Policies & Procedures

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish rules and guidelines for accessing and using accurate data managed by University Advancement, Alumni Relations.

II. POLICY

1. Requests:
   1. Organizations or units officially associated with Longwood may request data for mailing to constituents maintained within the University Advancement/Alumni data bases.
      1. Requests for mailing data should be made in writing to either the Director of Alumni Relations or the Director of Advancement Services.
      2. The written request must indicate purpose of the mailing or reason information is needed. It must also include the date needed; parameters for selection; format of data; and any additional information necessary to provide the correct data. Copies of materials to be mailed must be reviewed and approved by the Director of Alumni Relations or the Director of Advancement Services prior to receipt of data.
      3. Departments requesting labels will be asked to supply the labels or charged for the labels. Files may also be supplied electronically.
2. Corrections and Updated Data: All University employees have the responsibility for helping to maintain an accurate database by sending (preferably in writing; email is fine) any address corrections or up-dated information about constituents obtained from any source to the Director of Alumni Relations or the Director of Advancement Services.
3. Approval of Request: The Alumni and/or University Advancement Office shall be responsible for determining the legitimacy of request for use on the basis that the request is for the purpose of the advancement of Longwood University and not in conflict with any other institutional objectives.
4. Restrictions:
   • No list will be furnished to any person or organization not associated directly with Longwood University.
   • No giving or gift information will be given to any unauthorized individual outside of the Alumni and University Advancement offices.
   • Individual departments should not attempt to create or maintain individual departmental databases for any general use. The central database in University Advancement is the most accurate and regularly maintained of the general databases and in order to ensure the best constituent relations any broad use of mailing information should be generated from that database.
   • No information will be given on a specific individual to anyone outside the Longwood family. However a process is in place for allowing someone to make contact with an alumnus as follows. When address information is requested from outside of the Longwood family, the Alumni Office staff offers to send a pre-printed card to the alumnus with the requester's message or response information. The card lets the alumnus know that someone is looking for them and gives them the option of contacting the requester. If the requester prefers to send correspondence to someone, the Alumni Office will forward mail to the alumnus. If a situation is time sensitive, Alumni Office staff will e-mail or call the alumnus with the requester's information. When confirmation of graduation is requested (for employment, etc.), the caller is referred to the Registrar's Office.
5. Interpretation and Appeals: Questions concerning this policy and procedure should be directed either to the Director of Alumni Relations or Director of Advancement Services. The Chief University Advancement Officer will have the ultimate decision making authority on the use of constituent records.

Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, September 7, 2002.