UFID
General
Q: What is the UFID?
Q. Why did UF introduce the
UFID?
Q: Why did UF switch from using SSN
to using the new UFID number?
Q. Does the University continue to
keep my SSN in their records?
Q: How can I find out my UFID
number?
Q. Do I need a Gator 1 Card?
Q. How are UFID numbers assigned for
new employees or students?
Q. Can I change my UFID number?
Q. What’s the difference between
GatorLink and UFID?
For Departmental Administrators
Q. What is the UF Directory?
Q. How do I get the UFID numbers for
my current or past faculty, staff or students?
Q. Who has authority to assign UFID
numbers?
Q. How can I make sure I don’t
assign a UFID to a person who already has one?
Q. How does the UFID work with
temporary Student IDs currently assigned whe someone does not
have a SSN?
Q. Are UFID numbers for
organizations different than UFID numbers for people?
Q. Do I have to destroy paper files
or forms that have an SSN included?
Q. Do I have to eliminate SSN from
my old computer records?
Q. How do I get approval to continue
using SSN data?
Q. How can I learn more?
For Faculty and Staff
Q. Can I post grades using the UFID number instead of the last four digits of SSN?
For Students
UFID Project
Q: Who supported the project?
Q. How was the work done?
Q. When was the work done?
Q: How can I learn more?
General
What is the UFID?
Implemented on January 21, 2003, the UFID is an identifier for
all University of Florida faculty, staff and students. The UFID
is an eight–digit number displayed using a dash between the
fourth and fifth digits as in 1234–5678.
Why did UF introduce the UFID?
For many years, UF relied on the Social Security number (SSN) to
serve as an identifier for the people UF serves. Privacy
advocates and others had urged UF to adopt its own identifier
and use SSN only for required purposes when dealing with outside
agencies. In August 2001, a University task force convened by the provost
studied the problem of replacing the SSN and recommended
creation of the UFID number. Click here to view the recommendations. UFIDs were
officially implemented on January 21, 2003.
Why did UF switch from using SSN
to using the new UFID number?
The University of Florida is committed to protecting your
privacy and strongly supports a growing national trend that
discourages the use of Social Security numbers (SSNs) as student
or employee identification numbers. Many people are concerned
with the problem of identity theft and this is just one small
contribution the University can make to reduce the likelihood of
this occurring.
Does the University continue to
keep my SSN in their records?
Yes. Your Social Security number is still required by federal or
state law for certain transactions such as payroll and financial
aid. The University will continue to collect and store SSN, but
it will be used in very limited cases and in more secure
environments.
How can I find out my UFID
number?
You can obtain your UFID number on–line, click on the What’s my UFID? logo.
As a security measure, you must provide your GatorLink username
and password, or SSN and birth date. You may also find your UFID
number in the myUFL portal under My Account > My Roles.
Do I need a Gator 1 Card?
Gator 1 Cards, which have the UFID number printed on the front,
are being issued to Staff, Faculty, and Students. The Gator 1
Card gives you access to gated parking, libraries, computer
labs, vending, Gator Dining, recreation centers, etc.–– anywhere
you currently use your Gator 1 Card. To find a carding locations
near you, visit the ID Card Services.
How are UFID numbers assigned
for new employees or students?
UFID numbers are assigned at the first point of contact,
typically the Registrar’s Office for student applicants and the
personnel office for employee applicants. A UFID number is
assigned to anyone who is affiliated with the University; even
applicants who later decide to attend or work someplace else.
Can I change my UFID number?
Once issued, UFID numbers will not be easily changed. If you
feel your number is compromised, please contact the UF Help Desk (392–HELP). Your
situation will be reviewed to determine whether a change is
required.
What’s the difference between
GatorLink and UFID?
Your UFID number is used to identify who you are. Your GatorLink
username and password is used to access computer resources.
For Departmental Administrators
What is the UF Directory?
A campus–wide directory was created under the direction of the
Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC)– Data
Infrastructure and Administrative Computing Committee
(DI&ADM). The UFID numbering system is managed through the
UF Directory. This directory is the single, authoritative
source for contact information about individuals. More
information about the Directory Project can be found at www.bridges.ufl.edu/directory.
How do I get the UFID numbers
for my current or past faculty, staff or students?
An application to look up individuals via a variety of
identifiers, including SSN and GatorLink ID, and return a UFID
is available the myUFL portal. Navigate to Quick Links > Admin
Menu > Administrative Services > UFID Group Translator.
Authorized departmental staff can submit up to 500 SSNs and
obtain corresponding UFID numbers for their employees and
students. Access to this application (1189–UFID Group
Translator) must be requested by your unit’s Security
Administrator. A detailed description of four options available
for translating UFID to SSN (and vice versa) is available on–line.
On January 21, 2003, in addition to current students and employees, UFID numbers were assigned to any individual who attended UF since 1974 (and earlier in some cases) or anyone who has worked at UF since mid–1984. If you have records prior to these dates you should contact the UF Help Desk at 392–HELP or helpdesk@ufl.edu.
Who has authority to assign UFID
numbers?
