Student Identity Verification
Purpose
Anchor Christian University confirms that:
The person who applies and enrolls is the person who completes the application.
The student who is registered for a course is the same student who participates in it, completes its work, and receives credit for it.
The student who submits an assessment is the student registered to complete it.
The U.S. Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-315) sets this expectation for institutions that take part in federal student aid programs. ACU does not participate in those programs, but it adopts the same standard voluntarily because the integrity of its degrees depends on it. ACU reviews this process periodically and updates it as its courses and technology change.
How ACU Verifies Identity
Because ACU courses are primarily asynchronous, the University relies on several layers of verification rather than a single exam checkpoint.
Method | When it applies |
|---|---|
Government-issued photo ID | Collected during admissions and stored in the student's Populi record |
Secure individual login | Every session in Canvas and Populi; students may not share their username or password |
Profile photo | Uploaded to Canvas before the first course; compared with the student's ID |
Video comparison | When instructors hold live Google Meet sessions or video check-ins, they compare the student on camera with the profile photo |
Instructor review | Instructors watch for marked changes in a student's writing voice, journaling, or work quality and may request a short video conversation to discuss submitted work |
Students are responsible for keeping their login credentials private. Sharing credentials, or having another person complete coursework or attend a session in one's place, is misrepresentation under the Academic Integrity policy and is handled under the Student Discipline & Appeals policy.
Students must keep their camera and microphone on during live sessions and any proctored activity, unless the instructor says otherwise.
Privacy and Fees
Identity documents and photos are stored in Populi and are accessible only to staff who need them for verification, as described in the Student Privacy and Records policy. Profile pictures uploaded to Canvas may be visible to classmates and instructors. ACU charges no fee for identity verification. If a future verification method carries a cost, students will be notified at or before registration.