Sponsored Accounts for University Affiliates

Sponsored Account Overview

Sponsored Accounts (previously called “Affiliate Accounts”) are provisioned when someone requires access to Tufts University resources. Affiliates often provide some type of service to the University and/or may work or reside on a campus.  Some examples include:

• Visiting faculty accessing library materials
• Consultants needing lab space, files, equipment or software
• Temporary hires back-filling an employee on leave
• Retired faculty returning to teach a seminar
• 3rd party service providers needing building access to pick up or deliver supplies
• Recent graduates who are collaborating with faculty on research

These accounts are “Sponsored” because they require a  Supervisor or “Sponsor” to provide oversight and account management.  The designated account Sponsor must be a University Employee and is often a supervisor,  department manager, department head or department administrator.  Sponsor obligations include management of account expirations and extensions, account terminations when accounts are being used inappropriately or no longer required, account data updates or corrections and, if a Sponsorship change is needed, notification of the appropriate group or groups.

There are three types of Sponsored Accounts at Tufts University.  The main differences among the three types are the ways in which the accounts are created, sourced, and managed on an ongoing basis:

• eReg-sourced: This is the most broadly used type of Sponsored account. These accounts are provisioned and updated by Tufts Technology Services (TTS).
• HR-sourced: For individuals that need access to perform administrative functions on Human Resources (HR)/eServe, Finance or Student Information (SIS) systems, and for unpaid Post Docs and certain VIPs such as Tufts University Trustees.  New sponsored account requests are routed to and entered by Tufts Support Services (TSS) directly on the HR system as Unpaid Personnel Records (formerly known as POIs).
• FIS-sourced: These accounts are specifically for unpaid/volunteer faculty and managed on the Faculty Information System by each school’s Office of Faculty Affairs; these accounts are sponsored by the School Deans via faculty appointments.

Sponsored accounts provide an individual with a minimum of:

• Tufts Credentials:
  • A Tufts University Username (e.g., jjumbo01)
  • A Password
• An Affiliate ID:
  • eReg-sourced Affiliate IDs are 11 characters.  
  • HR-sourced and FIS-sourced Affiliate IDs are 7 digits and look like SIS or Employee IDs.

Things to know Before Requesting a Sponsored Account:

• “Future” Sponsored Accounts – “Future” eReg-sourced Sponsored Accounts are occasionally used to ensure an uninterrupted transition from an Employee or Student account to a Sponsored Account. This might be done if an individual’s relationship to the university is changing in the near future - e.g., a retiring employee requires access to continue beyond the typical four-week grace period or a student is volunteering in a lab after graduation. In these examples, a dormant “Future” eReg-sourced Sponsored Account is created and activates when the individual’s employee or student account is closed.  eReg-sourced is the only type of Future Sponsored Account currently available.  Prospective or Future HR-sourced (POI) Affiliate accounts are not available at this time.
   
• Future Staff/ Faculty – Individuals who have already accepted a permanent staff/faculty employment offer and who need resource access before their start date do NOT need a Sponsored Account. The ePAF Employee hire process will provide a Tufts account with credentials and email that can be used in advance of the hire date.  In these cases, the hire can be processed up to 180 days in advance. See https://access.tufts.edu/hiring for more information. 
   
• Future Students – Accepted, incoming students that will be registering for classes within the next 180 days and that have the approval of the relevant registrar, do NOT need a Sponsored Account. These individuals can be provided with a “Future” SIS account.
   
• Sponsored Account Reporting – Limited reporting for Sponsored Accounts is available from TTS.  Contact TTS with requests.

• Large Batch Sponsored Account Requests – Requests for batches of 5 or more eReg-sourced accounts with shared attributes (e.g., same Dept, Start Date, Sponsor etc.) can be submitted via spreadsheet.  Contact TTS for details.

See more information about the hiring process at Tufts University.

Requesting a Sponsored Account

A single Kuali Build application is used to request a new Sponsored Account, regardless of the Sponsored Account type. While completing the form, the Requester will be prompted for information that the application will use to determine the correct type of Sponsored Account needed.  Once the request is complete, the information entered will be routed appropriately to:

• TTS for eReg accounts: If the application determines that an eReg account will meet requirements, the form will be routed to TechConnect and you will receive notification of the ticket number. Allow up to four business days for eReg accounts to be processed. Please contact the TTS Service Desk (it@tufts.edu or 617-627-3376) if you have questions about eReg sponsored accounts. 
• TSS for HR Unpaid Personnel Record accounts: If the application determines that an Unpaid Personnel Record (POI) account is required, the form will be routed to Salesforce and you will receive notification of the case number. The creation of the new sponsored account depends on payroll processing. Please contact TSS (tss@tufts.edu or 617-627-7000) if you have question about HR sponsored accounts.
• Office of Faculty Affairs for FIS-Sourced accounts: If the application determines that a faculty appointment is planned for the affiliate, the appropriate Office of Faculty affairs is notified. As each school’s faculty appointment requirements vary, Faculty Affairs will provide information on the appointment application process, which generates a Tufts account via the Faculty Information System.

Important Note:  Individuals may not request or sponsor accounts for themselves.

Complete and submit the Kuali form:

• To request a new Sponsored Account.
• To request a “Future” eReg-sourced Sponsored Account.

Sponsored Account Required Information

Below is the information required from the sponsored individual to complete a Sponsored Account request.

Updating Sponsored Accounts

Account Extensions

Several weeks before an eReg or Unpaid Personnel Record (POI) Sponsored Account is due to expire, the account’s Sponsor will begin to receive automated reminder emails to extend the account.  At the bottom of the email is a self-service link which the Sponsor can use to submit an extension request. THIS LINK IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO SPONSORS WITH EXPIRING AFFILIATE ACCOUNTS. 

If the Sponsor does not respond to the notification, weekly expiration notices are sent to the Affiliate’s Tufts email address until the account’s expiration date is reached.

Sponsors may also submit extension requests to the TTS Service Desk (it@tufts.edu or 617-627-3376) for eReg- and HR- sourced accounts.  Include the length of the extension (up to 1 year) in the request.

For unpaid/volunteer faculty accounts, you must contact the Office of Faculty Affairs in your School to extend the term of the appointment. The term end date entered in the Faculty Information System will automatically extend the account.

Data Updates

Occasionally, the data related to a sponsored account requires an update, e.g., change to personal email, name change, change in sponsor. Changes to eReg Sponsored Accounts require Sponsor or Authorized Dept. Personnel approval.

If possible, identify the type of Sponsored Account and contact the appropriate team listed below; if the account type is unknown, send the request to it@tufts.edu.        

Terminating a Sponsored Account

Rather than waiting to reach a Sponsored Account expiration date with its associated 4-week grace period, sponsors can contact the TTS Service Desk (it@tufts.edu or 617-627-3376) to request termination of an account. Requests for termination should include the following:

• Sponsored individual’s First and Last Names
• Sponsored individual’s username or Tufts email address
• The desired termination date or specify “today”