PennKey transition a hassle for some students

Penn administrators may be pleased with the recent crossover to the new PennKey system, but the sudden change has left some information technology advisers and students -- especially freshmen -- a bit frustrated.

As of Oct. 13, over 27,000 Penn community members had traded in their old PennNet IDs and passwords for more secure University computer access. Penn's Information Systems and Computing Services initiated the Sept. 30 crossover.

The remaining 10 percent of the Penn community that did not register for PennKey are currently denied access to programs including PennPortal, Blackboard, CampusExpress and Penn InTouch. Stragglers have until midnight on Dec. 31 to register for PennKey with their PennNet ID and password.

"I think the University was really irresponsible to suddenly drop [PennKey] on us when we didn't even have a clue until training" in August, remarked Hill College House Information Technology Manager Jonathan Gaynor.

The transition "was just a pain," said College freshman Adrian Gerrits, one of Gaynor's information technology assistants. According to him, freshmen were asking themselves "what the hell is the point" of PennKey?

Gerrits alone attended to 20 different calls for help with PennKey in Hill House.

In another college house, though, there were fewer difficulties.

"I think it's very different for places like the Quad and Hill because they have to deal with so many freshmen who don't know how things were running before," Harrison College House ITA Carol Jin said. "But for a place like [Harrison]... I think the upperclassmen were more comfortable with it."

Jin remarked that "not even one person I've talked to has mentioned a problem with" PennKey.

But even Harrison resident and College senior Ketan Gala found the transition "kind of confusing."

"I don't really know what [PennKey] is for," Gala said.

Fellow Harrison resident and College senior Toni Williams did not have a problem transitioning, but complained that "it's never really a good time [to transition, especially] since we're in midterm season."

Gaynor thought much of the confusion could have been avoided with a PennKey transition in the summer and without having freshmen sign up for the now-defunct PennNet IDs.

"It seemed like a needless and expensive transition because [the freshmen] didn't have PennKey to start. It didn't make sense to do it right in the middle of the year," Gaynor, a College sophomore, said.

University Information Security Officer David Millar explained that the timing of PennKey was "more of a compromise" since the University did not want to immediately confront returning students with yet another transition.

Millar and ISC made the decision after several consultations within the past year with members of an information technology roundtable, where representatives from the various schools at Penn could weigh in on the transition and other PennKey issues.

Senior Information Technology Support Specialist Caroline Couture cited a different reason for the timing of PennKey.

The University "didn't want people to get PennKeys so far in advance that by the time they got them, they would have forgotten [the passwords]," she said.

Couture also noted problems with an option that allowed students to receive online reminders if they forgot their new PennKey passwords. Users tended to be interrupted while asking for the option after PennKey registration.

Nevertheless, "I think the implementation [of] PennKey was very successful," Couture said.

"We saw a few problems but... overall, given the huge size of the project, I think it went pretty smoothly," Associate Director for College House Computing Christine Brisson said.

IT Support Specialist Ian Kelley summed the transition up: PennKey "might be a pain for some people, but I think the computer safety is worth it."

For students who do not remember their old computer access information, they can have their PINs sent to them by contacting the Registrar's office in room 221 of the Franklin Building. Faculty and staff may obtain PINs at 3401 Walnut, Suite 265B. Anyone who does not register with PennKey by Dec. 31 may transition by contacting either location as appropriate to their position at Penn.

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