Card Key Resolution Draws Near

A dispute about the effect of electronic card key entry data on student privacy is nearing a resolution, Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said yesterday.

Jewett met yesterday with Robert W. Yalen '95, director of the Civil Laberties Union at Harvard (CLUH), yesterday to discuss a CLUH proposal asking the University to set specific procedures for the use of card key information.

Jewett is currently reviewing the proposal and expects to reach an agreement with CLUH in the near future.

"All I'm doing is editing and changing the statement," Jewett said. "There are few philosophical differences with CLUH."

Every time a first-year uses a card key to enter a door, a central computer system in the Yard Superintendent's office records the student's identity and the time and the location of the entry.

The information is stored by the University in a computer database and erased one month later.

However, civil libertarians have expressed concern over the possible abuse of this information. Specifically, CLUH questions the use of card key data in Administrative Board disciplinary proceedings.

"The members of the Ad Board could be inappropriately swayed by the information," said Robert W. Yalen '95, director of CLUH. "Our biggest concern is that the information would be used without the student's knowledge at Ad Board proceedings."

Jewett said the information could aid security efforts to prevent theft and vandalism as well as more violent crimes. The dean said the information could be useful to the Ad Board as corroborating evidence in disciplinary hearings.

"If it does provide helpful information, it would not be unreasonable to use this material," Jewett said.

Yet Jewett agreed with CLUH's stance that students should have access to their own data.

"It is the right of the students to have their own record, or to have an alibi," Jewett said.

And while Jewett would not preclude use of the information in Ad Board proceedings, he said that the Univer- sity would not normally release the information without the student's consent.

"It's clearly not going to be used except in cases of violent crimes, or theft," he said.

Yalen said he expects a compromise with Jewett soon, although he said he regrets that the information may still be used in Ad Board proceedings.

"We're not completely satisfied with it, but it's the best that we can do," Yalen said

"It's clearly not going to be used except in cases of violent crimes, or theft," he said.

Yalen said he expects a compromise with Jewett soon, although he said he regrets that the information may still be used in Ad Board proceedings.

"We're not completely satisfied with it, but it's the best that we can do," Yalen said