By
Mindy Jones
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Policies change the way university operates
Legislation passed last year prohibits the use of social security numbers for public reference, but UA officials say processes haven't been completely modified yet.
Sharon Kha, University of Arizona spokeswoman, said changes in legislation and privacy issues caused the university to find an alternative way to operate.
However, since the UA is not mandated to comply with the legislation until 2002, teachers are required to slowly transition into a new method of posting grades, she said.
As part of this transition, Student Link, which is accessed by social security number, will soon be replaced with an updated system called Cosmos.
"Student Link is a part of the technical problem we have," Kha said. "It is an old system and is centered completely around social security numbers."
In contrast, the new system, will not be based on social security numbers, she said.
The legislature as well as the Arizona Board of Regents gave the UA permission to continue using Student Link until the new system is fully implemented.
Randall Richardson, the president of undergraduate admissions, said that the university is trying to address the "spirit" of the legislation before it becomes state law.
Citing a memo sent to deans, directors and department heads, he said that teachers are encouraged to discontinue any use of social security numbers in posting grades.
While the legislation goes as far as forbidding the posting of four-consecutive digits of a student's social security number in any public domain, an alternative option is not offered.
"I would rather see teachers have the ability to decide how to handle this change," he said. "They can take a creative approach instead of having it mandated."
Tom Fleming, associate astronomer and lecturer, assigned his astronomy 203 class names of stars in order to post grades.
The idea, he said, was to make grades available to students in a safe manner that was also academically beneficial to the students.
Each student is given a star name at the beginning of the semester and any information pertaining to that student is posted under that name.
This eliminates a security problem that Fleming said is illegal and wrong.
"There are only certain agencies that are allowed to use the social security numbers," he said. "I refuse to have the number on my license or my CatCard."
Some students agree that private information, such as social security numbers should not be readily available to everyone.
James Gallinger, a molecular and cellular biology sophomore, said that some of his professors use "secret code" words to identify the students in their classes.
This system is preferred, he said, because it offers more privacy to the individual.
"Posting social security numbers is potentially harmful," Gallinger said. "If some one really wanted to do something to you they could get your number very easily."
