Card
system faces problems
By Kristen Wooley
On-line Forty-Niner
 Cal
State Long Beach is changing things by issuing
new ID cards to students, but many students
wonder why.
“The state has mandated that Social Security
numbers no longer be used for identification
on campus,” Donna Soto, manager of ID Card
Services said. “It has to do with each student’s
individual right to privacy.”
Because of trouble in the past with students
getting their Social Security numbers stolen
and abused, not even the ID cards on campus
should have them, Soto said.
“Students have complained that their privacy
is being jeopardized so the state had to
take action,” Soto said.
Along with the new cards comes a new computer
system, which is updated with the student’s
current information.
“All of the equipment has been upgraded
in the office to accommodate the new information,”
Soto said. “That is probably the biggest
problem we are having, is little [problems]
in the computer systems, but nothing major.
This has been a pretty smooth transition
so far.”
As well as getting new ID cards, the registering
process has changed. The new system features
the choice to register online at My CSULB,
a new self-service option, or through the
new Interactive Response System.
The old system required students to enter
a PIN that was used every semester to access
their accounts. Now to begin the process,
students have to go online to create their
own PIN before they can even register by
phone if they choose.
“I found it so difficult to register this
semester,” Jamie Pena, a communications
major, said. “I couldn’t figure out how
to change my PIN online. I kept looking
through my paperwork from school, thinking
they had given me a PIN somewhere. By the
time I figured out how to create my own
PIN, I tried to register by phone and it
was almost too late to make my first registration
day.”
As far as the new ID cards being issued,
Pena believes that the process is also frustrating.
“I don’t know why they are issuing new cards.
All I know is the lines are very long to
turn in your information for the new one.
The lines are even longer if you want to
get a new picture taken,” Pena said.
Most students don’t know why this change
is happening, Soto said, but when they realize
that it’s for their own privacy it will
make more sense.
Students are encouraged to keep their old
ID cards for now because some of the systems
around campus have not been updated yet,
such as the library. Also, students should
keep them to access their Beach Club accounts.
“The new cards will be good for everything,
Beach Club accounts and meal plans, but
it is all still transitioning,” Soto said.
All students newly entering the campus will
be issued the new cards, while current students
have a choice in how to receive a new card.
They can go to the ID Card Services office
or order one online.
“We have about 5,000 cards done already.
All the students that have been working
in the office have been working long, hard
hours to get this project done. We are trying
to make things easy for students and appreciate
everyone’s patience,” Soto said.
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