In attendance:
Terri Shelton, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement
Bob Shea, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Tina McEntire, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management
Donna Heath, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer
Julia Jackson-Newsom, Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategy and Policy
Topic: Multi-Factor (2 factor) Authentication.
Context: UNC System Policy 1400.3 requires a “Risk-Based Implementation of Identity Confirmation and Access Control Measures”. The simplest and most cost effective of these measures is 2FA. By 2017 decision of the prior ESC, UNCG currently only requires multi-factor authentication for faculty and staff who have access to high-risk data and this requirement is encouraged but not enforced. By contrast, multi-factor authentication is already required and implemented for faculty, staff and students at all of the other UNC System schools. Duo is UNCG’s current 2FA product. There are 1,754 UNCG faculty and staff enrolled in the current 2FA service. 1,664 of the registered devices are phones. 167 registered devices are tokens ($20/token).
There is a project currently underway to transition UNCG’s 2FA service from Duo to Microsoft MFA. The Microsoft MFA solution provides additional functionality and is part of our existing Microsoft license that will result in an annual software savings of $38,000. The 1st phase of the project (underway now) will convert existing 2FA identities from Duo to Microsoft MFA this Spring. Phase 2 of the project will enforce 2FA for all faculty and staff, including retirees, affiliates, and other secondary accounts. (Spring 2021). Phase 3 of the project will enforce 2FA for all students. (Fall 2021).
The best option for a second factor (something you have) is a cell phone or tablet. The Microsoft Authenticator app is paired with the identity and supports push notifications, a one-time code, SMS, voice calls, and hardware tokens. ITS and the FirstCard office developed a token distribution program but it has not been heavily utilized. Hardware tokens require manual in-person setup, have a finite life, and must be reclaimed in the event of separation from the University.
Decision: The University will require and enforce the use of 2FA for all University accounts by December 2021.
Decision: Hardware tokens will not be issued as a standard for the UNCG MFA service, but rather will be issued for special exception cases by approval of Division Vice Chancellors and the Provost.
Topic: Post-Mortem from Chancellor’s Winter Huddle.
Context: We need to develop a shared annual planning process that results in building a consolidated and unified tactical list of initiatives that we will work together to accomplish in an annual cycle with the goal of advancing the highest institutional priorities with the limited resources we have. Our resources are increasingly interdependent and our division strategies need to be developed in partnership with each other and communicated by executive leadership as a cohesive set of priorities to the campus.
Decision: The Executive Steering Committee will develop an annual cross divisional strategic planning process that results in a published annual plan/roadmap. An Executive Steering Committee Strategic Planning Session has been scheduled for 3/22. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategy and Policy will develop and distribute a template for Division information collection prior to the work session.