CASE STUDY

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Southern Illinois University Carbondale partnered with Fischer Identity to replace fragmented systems with a cloud-hosted Access Management solution on AWS, strengthening security with MFA, streamlining identity processes, and improving the user experience campus-wide.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale: Access Management Transformation

What They Faced

Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) struggled with fragmented identity systems and inconsistent access controls across campus.

  • Multiple legacy authentication platforms created security gaps and administrative overhead.
  • Inconsistent multi-factor authentication (MFA) left critical systems exposed.
  • Limited IT resources — with no staff fully dedicated to identity — made it difficult to keep pace with evolving cybersecurity requirements.
  • Manual processes slowed onboarding and created frustration for students, faculty, and staff.

Leadership recognized the urgency to modernize identity and access management (IAM) to strengthen security while improving user experience.

How Fischer Helped

Fischer Identity, integrated with AWS cloud infrastructure, partnered with SIUC to streamline and modernize their IAM environment.

  • Access Management: Delivered a single, consistent authentication framework across applications, replacing multiple legacy systems.
  • Identity Governance & Administration (IGA): Automated account creation, provisioning, and role-based access policies to reduce manual work.
  • MFA: Expanded multi-factor authentication across critical systems to strengthen defenses against credential theft.
  • Scalable Approach: Enabled SIUC to modernize step by step, without overwhelming their limited IT staff.
  • Ongoing Partnership: Fischer provided expertise and continuous guidance, helping SIUC maintain compliance and adapt to new security demands.

The Outcome

With Fischer’s support, SIUC achieved a stronger, more resilient IAM environment that supports both security and user experience.

  • Reduced Security Gaps: Centralized authentication and MFA coverage across applications.
  • Operational Efficiency: Automated workflows freed up IT resources and reduced reliance on manual identity management.
  • Improved User Experience: Students, faculty, and staff now have simpler, more consistent access to the tools they need.
  • Future-Ready: SIUC is positioned to adapt to evolving cybersecurity standards and higher-education demands.

Hear from SIU Carbondale

Hear directly from Brian Skouby, Associate Director of the Program Management Office at SIU Carbondale, as he shares the university’s identity and access management journey in our webinar: Access Management Strengthens SIU Carbondale’s Cybersecurity Stronghold.

About Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Founded in 1869 as the state’s second teachers’ college – with a dozen academic departments and an inaugural class of 143 – SIU Carbondale is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University System. It is a strong, diverse, student-centered research-intensive and comprehensive university that recently earned the prestigious 2015 community engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. That designation reflects our longstanding commitment to service and outreach; in 2013 alone, 237,000 residents of central and southern Illinois benefited from 578 initiatives with more than 3,000 community partners.

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Southern Illinois University Carbondale

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VITAS Healthcare

To support its mobile workforce and meet strict healthcare regulations, VITAS Healthcare replaced manual IAM processes with Fischer Identity’s cloud-based solution. By automating provisioning, enforcing policy-based access control, and streamlining audits, VITAS improved operational efficiency, reduced risk, and ensured timely access to critical systems—delivering better care and stronger compliance across the organization.

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  • Provides full life cycle management and a complete compliance framework.
  • Utilizes configuration-based setups with pre-built workflows and integrations.
  • Reduces help desk calls by utilizing an intuitive and user-friendly interface.
  • Handles complex IAM requirements without custom coding.
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“We’ve been able to achieve our security and IAM-related goals and SLAs, plus accelerate the introduction of new services to our constituents due to the operational efficiencies afforded by Fischer.”

Jon Allen
CIO & CISO at Baylor University