University students concerned about privacy issues can now log onto DuckWeb to update and restrict personal information listed in the University’s online directory.
The new option enables students to restrict names, e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, student status and majors listed on the online directory.
All information is listed by default.
University Registrar Herb Chereck worked with former ASUO President Adam Petkun and former Vice President for Student Affairs Anne Leavitt to revamp the system after students complained last year.
“Last year, the policy was basically an ‘all or nothing,’ and we were getting calls from some students who felt very strongly opposed to having their e-mail address listed while other students didn’t want people to know where they lived,” Chereck said. “Now with the new policy students have options.”
The print directory was discontinued last year partly because telemarketers were purchasing it, Chereck said. All student phone numbers and addresses were removed from the online directory last winter.
Student information is still available to anyone who calls the Registrar’s Office unless a Restriction of Directory Information form is filed with the registrar, Chereck said.
“If someone were to call us for student information, we can release that under the University’s student records policy,” he said.
The Department of Public Safety uses the online directory to help return people’s recovered property.
DPS Sgt. Lynn Brown said the directory is one of many tools used to locate owners of lost or stolen property, and students listed in the online directory are much easier to locate.
“It’s standard practice to do the best that we can to locate the owner of lost or stolen property and there are certainly benefits to having a listing online,” Brown said.
The current policy on property recovered by DPS states items of little or no value will be delivered to the EMU Break and those items DPS determines to be valuable are held for 90 days. After 60 days, DPS runs an advertisement in The Register-Guard and posts information at the EMU Break.
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