PARIS to provide grades this semester

And to address privacy concerns that may result from the new technology, the Registrar's office is encouraging students to change their access code to PARIS immediately. The grade-listing function, which was installed on the computer system last semester, will list a student's course number, section number, and grade by alphabetical order for the last two semesters on record. Registrar Sanders said he expects students to use the grade-listing option almost as much as course-listing options. But Sanders said he is concerned with the problems that lie in the simplicity in getting access to records through PARIS. To enter the system, a person only needs to enter an identification, or Social Security, number, and a personal access code, normally a birthdate. Under federal law, people may only receive personal student records, including grades, from the institution if they have written permission from the student. Sanders emphasized it is easy for other people to learn those two pieces of information about students and illegally obtain their grade reports. Students will be able to change their personal access code as often as they wish and can change the code immediately. Sanders added that students should come to the Registrar's office with a valid PENNcard or another form of valid photo identification and complete a form to change the number. "We don't want to make this difficult," Sanders said. "We do want to make [students] aware [of security risks] . . . and keep their documents private." The registrar said that his office has mailed a letter detailing the new function to students. Sanders said the University decided it wanted grade-listing when it chose PARIS software from American Telephone and Telegraph, but that the basic program did not contain grade-listing abilities. Sanders said his office would be testing the PARIS's limits with the new grade-listing option over spring break, saying when they tested the system initially over winter break, it could not handle the increased demand. "We're trying to see if it will stand up to the expected volume of activity that it will receive from students," Sanders said. PARIS was installed in the fall of 1989 to both praise and criticism. Students have lauded the system as helpful, but said that there have been too many breakdowns and difficulties with the computerized system. Students have also complained that the system is impersonal.

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