Students often find themselves with e-mail inboxes full of solicitations every spring dealing with housing and where to rent for the next semester.

Ashley Hartz, sophomore in liberal arts and sciences-open option, said she doesn’t like the e-mails and doesn’t find them useful.

“They’re super-annoying,” she said.

“I get all excited because I think I have e-mail, and then it’s just one of those.”

Judy Minnick, assistant registrar, said Iowa State has a policy permitting it to sell directory information if it is requested from organizations, including some commercial businesses and student groups.

“Providing the list is something we are willing to do,” Minnick said. “We do charge a fee for it.”

Despite the fees, Minnick said the university does not profit from the sale of the information. She said the charges cover the costs of personnel and computer time it takes to provide the wanted information.

“It’s information that can be found in the online phone book,” Minnick said.

“This is just a little more convenient.”

Any information not provided in the online ISU directory will not be given out in requests.

According to the Off-Campus Request for Address Information of Iowa State University Students form, the information can be obtained in printed paper list form, as Avery adhesive labels or on a three-and-a-half-inch floppy disk.

Also, according to the form, the information that can be requested includes a student’s name, his or her in-session addresses, phone number, e-mail address, curriculum or major, college and year in school.

Buyers can also ask for information to be provided in a specific sequence.

Sequence requests can be alphabetical by name, by zip code or by year in school.

Requests for the information are for one-time use only, Minnick said.

She said requesters who sign the form also agree to dispose of the list after that single use.

Minnick said many of the requests for student information are from realtors.

“I’ve had six requests this semester,” she said.

“Three of those are from rentals.”

One of the Ames realtors using the service is Haverkamp Properties.

Brent Haverkamp, owner of Haverkamp Properties, said he felt the e-mails are a good way to reach students and let them know about features offered by the realtor.

Haverkamp said students often mention the e-mails, saying they got information on specials advertised in the e-mails.

He also said students can easily unsubscribe from the e-mails if they wish.

“A small percentage of people actually opt out,” he said. “I think it has a lot more pluses than minuses.”

Despite many students’ decisions to not unsubscribe from the e-mails, there is no assurance that students are paying attention to the information in them.

“I don’t even look at them,” said Kalli Heimsness, sophomore in apparel merchandising, design and production. “I just delete them.”

Minnick said she does sometimes receive complaints about the e-mails, but students can request at the registrar’s office that their information not be included in the lists.