Understanding the difference between authenticationAuthentication Authentication is the act of determining that a person is who they claim to be. For more information, see our Concepts page.
Edit Entry and authorizationAuthorization Authorization refers to the act of determining whether an authenticated user is allowed to access a specific resource or take a specific action. For more information, see our Concepts page.
Edit Entry is key. Authentication verifies your identity (for example, signing in with your UT EIDUT EID The University of Texas Electronic Identity (UT EID or EID) is the public records identifier for principals at the university. See our Concepts page for more information.
Edit Entry), while authorization determines what you are allowed to access or do within a system.
Automatic Access Based on Your University Role
Many applications and tools automatically grant access based on your university affiliationAffiliation An affiliation is an attribute which reflects, at a high level, how an individual is related to the university. At any point in time, an individual may have no defined relationship, one defined relationship, or many defined relationships with the university. For example, and individual may be a current student, a future faculty member, a former employee, or all three.
Edit Entry. For example:
- When the Office of the Registrar updates your record to reflect that you are a current student, or
- When Human Resources updates your record to show that you are a current employee.
In these cases, your status change is recognized, and access is granted without additional steps.
Requesting Access
For some applications and tools, access is not automatic and must be requested. To get started:
- Visit the University’s Service Catalog to explore IT services by category and locate the application or tool you need.
- Review the application’s documentation for eligibility requirements and instructions on requesting access.
Here are some common requests (the below links may not be managed by the IAMIAM Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a set of policies, processes, and technologies designed to ensure that the right individuals (identities) have the right access to resources within an organization. IAM involves managing and securing digital identities, controlling access to systems and data, and maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
Edit Entry Team):
If you need assistance or have questions, contact the ET Support Center .
