MSU Search FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - TB2735

Overview

MSU's main Web search tool is available through the Search MSU box on the MSU home page. This document will provide answers to many questions on using MSU Search Services.

How do I remove my personal info from MSU web searches?

MSU publishes contact information online (name, address, phone number, and e-mail address) for faculty, staff and students. This directory information can be searched online through MSU People Search as well as other online search services. Each Fall, MSU also distributes a printed Faculty, Staff, and Retirees Directory (as of Fall 2004, MSU no longer prints a student directory.)

The following articles will give instructions on updating and/or restricting the display of all or part of your directory information:

• Changing or restricting your directory information: Students/Alumni
• Changing or restricting your directory information: Faculty/Staff/Retirees

Why can't I find my department's webpage?

When you search for MSU-related webpages using the Search MSU box on the MSU home page, sites that appear first on the list were added as MSU Keywords. Other sites not in MSU Keywords can be found by clicking the Try this search using Google's index of msu.edu link.

How can I search for a specific person at MSU?

If you are looking for an MSU faculty member, staff employee, or student, please visit: http://search.msu.edu/people. Due to privacy laws and policies, we cannot divulge any information about anyone at MSU whose name does not appear in the directory search. You may wish to try a commercial service such as http://www.switchboard.com.

Why is my Major spelled incorrectly in People Search?

When you search for a student within People Search, you might notice certain Majors appear to be misspelled. For instance, the Major for Engineering students is currently listed as "ENGINERING". This is a known problem; the AIS database that contains that information, only allows ten or fewer characters in that field. Because of this restriction, the name of some Majors have been abbreviated.

MSU directory assistance and other popular information sources

If you need telephone directory assistance, MSU's telephone operators are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They can help you reach a student, college or department office by telephone. Call (517) 355-1855.

Here are links to some of the most popular information sources at MSU:

• Admissions FAQ (Admissions can also be reached via email at admis@msu.edu)
• Office of the Registrar FAQ (The Registrar's office can also be reached via email at reg@msu.edu)
• Academic Computing and Network Services Help Desk FAQ
• Other frequently asked questions at MSU (Print Services, MSUnet Wireless, AFS, etc)

If you need to contact the MSU Library with a question about reference, circulation or using online resources, please email or call one of the following resources:

• Reference questions by e-mail (through an online form)
• Reference or other library questions by telephone: (517) 353-8700

Note that some services are limited to members of the MSU community (faculty, staff, or student).

How can I contact a certain MSU department or college?

If you're looking for information about a specific MSU program or service, please contact that department directly. If you're looking for an MSU college, department, or service unit, follow the links from the campus home page at www.msu.edu, or visit keywords.msu.edu to browse or search. A list of MSU colleges and departments can be found on the University Units page.

Can you help with my homework assignment?

If you are a K-12 student and your teacher has assigned you a project to look up information about MSU, please use the Search MSU box on www.msu.edu to conduct your research. We cannot help you with your homework assignment, the purpose of which is to test your research skills.

What do I do if I can't find the information I'm looking for online?

Note that some information you seek may simply not be online on public MSU Web pages. MSU Search Services can only locate information that is openly published on the Web. Historical, specialized, or individual information may require other kinds of searching, both offline and online.