A folder containing the room combinations to Welsh and Rudolph halls “may have been compromised,” according to an e-mail sent out by the Office for Residence Life to residents of these buildings on Nov. 4.

As a precaution, new combinations were given to the affected rooms immediately.

“We couldn’t locate a folder, and we were unsure if it was misplaced, missing, or actually stolen,” Tom DeMarco, director for Residence Life, said. “We are still investigating the matter.”

The codes were changed throughout the day on Nov. 4 by members of the Facilities Management Office and new codes were e-mailed to residents. “Once we realized the folder was compromised, we put the wheels in motion to change the combinations the same day,” DeMarco said.

The incident, DeMarco said, was “a fluke” and unrelated to an incident last year in which a roster containing student Social Security numbers was stolen.

Residents of Welsh and Rudolph halls were given no further information besides their new individual room codes.

“They kept us in the dark about it,” Welsh resident Peg Greene said. “They were very vague about how exactly the folder was ‘compromised,’ and I would like more information.”

Some students expressed concerns about apartment security. “Why is there a book of whole building’s apartment codes just sitting around in the first place?” junior Jonathan Warnock, another Welsh resident, said.

“I was sitting in my apartment around 2 p.m. and heard a knock at the door. Before I could open it, someone was already changing my code,” he said. “When I asked what the new code was, he told me to check my e-mail because he wasn’t allowed to tell me. I didn’t get this e-mail until 3:08 p.m.”

Welsh resident Emily Beck said, “We should have at least been given a day’s notice. If I hadn’t happened to check my e-mail before heading back to my apartment, I would have been locked out and had no idea why.”

Despite these problems, junior Jessica Smith, who lives in Rudolph, said, “It makes me feel safer to know that Residence Life was so quick to ensure the well-being of residents.”

According to DeMarco, safety was the primary concern of the Office of Residence Life. “We don’t want to take any chances,” he said.