The most important thing to a college student, after partying, has to be sleep.
So, imagine your phone wakes you up at 9 a.m. After picking it up, thinking a phone call this early must be something important, you are greeted by the voice of yet another telemarketer offering you yet another credit card. This situation is becoming more of a common routine at Fairfield.
Students at Fairfield, as well as universities all over the country, have become accustomed to being solicited to get credit cards by phone and through their campus mail. In the most recent DOS Bulletin, released by the Dean of Students on Jan. 28, this issue was addressed.
The bulletin said “Fairfield University, as a matter of policy and standard procedure, does not share information about students to third parties so that students can be solicited for products and services.”
It added that companies do obtain this information, and students should notify the Office of the Dean of Students if they receive outside solicitations through campus mail or e-mail.
It has become commonplace for students to receive a letter in their campus box addressed to them for a Discover card or to receive phone calls asking for them specifically by name to apply for another Visa. Such personal interactions have caused students to question how these companies manage to receive their specific box number or campus extension.
When asked how these outside companies obtain private student information if the university does not share this information, Dean of Students Mark Reed said, “people guess e-mail addresses and box numbers all the time.”
Some students do not simply accept this explanation.
“I’ve moved three times in three years and every year they [outside companies] know my name and phone number,” said Lauren Fedechena ’05. “If companies are able to find out my number every year, then the university should do something more to protect my privacy.”
For other students the issue is not simply the solicitation, but the hours during which students are contacted.
“They [the companies] call knowing who I am and that I go to Fairfield,” said Patrick McHugh ’06. “I’m not happy that they call at odd hours, I don’t tolerate that at home, so why should I have to tolerate it here?”
“They always call at annoying times when you’re sleeping or hung-over,” said Adam Klich ’06.
Contrary to these student opinions, Reed said there have not been a number of complaints to his office or to others that he has checked with.
“There is no problem at Fairfield that I am aware of,” he said. “All I wanted students to know (with the bulletin) is that the university considers their information to be private and acts accordingly.”
The Fairfield University undergraduate student telephone and address guide (S.T.A.G.) is given out to students every year, with student approval that their personal information can be printed. This guide states that the misuse of the guide for unauthorized mailings will cause prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
“If the university doesn’t give out our numbers then this is the only way companies can find them,” said Fedechena. “Maybe Fairfield should actually start prosecuting.”
Reed suggested students exercise good judgment and caution to protect their private information.
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