Pomona College used Wi-Fi connection data to identify students involved in the Oct. 7 protest at Carnegie Hall, according to an update on the college’s website and a letter sent to banned students on Nov. 11.
The college found that identified students’ personal devices were connected to wireless access points throughout Carnegie Hall during at least two time periods on Oct. 7, the website states. Identified students had a minimum connection duration of 50 minutes between 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with Wi-Fi connections being validated through student-specific login credentials.
Pomona’s decision to use Wi-Fi to track students raised broader concerns among the college’s community about data privacy, students say.
“It is a little bit off-putting to think about,” Sydney Cottrell PO ’27 said. “It’s something that people should be aware of. I feel like, as a student, having transparency is key.”
According to the school’s website, this information was “collected in accordance” with the Privacy Policy in the Informational Technology Services Policy section of the Student Handbook.
“The College’s computer and network resources are the College’s property, and students should not have any expectation of privacy when utilizing these resources,” the policy reads. “In addition, when there is reason to suspect inappropriate use of campus computing and networking resources, authorized College personnel will take appropriate steps to investigate.”
The college’s identification tactics were also referenced in a Nov. 11 letter sent to banned students by Pomona President G. Gabrielle Starr. In the letter, which provided students with new evidence about their participation in the Oct. 7 protest, Starr explained that those affected would have three business days to submit a petition for their ban to be dropped.
“The written petition is your only remaining opportunity to respond to the allegations, and you should provide whatever additional related information you have to support your response to this proposed sanction,” the letter read.
Students whose bans are upheld will be prohibited from enrolling in any Pomona courses in the spring, with a registration block placed on their accounts during pre-registration which took place the week of Nov. 11.
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