UT Houston X.500 Directory Frequently Asked Questions

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  1. How do I modify my entry in the directory? 
  2. How do I get someone's e-mail address if it said none was registered? 
  3. Why aren't UT Police personnel in the directory? 
  4. How do I access the directory from Netscape Messenger?
  5. How do I access the directory from Eudora? 
  6. How do I perform more complex searches? 
  7. Where does the data come from? 
  8. Where do titles come from? 
  9. Why am I listed under organization X? 
  10. How can I get a copy of this database? 
  11. How can I get a bulk listing of e-mail addresses from this database? 

How do I modify my entry in the directory?

STUDENTS

Students must fill out a Change of Address/Telephone from the Registrar's office in UCT 2250. Instructions are available from the Registrar's Office. 

The information provided in the directory service is based upon publicly available information. You may request that this information not be released by the University by filling out the appropriate form from the Registrar, further information is available from the Registrar's Office: Directory Information 

FACULTY-STAFF

To have information added or updated have the person responsible for payroll in their department correct it in BPPS on the R01T screen. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information about student and faculty-staff directory information sources, see "Where does the data come from?" 

How do I get someone's e-mail address if it said none was registered?

"None registered in this service" means the person has not supplied us with an e-mail address. We recommend you place a phone call or send a letter to the phone number/address listed for that person asking for an e-mail address. If the person you are looking for is a faculty-staff member, you may contact the department they work for, or see that department's web page. Our policies do not allow us to aid in locating people (we will not make phone calls or perform local investigations). 

As of March 2, 1998 we had e-mail addresses listed for about 58% of all people, 66% of students, and 62% of faculty-staff. 

How do I access the directory from Netscape Messenger?

Adding the UT directory to your Mail Directory list allows you to add mail addresses to a message from searches conducted within Netscape. To add the directory: 
 
  • From the Edit menu, select Preferences.
  • Under the Mail & Groups category, select Directory
  • Click "New" to create a new directory entry
  • Set description to "UTH White Pages" (or whatever description is meaningful to you).
  • Set LDAP server to "ldap.uth.tmc.edu"
  • Set Search Root to:

    • o=The University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center, st=Texas, c=US 

  • Port Number should be set to 389
  • Secure should be unchecked
  • Click OK to save this entry
  • Click OK to save your Preferences.
Now, when creating a new message, you can select Address to search the directory, and select To: to add the address directly to your mail message. 

How do I access the directory from Eudora?

Using the Finger protocol (Ctrl-U in Eudora): 

Access through the finger protocol is available in Eudora. To configure Eudora 2.2, select the Tools menu and click Options. Click on the Hosts item icon and enter the name x500.uth.tmc.edu in the Finger: window. Click OK, then use Tools|Ph (Ctrl+U) and enter the name you want to search for in the Command: window. You can cut and paste the address into a New message window. 

Why aren't UT Police personnel in the directory?

UT Police are employed and paid by M.D. Anderson hospital, not UT Houston. Because the directory data is extracted from our personnel records (see Where does the data come from?) they won't appear in our directory. However, information about contacting the Police Department is available under the Departmental Listings page. 

In addition, M.D. Anderson has an e-mail address directory and a phone directory available on the network. 

Where does the data come from?

The data present in The University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center White Pages comes from several sources: 

STUDENT DATA

The student data comes from the Student Information System (SIS), the Registrar, academic departments, and Information Systems  The information extracted from SIS CANNOT be updated through the Directory Service. The only way to update this information is to fill out a change of address form. See How do I modify my entry in the directory? The new information should appear in approximately a week. Information about students who have restricted access to their records will not show up in this service. Entries for students will be deleted when they are not enrolled for the current long session, and, were not enrolled for the previous long session. 

E-Mail addresses may have automatically been added for some students. The data for this came from academic divisions. 

FACULTY-STAFF DATA

The faculty-staff data comes from the Payroll System (BPPS). 
  • Name 
  • Title - (job title) 
  • College and Department Affiliation 
  • Office Address 
  • Office Bldg/Room Number 
  • Office Phone 
  • E-Mail Address 
The information extracted from BPPS CANNOT be updated through the Directory Service. The only way to update this information is to change it in BPPS. The new information should appear in about a week. 

UT MEDICAL SCHOOL HOUSE STAFF

The House Staff data comes from the Graduate Medical Education Data System (GMEDS). 
  • Name 
  • Title: House Staff Level X 
  • Departmental Affilation 
  • Telephone Number 
  • Office Bldg/Room Number 
  • Street Address 
  • Email address (coming in late 1996/early 1997) 
As with Faculty/Staff data, the information cannot be updated in the directory, it must be changed in GMEDS. 

Where do titles come from?

STUDENT DATA

The title field for student entries comes from data supplied by the Registrar and is of the form: class rank, declared major. 

Class rank will be updated automatically. Declared major will be updated when declared majors are changed. 

FACULTY-STAFF DATA

The title field for faculty-staff entries comes from data extracted from BPPS and is of the form: appointment 

UT MEDICAL SCHOOL HOUSE STAFF

The title field for Residents is based on the Program Year. 

Why am I listed under organization X?

STUDENT DATA

This is based on the college the student has selected for their declared major. 

FACULTY-STAFF DATA

An employee is placed under the organization to which the account title belongs which he/she is paid out of and is the first of occurrence of her/his majority appointment. So, for example, if an employee is appointed for 60% of her/his time to the Center for Medical Studies and is appointed for the other 40% of her/his time to the Center for Dental Studies, he/she will be placed under the Center for Medical Studies. If an employee is evenly split between multiple departments, he/she will be listed under the last occurrence of an appointment in the personnel databases. 

How can I get a copy of this database?

You cannot. This directory is copyright by The University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center (1996). Unauthorized access and/or abuse is subject to criminal prosecution under both Texas and US laws. This directory's database will NOT be supplied to anyone except under court order. So please don't even ask. 

How can I get a bulk listing of e-mail addresses from this database?

You cannot. From speaking with representatives of the Information Resources Steering Committee it is our understanding that unsolicited bulk e-mail is not within the realm of sanctioned activities. Therefore, we will not provide bulk listings. Anyone sending unsolicited bulk e-mail will be subject to disciplinary procedures. 
DSA Manager / <info@x500.uth.tmc.edu> / Last Changed Feb 25, 1998