Maestro College Discloses Private Student Information

An accreditor inadvertently shared private student information with another student, according to New America, a left-leaning think tank.

The student who received the information had complained to the Council on Occupational Education about Maestro College, an online institution that relies heavily on AI to deliver instruction. New America documented Maestro’s model in a report released last month. 

Maestro, which is based in Texas, lost its accreditation in mid-July after COE determined the college’s online enrollment exceeded the accreditor’s requirement that 25 percent of full-time students attend traditional (brick-and-mortar) programs.

The latest report from New America is largely based on an interview with the student, Randi Giammona, who received the information from the accreditor, which was part of the college’s response to Giammona’s complaint. The information, which included Maestro officials’ notes about students’ personal lives, was improperly redacted, according to New America.

“Highlighting and then copying the text beneath the black box revealed the students’ identities,” New America said.

A COE spokesperson said in a statement to Inside Higher Ed that the accreditor requires institutions to redact personally identifiable information.

“COE is aware of an inadvertent disclosure of personally identifiable information in an institutional response submitted as part of an accreditation-related complaint process,” the statement said. “We take privacy seriously and are actively working to research and contain the matter, review the affected materials, and require properly redacted replacements where appropriate. Our review is ongoing, and we will communicate directly with affected parties as warranted. We are still confirming details, and we remain committed to addressing the matter responsibly and strengthening safeguards to help prevent recurrence.”