Student concerned about privacy, social security issues on campus
Editor:
Last week when I went to the Business Office to cash a check, I was asked to give my social security number to the woman seated behind the counter.
I was taken aback by this request. Why did she do that? I wondered. Then I thought maybe so she can pull up my records faster. To be completely honest, I would rather wait ten minutes than give out that nine digit number.
Never mind the fact that people were near by-I don’t know everyone on campus, so why should I trust anyone with my personal information, especially my social security number? Okay, so the attendant could have had me write the number down. To what end? So that little piece of paper could get lost behind a notebook, or end up in the trash? I don’t think so.
The Business Office could have requested that I write down the information they needed, and then hand the sheet back to me. But I trust my information to my cranium more than a crinkled piece of scratch paper.
The point I am making is this: no transaction at this university is important enough that I am willingly going to give out my social security number. I demand that Dr. Leland and the University Senate take strides to prevent identity theft. The first step is to eliminate the need to pull up student records with social security numbers. Secondly, reducing the number to its last four digits on payroll stubs and internet passwords is not going to curb the threat of identity theft.
I suggest that authorities work quickly to make me more secure about any exchange of information on the campus of Georgia College and State University.
Andrew Townsend
Economics
Freshman
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 8 2004. Filed under Opinion.
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