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News from PRINCETON UNIVERSITY For immediate release: August 13, 2002 Contact: Marilyn Marks (609) 258-3601, mmarks@princeton.edu Statement by Dean of Admission Fred HargadonAs Princeton's Dean of Admission, I am ultimately responsible for the manner in which we conduct the University's admissions process and the manner in which all members of the Admission Office staff conduct themselves in the course of that process. Therefore I have to accept responsibility for the inappropriate actions of those members of our staff who sought unauthorized access to Yale's Web site announcing their admission decisions and in doing so made use of birth dates and social security numbers submitted to us in a confidential manner by applicants to Princeton. I also accept responsibility for not having called attention to the impropriety of such behavior immediately upon learning of the initial unauthorized accessing of the Yale site by a senior staff member. I apologize to the eight students whose names were checked and to Yale University itself for this unwarranted breach in confidentiality by members of my staff. I pledge to do my best in the days and months ahead to restore the complete integrity for which the Princeton Undergraduate Admission Office has traditionally been known. To this end, and beginning immediately, my staff and I will dedicate ourselves to reviewing our guidelines for handling sensitive and confidential information submitted to us by our applicants each year and also to ensuring that we are vigilant about adhering to guidelines with respect to the appropriate and inappropriate uses of the Internet technology at our disposal. Henceforth, we will take whatever steps are necessary to assure ourselves as well as the thousands of individuals we deal with each year that the manner in which the Princeton University Admission Office operates meets the highest standards of integrity, confidentiality and professionalism in every respect. |