Air, water, information

"Information, free from interest or prejudice," former London Times Editor William Rees-Mogg once said, "is as necessary to the human mind as pure air and water to the human body." Such is the case with the debate over whether Penn should voluntarily release information on student infractions, in accordance with changes to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Without question, the issues surrounding this debate challenge notions concerning civil rights, student privacy and the right of the University community to know what goes on around them. Some argue that it does the Penn community no good to know the violations of their peers. Others say that information should be released only on a limited basis, so that reputations of offenders are protected while vital information on the offenses reaches the community. While both of these arguments have merit, neither fully addresses the most vital principle that should concern matters of safety and community. Put simply, the public has a right to know. It has a right to know which of its community rules are being violated. It has a right to know how those infractions were adjudicated. It has a right to know what punishments, if any, were handed to the guilty. And, perhaps most importantly, the public has a right to know exactly who among them is responsible for the "violent crimes or non-forcible sexual offenses" taking place in their midst. Releasing such information serves several purposes. It keeps Penn students and staff abreast of the actions -- threatening and otherwise -- of their peers. It keeps the University's internal justice system fair and open. And it provides students with the proper information they need on infractions and punishments to ensure that they think twice before violating one of our University's rules. That is why the committee tasked with acting on the FERPA changes must take immediate action to ensure that such information is opened up to the community. Failure to do so not only wastes the opportunity provided by the new FERPA. It also keeps this university in the dark when it comes to the some of the most significant -- and potentially most threatening -- actions on campus.