From the issue dated August 2, 2002
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U. of Illinois May Be a Model in Protecting PrivacyBy ANDREA L. FOSTERPerhaps no other university has been as thorough and organized in its efforts
In January 2000, the university adopted a policy to help keep students' numbers private on all three of its campuses. And Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, in San Diego, says the policy and the way the university is carrying it out should be a blueprint for other colleges. Each campus has an administrator who is responsible for overseeing the use of Social Security numbers. Their approval is required before the number is used in a new electronic system. The Social Security czars, as they are called, convene monthly to make sure that their efforts are in sync, says Michael A. Corn, an associate director in the university system's office for planning and budgeting. Encrypted Numbers The university expects to virtually end its reliance on Social Security numbers by the end of 2005, he says. In the meantime, Illinois plans for the Social Security numbers it does use to be electronically transmitted only through encryption. Also, by this fall, university forms that ask students, faculty members, and staff for their Social Security numbers will include an explanation about whether the request is mandatory or voluntary. That is a problematic issue on many campuses. Under the Privacy Act of 1974, public colleges that ask students for their Social Security numbers must inform them whether the disclosure is voluntary. "Almost everyone's out of compliance," says Mr. Corn. He says that most colleges that ask individuals for their Social Security numbers don't have a disclosure policy that says why they're asking for them, and what they plan to do with them. http://chronicle.com Section: Information Technology Page: A28
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Copyright © 2002 by The Chronicle of Higher Education