Electronic and Digital Signatures
mpEducator allows you to create and manage customized digital versions of paper-based contracts, such as agreements, authorization forms, and any other documents that require student signatures. These contracts can be easily generated, signed electronically with ampSign (or other providers), and optionally returned for staff signatures as well.
There are two types of signatures used in contracts: Electronic and Digital.
- Electronic Signatures: These signatures are representations of consent to the contract's contents, applied electronically. They can include typed names, drawn signatures, or clicked checkboxes. These electronic signatures confirm that the signer agrees with the document, but they do not validate whether the document has been modified after signing.
- Digital Signatures: This type of signature offers a higher level of security. After the electronic signature is applied, the Digital Signature Provider validates that the PDF has not been altered using a security certificate from a trusted source, such as the Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL). This ensures that once the contract is signed, any attempts to modify the document will invalidate the signature, guaranteeing that the contract remains secure and authentic.
ampSign is the built-in digital signature provider within ampEducator, providing a seamless and secure method for collecting both electronic and digital signatures.
- Go to Institution Config / General / Signatures.
- Enable the Digital Signatures checkbox to start using ampSign.
- Agree to the Terms of Service to activate the service.
- ampSign charges a $4 fee per "Envelope" (which includes multiple signatures from staff, students, or third parties within a single PDF). This is not charged per signature but per document.
- To test ampSign without incurring charges, you can use the 'Sandbox' mode. This will add a watermark to the contract marked 'For Demonstration Purposes.' When you're ready to use the feature without the watermark, simply uncheck the 'Sandbox' option.
When using ampSign for digital signatures, it’s important to ensure that the signed contract remains unaltered after the signing process. ampSign provides a visual indication of the document’s validity by displaying a checkmark and other relevant information.
Valid Document: A green checkmark appears on the Completed PDF, confirming the document has not been modified since signing.
Invalid Document: If the document is tampered with, the green checkmark disappears, and a warning appears, indicating the signature is invalid due to changes.
- You can track your monthly ampSign usage and fees under Username / Institution Account / Other Usage.
From the student’s perspective, signing a contract with ampSign is simple and straightforward. Once the contract is generated and sent, the student will receive an email with instructions to review and sign the document electronically. The process is quick, secure, and fully digital, providing a seamless experience from start to finish.
Currently, the only third-party digital signature provider available in ampEducator is DocuSign. If you are interested in using a different provider, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
For third-party signature providers like DocuSign, you’ll need to use their API plan, which is typically different from standard plans and may incur higher costs. We recommend contacting your provider representative to inquire about the specific fees associated with the API plan.
To integrate DocuSign with ampEducator, follow these steps:
Sign Up for a DocuSign API Plan
Before integrating DocuSign with ampEducator, sign up for an API plan on the DocuSign website. You can start with a free trial to test the functionality.
Configure DocuSign in DocuSign's Admin Console
- Log into your DocuSign account and go to the Admin section.
- Under Integration / API & Keys, click Add App.
- For App Name, enter "ampEducator" (or any name you prefer).
- After creating the app, copy the Integrator Key and the Secret Key from DocuSign.
Enter DocuSign Information in ampEducator
- In ampEducator, go to Admin / Integration / API & Keys.
- Paste the Integrator Key and Secret Key into the corresponding fields.
- Update the following URLs in ampEducator:
- Redirect URL: Enter https://yourPURL.ampeducator.com/web/public/digitalSignatures/configure (for Canadian subdomains, use .ca).
Save and Test the Integration
- Once you've entered all the details, click Save in ampEducator.
- You will then be redirected to DocuSign to confirm the setup.
- Follow the instructions in DocuSign to complete the integration process.
Testing Before Going Live
- After configuring DocuSign, test the integration by submitting sample contracts to a student to ensure everything works as expected.
- Once you're satisfied with the results, you can begin using DocuSign for live contracts.
Note: If you don’t use digital signatures for more than 30 days using DocuSign, you may need to refresh your account settings.