Subject: Institute Change in SSN Use

To All Faculty/Staff

Effective March 1, 2003, a Georgia Tech Identification Number, known as gtID#, will be assigned to all current Georgia Tech students, faculty, staff, affiliates, and associates.

The new gtID# will allow Georgia Tech to stop the common practice of identifying individuals by their social security numbers (SSNs). Changes in business practices, along with the increased number of automated systems in use across the campus, has created the need to be able to identify all Georgia Tech constituents by a single unique identifier. New Tech constituents will be assigned a gtID# as part of the normal administrative processes when they join Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech will continue to collect and use SSNs where legally required. However, SSNs will no longer be used as the key identifier in our automated systems. This will help protect individual privacy and greatly reduce the risk of identification theft for the Georgia Tech community as established in the Institute’s new Social Security policy.

When will I use my gtID#?

All employees are assigned an Employee ID when they are hired. This identifier is mainly used for processing within the PeopleSoft system. For this reason, your Employee ID will not change. The Employee ID will continue to be used in all OHR administrative processes and AP travel reimbursements.

Applications, like OSCAR, requiring your social security number for logon purposes will now require your gtID#. A gtID# “lookup link” will be provided on an application’s login page so you can quickly find your gtID# when needed.

Please note - Banner users - You were assigned a PIN to use when logging on to OSCAR. Your PIN is not changing. However, this PIN is like any other password; you should change it frequently. Date of birth, gtID#, SSN, or any other obvious piece of information should never be used as a PIN. After you logon to the secured access on OSCAR, go to the "Personal Information Menu" and change your PIN. This is an important step you can take to help protect your own identity information.

Do I need a new BuzzCard?

No, it is not necessary to obtain a new BuzzCard. Your current card will still be accepted across the campus without any interruption in service. After March 1, 2003 you will have the option of obtaining a new BuzzCard at no charge. The new BuzzCard displays your gtID# on the front of the card. Please note, you will be required to exchange your current BuzzCard for the new BuzzCard design, which contains the gtID#.

Who will receive a gtID# and why?

The Georgia Tech population is comprised of many other groups besides faculty, staff, and students. These other groups - like consultants, temps, visiting scholars/researchers, and alumni – will use the gtID# to be identified as eligible participants to receive appropriate services such as the BuzzCard, parking, or SAC privileges. The gtID# will be used campus-wide as the unique identifier for many business processes.

What is my new gtID#?

After March 1, 2003 you will be able to look up your new gtID# at http://www.gtid.gatech.edu. Visit this gtID# Information web site to learn more about the purpose and use of the new gtID#. Questions? E-mail gtid@ask.gatech.edu.