Ricketts Great Books College verifies the identity of every distance-education student at admission, confirms it again throughout enrollment, and affirms that the student who completes an assessment is the student who enrolled. Because all instruction is delivered in live, synchronous Socratic seminars, the faculty member leading each course sees and interacts with each student by name in every class meeting. This recurring personal contact — anchored by a photo-ID check at admission and by unique, authenticated student logins — is the College’s principal means of identity assurance.

At admission

• You provide your legal name, date of birth, and contact information, and upload a clear image of a current government-issued photo ID to the secure admissions portal.
• At your Sample Socratic Seminar, you hold the same photo ID to the camera; the faculty member confirms that the name matches your application and that the photo matches you on camera. Any discrepancy is referred to the Registrar before an offer of admission.
• On admission, you receive a unique student ID and account, enroll in multi-factor authentication, complete the Academic Integrity orientation, and sign an Identity Verification Acknowledgment.

Throughout enrollment

• You reach the learning system (Canvas) and student services with unique credentials and multi-factor authentication. Work submitted online is tied to your authenticated account and time-stamped.
• Because every course meets as a live seminar, your instructor confirms your identity by direct recognition at each session. Students attend under the name on file, with cameras on for roll and oral work unless an approved accommodation applies.

In assessment

Assessment occurs principally within the live seminars and oral discussions where faculty already recognize each student. That recognition, together with authenticated submission of written work, confirms authorship and identity. The College does not currently administer high-stakes proctored examinations; if a course ever required one, the syllabus and Catalog would state it, and the College would use live or in-person proctoring with a photo-ID check. There is no separate identity-verification or proctoring fee.

Privacy and accommodations

The College collects the minimum identity information necessary and protects it consistent with its Student Privacy & Confidentiality policy. Students approved for accommodations may use alternative verification — for example, a scheduled voice check with challenge questions or alternate camera positioning — that preserves identity assurance without undue burden.