be sure to capture and safeguard the spreadsheet of new account credentials (email addresses, passwords, and CCCID).

Step 2: Review upload results for error messages.

1. Following the upload process check the spreadsheet and correct any error messages, if needed.

Step 3: Sign In to CCCApply with account credentials.

1. Navigate to the college’s website and click on the appropriate CCCApply application link. The Welcome page will display. Click the “Sign In” button.

   1. On the Sign In page, enter the email address used to create the student account.

   2. On the Password page, enter the secure password you used for the new account. Click to Sign In.

Step 4: Submit a CCCApply application on behalf of the student.

1. On the My Applications page, click “Start A New Application” to complete a new CCCApply application on behalf of the student.

2. From the Confirmation screen, copy and store the submitted application”s Confirmation number.

3. Scroll down through the post-submission sections, including the Special Links & Opportunities section, then click “Sign out”.

4. Suggestion: Document the account credentials and application Confirmation number on your secure tracking sheet.

5. Repeat process with the next student account, as necessary.

Create an account for an existing student to generate a missing CCCID

Step 1: Create account(s) using the student’s valid email address.

1. Sign in to the CAP administrator system and select the OpenCCC Administrator from the Administrators menu on the home page. Click the link to open the Multi Account Creation page

2. On the Multi Account Creation page, download and populate the Multi Account Creation spreadsheet as described in the User Guide section above.

3. Enter the student’s valid email address.

4. Enter the student’s legal name, date of birth, and mobile phone number. This information will support their account recovery process the first time they need to sign in to OpenCCC or CCCApply in the future.

5. Caution: Ensure the date format used in the Date of Birth (DOB) column meets the specified format: YYYY-MM-DD for all DOB dates entered.

6. For security purposes, set the “use-temp-password” value to TRUE to enforce the password reset process on the student using their temporary account credentials.

7. Enter all remaining required information for each new student account being added on the spreadsheet. Save the spreadsheet in a secure location.

8. Follow the Upload process described in the User Guide section above.

Step 2: Review upload results for error messages.

1. Following the upload process check the spreadsheet and correct any error messages, if needed.

Step 3: Store new student account information in your system and securely provide account credentials to the student.

1. Capture and safeguard the spreadsheet with new account credentials (email addresses, passwords, and CCCID).

2. Use a secure process to provide the information to the student along with the steps needed to reclaim their account in the future.

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Student Workflows

Process for the student to recover/reclaim ownership of their account using the temporary credentials provided by the college.

1. Through CCCApply

Step 1: Navigate to your college’s CCCApply Application.

1. Find the CCCApply application link on your college’s website.

2. From the Welcome page, click Sign In.

Step 2: Sign In using the temporary email and password provide by the college.

1. Enter the temporary email address provided to you by the college.

2. On the Password page, enter the temporary password provided to you by the college.

Step 3: Reset your password.

1. If the Change Password page appears immediately, please update your password and save.

Step 4: Update your email address in your account profile.

1. On the My Applications page, click on Edit Account from the main menu.

2. On the Edit Profile page, change the temporary email address provide by the college to your true and current email address. Confirm the new email address.

3. Ensure the Preferred Method of Contact field is set to Email.

4. Ensure your name, address, birthdate and other information are current and accurate. Click Save Changes to exit.

Step 5: Validate your email address with security code.

1. Return to the Sign In page and enter your updated email email address.

2. On the Password page, click the “Forgot your password?” link to reset your password.

3. On the Forgot Your Password? page, select the option to receive your security code by Email, then click Next.

4. Retrieve the six-digit security code from your email account (sent from the California Community Colleges).

5. Return to the Validation Code page and enter the six-digit code. Click Next to continue.

6. With the verification process complete, go to the Change Password section and enter a strong, new password. Confirm the new password. Save, then Sign Out.

Step 6: Sign In to return to the My Applications page in CCCApply

Step 7: Complete and submit a new CCCApply application.

2. Through OpenCCC

Step 1: Navigate to OpenCCC and Sign In.

1. From the OpenCCC Sign In page, enter the temporary email address provided to you by the college.

2. On the Password page, enter the temporary password provided to you by the college.

Step 2: Reset/Change Password

1. If the Change Password page appears immediately, please update your password. Save and continue.

Step 3: Edit your account profile information.

1. On the Edit Account page, update the following fields:

   1. Change the temporary email address created by the college to your true and actual email address. Confirm the new email address.

   2. Ensure the Preferred Method of Contact field is set to Email.

   3. Ensure your name, address, phone number, and birthdate are current and accurate. Click Save Changes to exit.

Step 4: Validate your updated email address.

1. Return to the Sign In page and enter your updated email email address.

   1. On the Password page, click the “Forgot your password?” link to reset your password.

   2. On the Forgot Your Password? page, select the option to receive your security code by Email, then click Next.

2. Retrieve the six-digit security code from your email account (sent from the California Community Colleges).

3. Return to the OpenCCC Validation Code page and enter the six-digit code. Click Next to continue.

4. With the verification process complete, go to the Change Password section and enter a strong, new password. Confirm the new password. Save, then Sign Out.

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