OXFORD, Ohio -- Personal information of 21,762 Miami University students, including names, Social Security numbers and grades, was posted on the Internet for the past three years, WLWT-TV in Cincinnati reported.

All students on all Miami campuses in the fall of 2002 were included.

A faculty member, since retired, had placed a standard grade report in a folder in an isolated area of the university's network, the university said. Officials said they were unaware of it until this week when a graduate said she had discovered the file after entering her name in a search engine.

University officials said they have no evidence that the information had been illegally used.

"We deeply regret the incident. We have removed the file and are writing the students and alumni to apologize. We also are taking steps to rectify the problem and to avoid a similar instance in the future," said J. Reid Christenberry, Miami vice president for information technology.

The standard grade report included each student's cumulative and semester grades as well as other, less private information, the university said.

The school had set up both public and private Web space for faculty and students, and the report was apparently unwittingly placed in the public space, the university said.