While a pending Associated Student Government bill would ask for the removal of Social Security numbers from WildCARDs, the process to change the student identification system already has begun.
“It’s not a matter of: ‘Is it going to be done?'” said Art Monge, director of the WildCARD office. “It’s: ‘When is it going to be done?’ We’re just working out the kinks of making it a seamless transition.”
Introduced at a Wednesday meeting, the ASG bill seeks to increase students’ privacy by replacing Social Security numbers with unrelated identification numbers for all university matters excluding financial aid and employment.
“(Using Social Security numbers) is a matter of convenience, but it’s also endangering student privacy,” said Matt McCormick, the Students for Ecological and Environmental Development senator who wrote the bill. “There seems to be quite a bit of support for (the bill), but implementing it will be fairly difficult and will take a good amount of time.”
Because students are identified by Social Security numbers, a wide range of people have access to a student’s personal information, said McCormick, a Weinberg sophomore. Resident assistants, mail room attendants and food service workers all use students’ Social Security numbers on a regular basis.
“The University of Illinois has (student) Social Security numbers, but they have a comprehensive Social Security number policy that any document that has your SSN has to be shredded – they can’t just be thrown away,” McCormick said. “Northwestern is somewhat behind the curve.”
Since November, administrators have been discussing ways to replace Social Security numbers on WildCARDs, changing the way students are identified for housing, food services and athletic events. Revamping the system would require issuing every WildCARD holder a new card as well as updating and testing new systems where WildCARDs are used.
“I was concerned that we might get some resistance from perhaps someone in the WildCARD office,” said Courtney Brunsfeld, ASG student services vice president and a Weinberg junior. “It’s very promising, (but) even if they’re working on doing it, it’s important to show that students want this.”
The Office of the Registrar stopped using Social Security numbers to identify students in winter of 2000 when the office switched to a new system. Students now use a number called the “emplid” for registering and retrieving grades.
“Everyone had to adjust a bit, but everyone has done quite well,” Registrar Suzanne Anderson said. “Social Security numbers are something we don’t want to use publicly unless we need to.”
Despite the fact that NU already has plans to remove Social Security numbers from WildCARDs, Monge said student support in the form of the ASG bill might speed up the changes.
“Although the process has begun, I would encourage the student government to lobby for it to make sure it happens and happens in a timely fashion,” Monge said. “It wouldn’t hurt to add that additional pressure to make the change happen and happen soon.”
