By: Jean Chorazyczewski, InCommon Academy Director
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Identity and Access Management in higher education isn’t just about managing identities — it’s about enabling seamless collaboration, securing critical infrastructure, and adapting to an ever-expanding digital ecosystem. Keeping up with IAM challenges can feel like trying to hit a moving target for many institutions that may be juggling competing priorities. This is where InCommon Academy comes in. More than just training, InCommon Academy is evolving into a connected learning experience — one that can meet institutions and IT professionals at every stage of their IAM journey.
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Learn MoreWhether you’re laying the groundwork for Federation participation, refining access management, or leading an institution-wide IAM modernization, we’re developing programs designed to move you forward to:
- Build foundational IAM knowledge and community connections
- Advance technical skill development and infrastructure operations
- Accelerate IAM planning through peer learning and expert guidance
- Stay ahead of emerging trends through thought leadership and insights
What’s New and Next from InCommon Academy
We are delivering more flexibility, expanded learning opportunities, and interactive experiences across our learning and engagement portfolio. Here’s a look at what’s coming:
Shibboleth Training – February 24-28, 2025
A must-attend for those managing identity federation and SAML authentication. This hands-on training covers Shibboleth fundamentals, deployment best practices, and a live demo of the SAML Metadata Configuration Manager. Register now.
Instructors:
- Paul Riddle, senior middleware architect, University of Maryland – Baltimore County
- Paul Caskey, IAM architect, Internet2
Grouper Training – March/April 2025
We’re rolling out a new on-demand learning experience alongside live training focused on real-world use cases. Whether you’re just starting or looking to optimize your skills using Grouper, there are comprehensive training options to fit your needs.
Instructors:
- Chris Hyzer, application architect, University of Pennsylvania
- Chad Redman, IAM consultant, Unicon
midPoint – Multi-Affiliation Management – May 2025
We’re evolving our midPoint learning path. InCommon Academy will deliver a new advanced course focused on managing multiple identities and affiliations — a critical need for institutions handling complex identity data. While our partners at Evolveum will host the midPoint foundational training courses.
Instructors:
- Ivan Noris, Expert Identity Engineer | Evolveum
COmanage Training – Community-Activated Learning
Does your institution need COmanage training? You tell us, and we can deliver. In 2025, we’re continuing with a community-activated training model — when we reach a minimum cohort number, we’ll spin up a live training session to meet demand. Available upon request here.
Instructors:
- Laura Paglione, Partner | SCG
- Shayna Atkinson, Partner | SCG
BaseCAMP – June 2-6, 2025
New to IAM? New to the InCommon Community?
BaseCAMP is for you.
Our five-day virtual event is an excellent starting point for IT professionals navigating identity management, Federation, and the InCommon community. Expect interactive sessions, expert guidance, and networking with peers tackling the same challenges.
IAM Online – Mostly Monthly Webinars
Almost every month, we bring together IAM leaders, practitioners, and community subject matter experts for practical, timely discussions on the latest trends, challenges, and best practices. From social engineering threats to passwordless authentication to compliance standards, our IAM Online webinars aim to keep you informed.
Other Programs on the Horizon
Accelerator Programs – The Next Evolution of Collaboration SuccessWe’re taking the experience of our Collaboration Success cohort-based programs to the next level. Our new Accelerator programs will be designed to help institutions move faster, smarter, and more strategically in IAM and Federation.
Stay tuned for more details as we get ready to launch these offerings!
InCommon Federation Resources – Q2/Q3 2025
InCommon Federation enables institutions to access and share services, streamline research collaborations, and ease identity management burdens. To help institutions get started and maximize their participation, we’re developing new resources covering why federation matters, key concepts, technical foundations, and practical steps for onboarding and optimization. Stay tuned for details.