The online environment at Université Concordia is set for an overhaul with the launch of a new Student Information System that will support student-related services, processes and business functions at the Montreal campus. Concordia’s new system is expected to improve a number of online services for students and also features a new self-service portal that can be accessed with existing university usernames and passwords.

An added wrinkle to the move, however, is that the new information system requires an eight-digit student identification number — a change that will see Concordia IDs change from its legacy system that uses a 7-digit numbering system.

According to the Concordia’s official website, the university began preparing for the changeover back in August when all new ID cards issued featured the new 8-digit number sequence. The new cards feature 8-digit numbers that all begin with a “2” and are compatible with the new Student Information System. These credentials were obviously issued before the launch of the new system, so students who received the 8-digit cards were asked to “Drop the 2 if you are new.”

For those students still donning a 7-digit ID card will be able to use the new system without having to be issued a new credential. University officials are reminding students to “Add a ‘2,’ good as new.” The university is not issuing new IDs for students with seven-digit card numbers, though any replacement cards will feature the new eight-digit ID.

In situations where an ID number must be entered manually – paying your tuition at a bank or accessing certain resources online – students must add a “2” at the beginning of their 7-digit ID number to complete the new 8-digit number.

Aside from having to add the extra digit when manually entering their ID numbers, university officials expect the transition to be a relatively seamless one for students. The university stresses that the old 7-digit ID numbers are adjusted automatically when scanned.