In the Fall of 2005 in response to growing concerns about identity theft and the protection of personal information, Mississippi State University (MSU) announced plans to abandon the use of the Social Security Number (SSN) as the student and employee ID number. The plan called for the SSN to be replaced with a new, MSU-generated nine digit number known as the MSU ID number. It also required issuance of new MSU ID cards to all employees and students and outlined a timeframe of approximately one year to complete the transition. Completion of this project in the Fall of 2006 has limited the use of SSNs to essential business requirements only, and access to SSNs for these purposes is granted on a restricted, as-needed basis.
