Beyond SSO: Why Identity Lifecycle Management Is the Real Challenge

Why Read This Research

SSO has become common across higher education, but identity lifecycle management remains a major challenge. This research finds that 61% of institutions report SSO success while still facing lifecycle gaps, with decentralized governance linked to significantly higher orphaned-account and deprovisioning problems.
The report examines why identity failures persist and how stronger governance, automated lifecycle management, and better SIS integration can reduce security, compliance, and operational risks.

Key Questions Answered

• Why is SSO not enough?
• Where does the identity lifecycle break down?
• Why does decentralized governance create risk?
• How can institutions reduce orphaned accounts?
• Why should deprovisioning be automated first?
• What does identity maturity look like?
• How can institutions move toward real-time identity management?

Features

• Research Focus: Identity Lifecycle Management, SSO, IAM, Governance, Security
• Future Campus Impacts: Cybersecurity, FERPA Compliance, Student Access, IT Efficiency
• Audience: CIOs, IT Directors, Identity Architects
• Authors: Campus Consortium Foundation Research Team
• Research Availability: August 2026

Table of Contents

1. The SSO-Lifecycle Gapy
2. The Six-Stage Identity Lifecycle
3. Governance and Decentralization
4. Institutional Examples
5. What Leading Institutions Do Differently
6. Identity Governance Maturity Model
7. Technology Approaches
8. Future Outlook
9. Strategic Recommendations
10. Conclusion