Students now have the option of removing their Social Security numbers from transcripts, the University registrar announced.
The Student Association Senate passed a resolution in February asking the University to give students and alumni the opportunity to eliminate their SSN's from transcripts after the lobbying of third-year law student Aaron Titus.
"It's very encouraging," said Titus, who is the information privacy director of Liberty Coalition. "It is a real issue that affects students and it will help reduce the risk of identity theft."
University Registrar Elizabeth Amundson said GW decided not to eliminate SSNs from all transcripts, asserting it should be a student's choice to remove the number.
"There are, at present, differing opinions about the wisdom of entirely eliminating the SSN from all transcripts," Amundson said. "There is a balance that must be struck between striving to protect students and alumni from any potential identity theft and being able to conduct business in a society that unfortunately relies on the SSN in many areas."
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, whose membership includes GW, does not recommend the removal of SSNs. Barmak Nassirian, associate director for AACRAO, said the removal of the SSN on transcripts can cause organizational and identification confusion for recipients of transcripts.
"The SSN is as close as possible to uniquely identifying someone," Nassirian.
Amundson said the SSN removal might cause headaches for students and alumni.
"For some institutions receiving a GW transcript without an SSN, matching that transcript with an existing record may be more complicated," Amundson said. "I do believe that there may be some situations in which a GW student or alum will encounter difficulty."
Titus said institutions could use a person's full name, date of birth, address and other personal information to still correctly identify a person.
The Student Association Senate passed a resolution in February asking the University to give students and alumni the opportunity to eliminate their SSN's from transcripts after the lobbying of third-year law student Aaron Titus.
"It's very encouraging," said Titus, who is the information privacy director of Liberty Coalition. "It is a real issue that affects students and it will help reduce the risk of identity theft."
University Registrar Elizabeth Amundson said GW decided not to eliminate SSNs from all transcripts, asserting it should be a student's choice to remove the number.
"There are, at present, differing opinions about the wisdom of entirely eliminating the SSN from all transcripts," Amundson said. "There is a balance that must be struck between striving to protect students and alumni from any potential identity theft and being able to conduct business in a society that unfortunately relies on the SSN in many areas."
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, whose membership includes GW, does not recommend the removal of SSNs. Barmak Nassirian, associate director for AACRAO, said the removal of the SSN on transcripts can cause organizational and identification confusion for recipients of transcripts.
"The SSN is as close as possible to uniquely identifying someone," Nassirian.
Amundson said the SSN removal might cause headaches for students and alumni.
"For some institutions receiving a GW transcript without an SSN, matching that transcript with an existing record may be more complicated," Amundson said. "I do believe that there may be some situations in which a GW student or alum will encounter difficulty."
Titus said institutions could use a person's full name, date of birth, address and other personal information to still correctly identify a person.
