Several hundred male College students last week received an unsolicited, unsigned letter from a homosexual man who says he compiled a mailing list with information obtained "through the College" -- raising questions about the confidentiality of student information.
Male students and some female students with gender-neutral names received the letter, in which the man described himself as one whose "experiences trying to find someone have been disappointing."
Soliciting correspondence from college students, the letter described the man's interests and noted a post office box in Cambridge, Mass. as the return address.
In a telephone interview with The Dartmouth, the man, who spoke on the condition he not be named, said he did not obtain the information from the Internet, but from a source at the College he did not wish to reveal.
He wrote in an e-mail message that "the information was all publicly available" and none of his actions were illegal.
The man said he has mailed almost 10,000 similar letters to students at several Ivy League schools.
"I just want to find someone gay that I like," he wrote.
The recent incident calls into question the availability of student information to people outside Dartmouth.
Currently, student names, class years and campus addresses are available through Dartmouth's World Wide Web page, the Dartmouth College Directory or by simply calling any administrative office on campus.
College officials are authorized to release any of 14 items of personal information about students to anyone who calls a College office and requests it.
This was confirmed by a reporter for The Dartmouth, who in a few minutes of phone calls to College offices, was able to obtain the campus phone number, Hinman Box number, home address, home phone number and major of a member of our staff.
In accordance with the 1974 Family and Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the College is permitted to release a student's "name, age, dates of enrollment and residence, major, degrees awarded, awards and honors, addresses and telephone number, date and place of birth, relationship to an alumnus or alumna of the College, most recent school previously attended, extracurricular activities, weight and height of members of athletic teams and other similar information."
The Student Handbook mandates that this information "may be disclosed without restriction unless the student objects in writing to the Office of the Dean of the College."
Senior Associate Dean of the College Dan Nelson said he doubts the man could have received the information directly through the College since his office, which must approve such requests, normally does not provide student mailing lists to outside organizations.
But he said "no college or university has a foolproof means of preventing individuals and organizations" from making improper use of directories.
Associate College Counsel Sean Gorman agreed it is difficult for the College to keep outsiders from abusing student directory information.
Being listed as a Dartmouth student is no different than being listed in a phone book, Gorman said, in that once the information is there, "unscrupulous people" can get to it.
Gorman said the letter is not necessarily an issue that requires College intervention.
Nevertheless, Dean of the College Lee Pelton said the letter was a concern.
"It would be useful to know how he received a name or several names," he said, stressing that he did not believe the information would have come directly from a College office.
Pelton said although legislation gives the College freedom to release students' personal information, the administration is "very, very careful" about doing so and would "lean in the direction of not releasing [it]."
Students may request that certain information not be released under any circumstances.
A "flag" placed in the students' computer files indicate what information "can be released and what can't," so administrators "should know" what information is public, Alison Gorman said.
Computing Services Associate Director for Consulting Randy Spydell said there actually is no way for students to limit outside Internet access to their directory information without removing that same information from their Darmouth Name Directory entry on BlitzMail.
