Those on campus during the break should carry both ID cards, said Bruce Kline, assistant director of administrative services and technical services.

Kellerman said students graduating in December will not be issued a new card and the card's services, including LionCash+, will not be affected.

The re-issued cards will have each student's new Penn State ID number printed on the card and will not contain the student's Social Security number.

Joel Weidner, associate director of information systems, said the new number is a nine-digit algorithm in the form of 9-XXXX-XXXX.

Professors will be required to submit student grades earlier during finals week because the computer system will be temporarily shut down on Dec. 18 to convert Social Security numbers to the new ID numbers, Weidner added.

Kellerman said the new ID number will be used in place of the Social Security number as the university's primary identifier.

Kline said the university first began to use Social Security numbers because they were efficient.

"It was something people knew; it was unique, it was existing already," he said.

"The concern about [the use of Social Security numbers] goes back years."

He added that plans for the ID number conversion started about two years ago.

"[Identity theft] hasn't been a problem, but the university wants to prevent it from ever happening," Kellerman said.

The university will still use Social Security numbers for financial aid, medical records, and police, tax and employment purposes.

"Social Security number usage will now be very restricted and very confidential," Kline said.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said the new numbers would provide a new level of security for students, faculty and staff.

"We are probably one of the only bigger schools to do this, that I know of," Mahon said.

Philip Burlingame, assistant vice president for student affairs, said switching identification numbers was a unique undertaking.

"This is an extraordinary project here at Penn State," he said.