Our Take

Majority opinions of The Red &?Black's editorial board

By:

Posted: 10/2/08

Invasion of privacy

The Registrar's office will revamp Web site to explain information restriction

In this modern age, when stalking is as easy as logging onto Facebook or typing a name into Google, the University isn't helping when it comes to students' privacy.

The University directory - which is available both online and in hard copy - contains all contact information for students.

Under the 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the University is prohibited from releasing a student's information - even to potential employers or insurance companies - if the student places it on restriction.

Students have the option of restricting their information through OASIS, but they unintentionally prevent the University from releasing any information to anyone - including whether or not the person is even enrolled. However, on OASIS, no information about FERPA is given.

The Registrar's office plans to revamp its Web site to contain more comprehensive knowledge about FERPA. The Red & Black editorial board supports this - students must be privy to all information about what a restriction actually entails.

Although we understand OASIS is too expensive to update, even Facebook has a Limited Profile option.

Why can't the directory just list our names and e-mail addresses, rather than home addresses and cell phone numbers?

Better yet, why not make the directory a part of MyUGA so only those affiliated with the University have access? The current all-or-nothing approach is both misleading and inconvenient.

If a restriction is in place, students can stop by the Registrar's office to pick up a confirmation of enrollment, and, unlike transcripts, they're free.

The University should make every effort to protect the privacy of its students from unaffiliated parties. Our information should be more difficult to access, but still available to the right people.

Ultimately, the University should be restricting our information for us, rather than us restricting it from the University.

- Shannon Otto for the editorial board

Budget crunching

The University will wait for feedback before cancelling journal subscriptions

The University decided to postpone canceling academic journal subscriptions until January, giving the administration more time to solicit feedback from faculty members.

The Red & Black editorial board commends this decision. The University needs to prioritize subscriptions so it can serve students and survive the budget crunch.

As reported in today's paper, subscriptions range from as little as $20 to more than $12,000, with the average cost at about $1,000.

This average amount makes it way to expensive for a student to spring for a journal subscription. But with the state calling for 6 percent to 10 percent budget cuts, an expensive journal subscription no one uses is a waste.

The University should spend the extra time examining how many people use the journals, which journals provide overlapping information and if any other sources of information are available.

- Kristen Coulter for the editorial board