Nichols seeks halt to credit card policy

Jennifer Knight

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002 | 9:48 a.m.

University system Chancellor Jane Nichols wants the state's schools to stop releasing information on students to credit card companies.

Nichols has asked the Board of Regents to discontinue the practice, in which the schools receive a profit when students sign up and use the cards.

Nichols' recommendation comes in the wake of a Sun story that reported three Nevada institutions of higher learning were profiting by releasing to credit card companies the names, addresses and phone numbers of students and alumni.

"I do not think under any circumstances we should be selling or renting student lists no matter what the situation," Nichols said.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' alumni office and the Community College of Southern Nevada release the names of students and alumni; the University of Nevada, Reno Foundation releases only lists of student donors, in addition to alumni, Nichols said.

UNLV makes about $100,000 annually as a result of the alumni and student mailing list, which includes 47,000 names.

CCSN's list includes about 20,000 names and the school makes about $16,000 annually; UNR gets about $58,000 each year.

Nichols said UNLV attempts to protect student information by hiring a mailing house to handle the lists. CCSN has made it a practice to submit the lists directly to the credit card company as part of an agreement signed by Richard Moore, the school's former president, she said.

The American Civil Liberties Union, calling it a violation of privacy, adamantly opposes the release of student information.

And Gary Peck, executive director of the Nevada ACLU, said regents should go even further.

"We believe that they need to protect faculty and alumni the same way that they want to protect students," Peck said.

Nichols said she plans to give regents several options in regard to dealing with the issue when the board meets Jan. 24-25 in Las Vegas.

Regent Steve Sisolak, who initiated the discussion based on a student complaint, said the chancellor's proposal is a good start.

"I think this issue worth talking about," Sisolak said.

Said Nichols, "Overall, this (issue) has created a useful discussion as to what is in the best interest of students," Nichols said.

Sisolak said he also is willing to consider giving students a chance to opt out of the program.

Students are informed of their rights in regard to the release of the personal information, though the notice is often buried in the back of the class schedule.