GDS Attributes

Many attributes or types of personal information are currently available through the Global Directory Service. Please note that the GDS is evolving over time to meet the needs of the USC community. If your department is interested in attributes that are not listed here, please ask for them in your attribute access request.

An overview of the attributes available in the current GDS is provided below. The full data dictionary for GDS is available at http://its.usc.edu/~bbellina/gds/.

Names
Names are available in a single field (e.g., “Ida Mae Miller”) or in separate component fields (e.g., first or given name, middle name, last or family name). Username is the name-based identifier used in enterprise login procedures (e.g., imiller); it is also known as the USC Net-ID.

Other Identifiers

• USC ID number – 10-digit number assigned through the Person Registry; the USC ID number is most valuable when you need to link or cross-reference information received from various sources
• Historical USC ID numbers – GDS maintains a record of all USC ID numbers ever associated with a person’s record. Since an individual may have been assigned more than one USC ID number over time, applications can reduce the risk of authentication failing by building in the ability to check for any USC ID number ever assigned to the person.
• USC pvid – a unique, persistent identifier; better than USC ID number when linking information across systems is not necessary, since pvid never changes (whereas the USC ID number can change).
• Employee ID – seven digit number assigned by the Payroll system
• PID, SIS PID – seven digit number assigned by the Student Information System (SIS)
• Note: Social Security Numbers and passwords are not available through GDS.

University Affiliation
The individual’s primary role in the University community: student, faculty, staff, sponsored guests. Students, faculty and staff are considered “members” of the University. Sponsored guests or affiliates include all individuals who are not regular students, faculty or staff, but who need access to University services or privileges (e.g., employees of affiliated organizations, like LAC+USC hospital; individuals employed through temporary staffing agencies; medical residents and interns; and volunteer faculty).

Contact Information

• USC email address
• Preferred email address (for employees only)
• Work telephone
• Work address

Organization Unit

• For employees, Home Department, Home Division, Directory Department, Directory Division (all are by name, not code number)
• For students, POST Codes and Owning Units for POST Codes
• For sponsored guests, the sponsoring department

Entitlement
This attribute simply conveys that the person is entitled to use the application; it offers no personal information about the individual.

Academic Classes

• For students, the classes in which they are enrolled.
• For instructors, teaching assistants and other instructional roles, the classes they are teaching or assisting.

Note: All Class information is available for the prior, current and next terms only.

Employment Status
Active – Includes staff and faculty in the “Active” status in the Payroll system, plus those on sabbatical and other types of leaves, and those in a variety of special administrative categories. Active also includes those in pre-employment status.