The Learning Lab experience is supported by both asynchronous and synchronous components. Each Learning Lab sequence includes a set of resources, an asynchronous discussion, and an interactive live session, all of which culminate in the development of a project or application to apply learning to local and specific contexts in support of the learning objectives.
Schedule
Part 1: Identity as Institutional Infrastructure
August 18, 2026, 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET
In this opening session, participants will examine Identity and Access Management (IAM) as the foundational infrastructure for higher education. We will explore how identity is created, governed, and sustained across complex academic ecosystems, including students, faculty, staff, affiliates, and non-human accounts. Special attention will be given to identity life cycle management (joiner, mover, and leaver processes) and the operational gaps that introduce institutional risk. Through structured discussion and peer learning, participants will map their current identity environment, surface hidden vulnerabilities, and begin assessing IAM maturity within their own institutions.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how identity life cycle management functions within higher education environments and identify common breakdown points that introduce security or operational risk.
- Map your institution’s identity sources of truth and account provisioning workflows to assess your IAM maturity and identify process improvement opportunities.
Part 2: Authentication Strategies in Higher Ed: Security vs. User Experience
August 20, 2026, 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET
In this session, participants will examine modern authentication strategies in higher education, including phishing-resistant MFA, passwordless approaches, privileged access controls, and the growing risks of identity-based attacks. We will explore the tension between strong security and user experience in academic environments that value openness and accessibility.
Building on this operational foundation, broader digital trust frameworks and assurance models will be introduced, illustrating how institutional authentication decisions influence cross-campus and cross-border trust relationships. Participants will consider how assurance levels, federation, and identity verification shape participation in larger identity ecosystems.
Through applied discussion, learners will identify priority authentication risks and assess how their institution’s current practices support, or constrain, future trust readiness.
Learning Objectives:
- Evaluate modern authentication approaches and identify priority authentication risks within a higher education environment.
- Explain how institutional authentication and assurance decisions influence participation in federated and digital trust ecosystems.
Part 3: Authorization & Access Governance
August 25, 2026, 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET
In this session, participants will examine how access is granted, reviewed, and revoked across complex higher education environments. We will explore role-based and attribute-based access models, birthright access challenges, role explosion, and governance structures that support audit readiness and risk reduction. Special attention will be given to managing populations that often strain traditional governance models, such as adjuncts, researchers, affiliates, and non-human accounts. Through applied exercises, participants will analyze a real-world access scenario and design practical improvements to strengthen oversight, reduce risk, and increase consistency.
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate between role-based and attribute-based access control models and assess their applicability within higher education environments.
- Design a practical access governance improvement that reduces risk while maintaining operational efficiency and institutional flexibility.
Part 4: Building Digital Trust: AI-Driven Identity Risk
August 27, 2026, 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET
In this concluding session, participants will explore how emerging technologies are reshaping identity in higher education. We will examine AI-driven identity risks, including deepfake impersonation, automated account creation, and machine-to-machine identities, as well as evolving digital trust frameworks and verifiable credential models. Participants will consider how today’s IAM architecture either enables or constrains future capabilities such as portable academic credentials and cross-institutional trust. Through guided discussion and expert insight, this session connects operational IAM decisions to broader institutional resilience and long-term digital trust strategy. This final session will give participants the opportunity to pull together all the pieces to create a custom and comprehensive IAM action plan.
Learning Objectives:
- Assess how AI-driven identity risks and non-human actors may impact existing authentication and authorization models in higher education.
- Explain how emerging digital trust frameworks and verifiable credentials could influence future IAM architecture and governance decisions.
Lab Implementation Project
Throughout the Learning Lab, participants will step-by-step build a detailed IAM Practitioner Action Plan for their role and institution. Attendees will assess their current IAM maturity, identify priority risks across life cycle, authentication, and access governance, and will develop a focused 90-day action roadmap. By the end of the course, participants will leave with a practical, deployable IAM plan they can use to strengthen security, spark conversation, and drive measurable IAM improvements at their institutions.