Auditor general faults SIU in release of student data

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Illinois' auditor general said Southern Illinois University acted improperly when it released certain student information to a Carbondale bank. But the state inspector and the school said the problem has been fixed and won't happen again.

The auditor said the university violated its management act in August 2006 by supplying an unspecified financial institution with names, addresses and classes of all students registered that semester. The bank requested the information under the Freedom of Information Act.

The university's own guidelines bar it from providing student information to a business or financial institution that issues credit or debit cards unless the student is at least 21 years old.

Rod Sievers, a spokesman for the school, said the information released did not include Social Security numbers, just student directory details.