KENT, Ohio – To protect students from identity theft, Kent State University will issue new student ID numbers this October to replace more vulnerable Social Security numbers.
The new IDs are just part of a $23 million upgrade that has been underway since January 2006. Students will be able to access their identification numbers, called Banner IDs, when they log onto their FlashLine accounts in October. The university hopes eliminating the use of Social Security numbers will decrease instances of identity theft and Internet fraud.
However, students will still need to use their Social Security numbers for university employment and financial aid.
Besides switching to Banner IDs, the university is also working to unite all of the departments under one database system known as Enterprise Resource Planning. Web for Students, a branch of FlashLine where students can schedule their classes, will receive an upgrade as well. After the improvements, it will be become Banner Self Service and will be open to students at all hours, not just until midnight.
Authorities expect to complete the project by June 2008.
