Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                            Matt Dulin                             Tony Hernandez 
                Jim Parsons             Dusti Rhodes           Richard Whitrock

Take a number

After 1,300 Texas A&M University students had their Social Security numbers accidentally posted last year, officials there became painfully aware of the threat of identity theft.

Now a system is being implemented at Texas A&M that gives each student a universal identification number printed on his or her student ID, which will be used instead of Social Security numbers. 

Sounds familiar.

Now it's UH that's looking for new student ID numbers, months after 165 physics students learned that their Social Security numbers were posted publicly and may have been available on the Internet.

The initiative, pushed by the Student Government Association, needs the support of each part of the campus community: the students, faculty, staff and administration. So many aspects of the University rely on the use of one's Social Security number, grades being chief among them, that the issue involves all of the University's working parts.

A week after being signed by SGA President Jon Quintanilla, the bill to require such a change is already in the hands of the Faculty Senate, the Undergraduate Council and UH President Jay Gogue.

There, we hope the measure will receive the backing it needs to become reality.

Dozens of universities have taken similar measures to protect student privacy, and it's completely necessary for UH to follow suit. Dragging our feet now only allows the threat to linger.

The logistical adjustments needed to accommodate a new ID system should be relatively painless. Students already have an alternate number on their IDs, which the library and other services use. The numbers are tied to the student's Social Security number, but the number is never revealed publicly.

We urge UH's working parts to back up the measure to protect student privacy and get the bill implemented.