OAR 589-004-0400 authorizes Mt. Hood Community College to ask you to provide your social security number. The number will be used by the college for keeping records, doing research, aggregate reporting, and extending credit and collecting debts. Your number also will be provided by the college to the Oregon Community College Unified Reporting System (OCCURS), which is a group made up of all community colleges in Oregon, the State Office of Community College Services and the Oregon Community College Association. OCCURS gathers information about students and programs to meet state and federal reporting requirements. It also helps colleges plan, research and develop programs. This information helps the colleges to support the progress of students and their success in the workplace and other educational programs. When conducting studies, MHCC will disclose your Social Security Number only in a manner that does not permit personal identification of you by individuals other than representatives of MHCC (or the organization conducting the study for MHCC). By providing your social security number, you are consenting to the uses identified below. Provision of your Social Security Number and consent to its use is not required and if you choose not to do so, you will not be denied any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law. You may revoke your consent for the use of your Social Security Number at anytime by contacting the Admissions, Registration & Records Office.
OCCURS and the college also may match your social security number with records from the following systems:
- State and private universities, colleges and vocational schools, to find out how many community college students go on with their education and to find out whether community college courses are a good basis for further education.
- help state and local agencies plan education and training services to help Oregon citizens get the best jobs available.
- The Oregon Department of Education to provide reports to local, state and federal governments. The information is used to learn about education, training and job market trends for planning, research and program improvement.
- The Workers Compensation Division, to track the successful retraining of injured workers. In addition, the college may release your social security number to business firms under contract with the college for research, planning and program development purposes. In such cases, strict confidentiality is part of the contractual agreement with the firm. Your number will be used only for the purposes listed above. State and federal law protects the privacy of your records.
- The Oregon Department of Revenue and collection agencies only for purposes of processing debts and only if credit is extended to you by the college.
- The National Student Clearinghouse for student financial aid processing and/or research on transfer.
- The Internal Revenue Service, to provide required information related to the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.
In addition, the college may release your social security number to business firms under contract with the college for research, planning and program development purposes. In such cases, strict confidentiality is part of the contractual agreement with the firm. Your number will be used only for the purposes listed above. State and federal law protects the privacy of your records.