Spring 2017 Dear Parents, It is the practice of Mt. San Antonio College to collect Social Security numbers from its enrolled students. We do this under the authority of, and in accordance with, the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects your students’ privacy by strictly limiting how their information is stored and used. In these times, the collection of SSNs is naturally of concern. I’d like to address some common questions and provide some assurances. Q: A:

Why do you need it? The State of California cannot track the success of its students, as a whole, without SSNs. The SSN is the only common identifier that crosses school and district boundaries. Without state-level reporting of student SSNs, there is no consistent way to determine the successful transition of high school students into colleges, vocational training, or careers. Mt. SAC Continuing Education programs, including our high school programs, are accountable to the State of California for outcomes. Many of our students move from our education programs into college credit programs and employment. Without SSNs, there is no consistent way to report these successes. We can’t help the state and its taxpayers know how well we’re doing without that data. Ultimately, if colleges are prevented from collecting the data they need to show student progress, their public funding is called into question, and their ability to offer educational programs to the community is threatened.

Q: A:

Will my child’s SSN be used as an identification number? No. A separate, random ID number is assigned. The SSN is not printed on ID cards, student rosters, or other printed reports. It is not visible on the registration screens used by our clerks for everyday registration transactions.

Q: A:

Will my child’s SSN be given out? No.

Mt. San Antonio College has exemplary practices of serving students while protecting their privacy. For more information on privacy, you may wish to access the following link: http:/www.mtsac.edu/administration/infosecurity/ Thank you for your cooperation. We are privileged to serve your students. Sincerely,

Lesley M. Johnson Director, Adult Education