Each department or unit is able to designate a person or persons
to serve as a Directory Coordinator. Directory Coordinators may
serve as “first point of contact” by adding new students,
employees and others who are affiliated with the University to
the Directory. This action causes a UFID number to be assigned.
How can I make sure I don’t
assign a UFID to a person who already has one?
As contact information about a particular person is entered
using the Add Person function, (e.g., name, date of birth,
address, organization UFID, etc.) the UFID assignment software
will alert you if that individual already has a UFID. Providing
more contact information will make it easier to avoid duplicate
entries. In addition, the University Directory Administrator
will routinely check for any potential identity errors.
How does the UFID work with
temporary Student IDs currently assigned when someone does not
have a SSN?
It works great! At the point of first contact, a UFID number
will be assigned. This is a permanent number and will not
change. For most students, this UFID assignment is likely to
occur when the University accepts a valid application.
International students must continue to work with the
appropriate offices (e.g., Student Financial Affairs or
International Student Services) when a valid SSN is obtained.
Are UFID numbers for
organizations different than UFID numbers for people?
Yes. Organization UFID numbers were initially set up to equal
the full eight character Authority Code value (e.g., College of
Medicine Dean’s Office UFID is HC29–0100). This value is
commonly used by, and can be obtained from, each unit’s
administrative staff. Organization UFID numbers will eventually
be randomly assigned values consisting of both alphabetic and
numeric characters. UFIDs assigned to people will continue to be
restricted to numeric characters (i.e., zero through nine) as
previously described.
Do I have to destroy paper files
or forms that have an SSN included?
No, you do not have to destroy hard copy files or forms.
However, any forms or files used after January 20, 2003 must not
contain SSN data unless prior approval has been obtained.
Do I have to eliminate SSN from
my old computer records?
Yes, you should replace SSN data with UFID numbers in all
computer records. While the conversion of historical records
does not require completion by January 21, 2003, you should have
a plan for completing the conversion over the next few months.
How do I get approval to
continue using SSN data?
If you believe your department or unit needs to use SSN data,
either permanently or for a transition period, please send a
detailed justification to the UF Help Desk at 392–HELP or helpdesk@ufl.edu. If your
request is not approved, you will need to revise and order new
forms, change computer programs, etc. It will be extremely rare
for any unit to need locally–stored SSN data so very few
exemptions will be granted. If your unit deals with an outside
vendor that requires SSN identifiers, you may request access to
SSN data for products (i.e., files or reports) sent to vendors.
However, this does not mean the SSN needs to be saved locally.
When creating a new UFID by adding someone to the Directory, it
is appropriate to enter SSN data, but the SSN should not be
retained in local records.
How can I learn more?
The Bridges Web site has more information about
UFID numbers, the UF Directory, and this project. Go to Services
> UFID or UF Directory.
For Faculty and Staff
Can I post grades using the UFID
number instead of the last four digits of SSN?
No. Identifiers including Social Security numbers and UFID
numbers are not to be displayed with grades. Per requirements
set forth by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA), using partial ID numbers constitutes a breach of
confidence. For further information, refer to Associate Provost
Joe Glover’s DDD memo issued on January 22, 2003.
For Students
How do I log onto ISIS?
ISIS now requires a GatorLink username and password. The PIN
system (formerly used to access ISIS) was officially retired
from service on January 21, 2003.
UFID Project
Who supported the project?
The Office of Information Technology sponsored the
Directory/UFID Project. Warren Curry was the UFID Project
Manager. Willy Rechsteiner led the programming effort which
involved developers from UF Information Systems who worked
with staff from NERDC and the Health Science Center to produce
databases, numbering and tools. Diane Craig led the
communication effort to inform the UF community of the new UFID
number.
How was the work done?
Design, programming and documentation began in earnest in
November 2001. A central group of developers associated with the
project produced programming interfaces (APIs) and applications.
Developers across UF met every other Friday in Frazier Rogers
Hall. Literally thousands of software programs were changed to
accommodate the change to UFIDs. Units across UF are modifying
local processes, forms, software and databases to eliminate the
unnecessary use of SSN and substitute UFID as appropriate.
- Application programming interfaces (APIs) were developed and made available beginning in June 2002 to help programmers prepare for conversion.
- Individuals with valid Gator 1 Cards were assigned UFID numbers in October 2002.
- A communication campaign to inform students, faculty and staff of the new UFID number began in October 2002.
- A web–based self–service interface for obtaining one’s UFID number was made available in November 2002.
- A SSN–to–UFID translator (1189 on Admin Menu) was made available in December 2002.
- Directory Coordinator training began January 7, 2003.
- Conversion of major central systems to utilize new UF Directory and implement UFID as identifiers occurred January 18–20, 2003.
- Manage Directory Information (1264) was available to Directory coordinators on January 21, 2003.
- A self–service, web–based application that allows individuals to manage some of their own contact information was made available on January 21, 2003.
- The Retrieve Departmental Affiliates (1266) application became available on February 4, 2003.
How can I learn more?
The Bridges Web site has more information about
UFID numbers, the UF Directory, and this project. Go to Services
> UFID or UF Directory.
