Many large universities have taken measures to eliminate the Social Security Number(SSN) as a form of student identification, but currently, Brandeis still uses it.
Chief Information Officer and Associate Provost for Educational Technology Perry O. Hanson III said in January 2003, Brandeis will begin a student administration project to come up with a new identification structure for students with a system-generated form of ID. This new form will replace the student's current form of ID: his or her SSN. Hanson said each student is going to have an arbitrarily assigned number, which will become the student's identifier.Hanson said he expects the new number to be enacted into Brandeis' future information system, called Peoplesoft, by July 2004. This new ID number will be used as a reference point through all University systems, including Dining Services and the library. It will replace the current system, called the Student Information System (SIS), launched in the early 1980s.

This project comes in response to the fact that many administrators say they fear the SSN is vulnerable to both deliberate and inadvertent misuse. "None of us think it's (SSN) an appropriate ID for higher education," Hanson said. He added the current system, almost 20 years old is not fully-equipped for the Internet and the fact that dorms are now networked.

Dangers of the SSN
"The Social Security number is just one more piece of information about an individual . mistakes are made all the time with it, so it's not a good ID," Hanson said. "It isn't good to use the SSN because if someone comes across it, it can be used inappropriately."

Director of Enrollment Deena Whitfield said that at Admissions, they realize the dangers of using SSNs as IDs and makes a conscious effort to print them only where necessary. "We're (admissions) careful about how we use (SSNs) and don't print them out on tons of things where they can be stolen, and we shred, so we're careful."

Complications of eliminating SSN
Peoplesoft will not be enacted at Brandeis until 2004 is because this project is both time-consuming and expensive. "It's a matter of trying to balance out costs with time of going to a new software system," University Registrar Mark Hewitt said.

But, in the interim, Hewitt said the University is decreasing the use of the SSN as a form of identification. "We're taking some steps internally to minimize the use of the ID." He said he discourages the University from using the full SSN for class lists and grade rosters posted in prominent places.

Whitfield said she agreed that eliminating the SSN is an intricate and time-consuming procedure. "It's a slow process because a university is a complicated place, and you want to test each piece as you move along to be sure there aren't any unintended consequences when you move (along)."

Hewitt said at Brandeis, the SSN is needed for students to obtain access to their transcripts. "We need to be able to link the student to the transcript . even with the new system, we have to have the SSN in the database." He referred to the possibility that several years after a student graduates, his or her employer may demand access to their transcripts. If the only way the employer can identify the person is through their SSN, then the University is responsible for maintaining the information. "That's where having the SSN on the transcript is a good thing," he said.

SSN necessary in some cases
Although University administrators say they have recognized the problems and have taken some initial steps in minimizing the SSN as a form of ID, in some cases, it is still necessary. Whitfield said before prospective students enroll at Brandeis, the SSN is required to identify the applicant. "Information about (the applicant) is coming from lots of different places . if you have different unique identifiers you wouldn't be able to pull them together at the same place."

Whitfield also said that different records such as SAT scores, high school transcripts and financial aid documents all come together during the admissions process and require the same student identifier. In this case, she said the SSN is necessary. But, she said that after all the different documentation is processed and stored by the University, it is internalized. At that point the admissions personnel can give a student a different unique identifier. "(Admissions) are trying to connect information from disparate places into one place, and you want to be sure that the right person gets all that information."

Universities Eliminate SSN
Due to all the complications of the SSN, several colleges and universities have decided to eliminate it as a form of ID.

A state mandate forced the University of Arizona to remove the SSN. After June 30, 2002, the University was no longer able to use the SSN as the assigned form of identifier for students. "Ultimately, it was done because of a state mandate," University of Arizona's application systems analyst Kelley Bogart said, "Using Social Security numbers as a primary identifier for students, faculty, and staff has been an issue for quite awhile. We have always had the option for students to use an alternative number but the mandate made it an option for employees as well."

The University of Virginia has also changed the way they identify students. "The University of Virginia uses SSNs in our card system. The SSN is not printed on the face of the card, but it is encoded on the magnet stripe on the back," Vice President for the Office of Business Operations Vicky Bradt said. "If a student does not
want to use his or her SSN, he or she may apply to the Registrar's Office for an assigned number."

"The big universities have moved to a new software system, so they've had the opportunity to eliminate the SSN," Hewitt said. He added that larger universities than Brandeis have taken the initiative to eliminate the SSN because at larger schools the greater number of students makes identity theft a more prominent issue.

Brandeis takes precautions
While Brandeis' current system is still in place, administrators say they have taken security precautions. "We are trying to be sensitive to releasing (the SSN) to offices that don't need it," Hewitt said. He stressed that academic department offices at Brandeis do not need the SSN so the Registrar's Office does not make them accessible.
Also, Hewitt said students have the option of changing their ID number if they feel susceptible to identity theft. "Students have the option of changing their ID number to a random number." He said he felt surprised though that not a lot of student have made an effort to change their number. "It's an inconvenience to have a different number because you have to remember it.