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Quick Guide to POI Role Types

Guide to POI Role Types

The tables below include a description of each POI role type, some real-life examples, and information about service eligibility. Please note that most of the POI Roles listed here do not provide individuals with library access (physical or e-resources).  Please check with the Harvard Library Privileges Office  if you need to obtain library access for someone.

Individually Sponsored POI Role Types

The roles types below must be sponsored by and individual and include a role end date.

Role Type & Code Description VPN eligible? Email eligible? ID card eligible? Library Access?
Academic Advisor
ADVISOR 		 An academic advisor to a Harvard student with no other Harvard affiliation
Examples: A thesis advisor from outside of Harvard who needs my.harvard access. An advisor for medical school applications who needs access to various systems. 		Yes Yes Yes No
Consultant
CONSULT 		Someone providing consulting services, either independently or through a firm
Examples: A sole-proprietor technology consultant advising Harvard. An employee of a consulting firm engaged on a project at Harvard. An independent contractor approved through HR.  		Yes Yes Yes No
Contingent Worker
CONTRACT 		A contingent worker hired through Fieldglass/Yoh
Examples: A temp from an agency such as Randstad. A contract developer or business analyst from an IT staffing agency. A contract financial analyst from a financial staffing agency. 		Yes Yes Yes No

External Administrative Affiliate
EXTADMAF

An individual from outside Harvard partnering on an administrative initiative or process
Examples: A registrar from another school who needs access to my.harvard to assist with managing cross-registration. A member of a board or committee from an external institution.

Yes No No No

External Core Customer
EXTCORCS

External customers of shared-use core facilities or fee-for-service research facilities
Examples: Customers of the Mouse Behavior Core, MicRoN facility, or Neurobiology Imaging Facility. Users of the Center for Nanoscale Systems or Harvard Center for Biological Imaging. 		Yes No Yes No
Family Member/
Family Support
FAMILY 		Family members or support providers for Harvard affiliates who need physical access to Harvard housing or daycare
Examples: A spouse or partner of a professor, resident tutor or proctor living in undergraduate housing. A family member of a child enrolled in a campus Child Care Center. HBS Partners. A long-term caregiver or dog walker for a resident in Harvard housing.  		Yes No Yes No
Field Education Supervisor
FIELDEDS 		A non-appointed supervisor of a student in a field education placement
Example: A church pastor overseeing an HDS student’s in-field study 		Yes Yes No No
Incoming Employee or Transfer
INCEMPL 		An individual with an accepted job offer who needs an active role to facilitate the onboarding process
Examples: An incoming employee who cannot come to campus in advance of their start date to complete their I-9. An interdepartmental transfer for whom the new school/unit would like to establish accounts. 		Yes Yes Yes No
Interschool Affiliate
INTERAFF 		An active affiliate who needs access to resources in a School/Unit other than the one where their primary affiliation resides
Examples: An FAS faculty member teaching a class at the Law School who needs access to HLS resources. A Central Admin employee who supports one of the Schools. A student in a joint degree program who needs access to resources in their joint school. 		Yes No No No
Security
SECURITY 		A company representative of a security-service provider
Example: A Securitas employee working at Harvard 		Yes Yes Yes No
Tenant
TENANT 		An individual requiring physical access to property leased or rented from Harvard
Examples: An employee of a company leasing lab space from the University. A resident of Harvard University Housing with no other affiliation.   		Yes No Yes No
Vendor
VENDOR 		A company representative of a service provider to Harvard
Examples: A technician for a company such as Siemens, Ricoh or Verizon. An employee of a Harvard Child Care Center. Employees of roofing, moving or other service companies hired by Harvard who require building access. 		Yes Yes Yes No
Visitor - COVID
GUEST 		A visitor who is on campus for more than 7 days and must enroll in the University's COVID testing program per coronavirus policy guidance. 
Examples: A participant in the Ceramics or Dance program.   		No No No No
Volunteer
VOLUNTER 		An individual 18 years of age or older volunteering their services or donating their time for University activities
Examples: A club or Shared Interest Group volunteer for Harvard Alumni Association, a volunteer guide at the Harvard Arboretum 		Yes Yes Yes No

Restricted POI Role Types

The role types below are restricted in use to certain schools or units, noted in the description section. Some are sponsored by individuals while others are sponsored by departments.

Key:
Authorizer is required  Authorizer is required
Expiration date is required  Expiration date is required
Expiration date is optional  Expiration date is optional

Role Type & Code Description VPN eligible? Email eligible? ID card eligible? Library Access?
HMC Employee
HMCEMP 		Authorizer is required Expiration date is required

An employee of Harvard Management Company (HMC)
For Office of the Controller, Financial Administration Department use only.

Yes No Yes Yes
Hospital Administrator
HOSPEMPL 		Authorizer is required Expiration date is required

An administrator at a Harvard-affiliated hospital requiring access to Harvard applications.
Examples: A UGME administrator at BCH who needs access to Tableau reports about medical students rotating at their hospital. A BIDMC employee serving as department administrator for a clinical department who needs access to PeopleSoft hire forms and the HMS faculty search portal.
For Harvard Medical School (HMS), Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) use only.

Yes No No No
Overseer
OVERSEER 		Authorizer is required Expiration date is required A Member of the Board of Overseers or a former Corporation Member
For Office of the Governing Boards use only. 		Yes No Yes Yes
Partner of Deceased Retiree
SPOUSE 		Authorizer is required Expiration date is required

Partner of a deceased retired Harvard employee
For Harvard Human Resources use only.

Yes No Yes No
Research Collaborator
COLLABOR 		Authorizer is required Expiration date is required

Individuals who do not hold a Harvard appointment or employment but who are participating in an active research collaboration with a Harvard-based researcher and have a legitimate and verified business need to access Harvard research space, data or systems to conduct their collaborative research work.

As of July 15, 2021 only the following schools will support Research Collaborator POIs:

  • Harvard Kennedy School
  • Harvard Medical School
  • Harvard School of Dental Medicine
  • Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

In all other schools/units, consult with faculty affairs/academic affairs regarding an appropriate appointment type. 

Yes Yes Yes No
Retiree
RETIREE 		  Expiration date is optional

Retired Harvard employee
Role fed from PeopleSoft.

Yes No Yes Yes
Smithsonian Employee
SAOAFFIL 		  Expiration date is optional

An employee of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO)
Role fed from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

Yes No Yes Yes

Rules for Sponsors and Sponsor Delegates

Sponsored POI Roles require someone to sponsor (authorize) the role. The Sponsor may be held accountable for how the individual with the POI affiliation uses Harvard resources. POI roles may also include a person who administers the role on behalf of the Sponsor, a Sponsor Delegate. Sponsored POI roles are required to have a term end date, usually no longer than one year from the start date.

A Sponsor must meet the following employee criteria:

  1. Is a current and active employee of Harvard University AND
  2. Is a paid employee of one of the following categories: OR
    • A: Admin & Professional
    • F: Senior Faculty
    • J: Junior Faculty
    • O: Other Faculty
    • S: Support Staff
  3. Is an unpaid employee of one of the following categories at Harvard Medical School:
    • F: Senior Faculty
    • J: Junior Faculty

A Sponsor Delegate must meet the following criteria:

  1. Is a current and active employee of Harvard University AND
  2. Is a paid employee of one of the following categories: 
    • A:Admin & Professional
    • F: Senior Faculty
    • G: Graduate Students
    • J: Junior Faculty
    • O: Other Faculty
    • S: Support Staff
    • U: Service & Trade Hourly