What is the Coupon Procedure?
At RWTH Aachen University, access to IT services is granted via coupon procedures.
A coupon is a code sent via email that you redeem in IdM-ConnectMe.
What are coupon procedures?
The purpose of coupon procedures is to assign you to a group of people (e.g., students, employees...) in the Identity Management system (IdM). Being assigned to a group gives you access to specific IT services, such as RWTHonline or RWTH E-Mail. Different groups have access to different systems.
You may belong to multiple groups simultaneously. For instance, a student employed as a HiWi will receive an employee coupon in addition to their student coupon.
Please note:
Even if you belong to multiple groups, you only need one account. If you already have an account, click "Login" when redeeming your coupon and log in via RWTH Single Sign-On.
Coupon procedures are provided exclusively for people. Using them for devices, for example, is not permitted!
You can find information on where to get your coupon and how to redeem it under Additional Information.
Reasons for introducing Coupon Procedures
Ensuring data integrity
Coupon procedures prevent errors in data linkage.
Manual linkage carries a high risk of incorrect data entry. Since IT systems are legally required to protect personal data, mistakes when linking data records in RWTH's systems to identities in the Identity Management system violate the integrity and confidentiality of personal data. For instance, a user may access another user's personal information in the IdM Selfservice.
Such mistakes are usually only noticed when processes are disrupted. Correcting these errors is extremely tedious and expensive because it requires communication with the affected users and all the systems involved.
In addition to the high cost of repairs, these mistakes prevent both users from using the university's electronic processes until they are fixed. For example, an affected student would not be able to register for an exam.
Avoiding of "Identity Theft"
Coupon procedures prevent third parties from accessing your data without authorization.
When links are created manually, for example by an office worker, there is always a high risk of incorrect entries being made. If verification is not carried out, users may intentionally enter an incorrect link ID to access another user's data.
Redeeming the coupon in ConnectMe, which is linked to user authentication, rules out such incorrect links and intentional "identity theft."
Preventing duplicates and ensuring service continuity
Coupon procedures prevent users from creating multiple accounts.
IdM contains "verified" identities created via SAP or RWTHonline for which an ID check has been performed.
The IdM also obtains unverified identities from other sources. In this case, anyone can create an identity with any personal data, such as names and dates of birth. Administrators cannot link to unverified identities because this would make identity theft very easy. The alternative would inevitably be a new identity, which is likely to result in a duplicate account.
However, a user can easily link to their own unverified identity because they can prove through authentication that they own the identity.
