Student I.D. numbers to change at Seattle Central Community College

Seattle – Preparations are under way to assign new student identification numbers (SID) for students at Seattle Central Community College during Spring Quarter 2002.

Currently, individual social security numbers are used as the primary identifier for student records. However, a privacy protection bill (SB 5509) passed by the Washington State Legislature last year restricts colleges from using social security numbers for this purpose after June 30, 2002.

New identification numbers are being randomly assigned through the administrative software used by community colleges throughout the state of Washington. Representatives from major departments throughout the Seattle Community College District are working together on a conversion committee to implement the changeover.

Students will receive their new numbers in a special mailing to their home addresses during April. Students who are registered or use services at more than one of the Seattle Community Colleges (North, South, or Seattle Central) will receive a single identification number for use throughout the District.

The conversion to new 9-digit I.D. numbers will occur the weekend of April 26-28, and the new SID numbers will be used beginning Monday, April 29. Students will be issued new, free I.D. cards following the conversion, and will pick them up at a campus location to be announced. Students will need to provide identification, including current college I.D., to pick up their new cards.

Beginning April 29, students will need their new SID number to access Web and TouchTone services, to register, and use other student services. The new number will appear on class rosters and other college documents and records where the social security number now shows.

Although the social security number will not be listed as the primary student identifier, Seattle Central will still need to record it for a number of uses, including financial aid, Hope Scholarship and Lifelong Learning tuition tax credits, employment verification, workforce or unemployment data, and transcripts.

Information on the change can be found on the Seattle Central Community College hompage (seattlecentral.org) or by calling the Seattle Central Registrar’s Office at (206) 934-6918.