Monday, Jan. 11, 2016 | Volume 211 | Number 74 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
University ID numbers released Department of Residence inadvertently sends out info to 2,300 By Alex.Hanson and Michaela.Ramm @iowastatedaily.com Anyone living in Iowa State housing had their university ID number exposed in an email attachment sent to about 2,300 students by The Department of Residence this week. The email, sent by The Department of Residence on Tuesday, was to inform students about new university policy banning electronic cigarettes on campus. The mass email, which DOR sends in batches, included an attachment with a roster of everyone living in university housing. Peter Englin, director of residence, said the list was not intended to have been attached to
the email. He said as of Thursday afternoon, seven students contacted Englin with concerns about the released IDs. Englin sent an email to ISU students Friday evening to make them aware of the situation. “The risk to students as a result of this breach is extremely low,” the email stated. “Iowa State has received no reports, nor do we have any evidence, that any harm has occurred, and no student financial information was contained on the student list.” The attached spreadsheet included students’ university ID numbers, their ISU email addresses and where they live on campus. Unless a student suppresses their info on AccessPlus, all of the info released is available through
the ISU online directory, except university ID numbers. The email reached about 2,300 students on campus before the roster was noticed by the employee sending out the email. Englin explained that the department’s system sends emails in batches of about 500 and said the employee noticed the mistake after sending five batches. The DOR did send a “recall” message to students who were sent the attachment, but the attachment was still available to anyone who received it. Englin said DOR met with IT Security Committee the next day to discuss options for the situation. Andrew Weisskopf, information security officer at IT Services, said university ID numbers are
Photo Illustration: Alex Hanson/Iowa State Daily
A list of University ID numbers of students living on campus was inadvertently released in an email from The Department of Residence. While the risk for any misuse is low, the DOR alerted students to the incident in a follow-up email.
only used internally at Iowa State, so students will not be at risk for any large-scale theft that might occur when a Social Security number is stolen. However, he said there could possibly be issues of ID numbers being used on campus. “The ability to social engineer staff on campus is one that always
exists,” Weisskopf said. “This could add to it, but we’re going to use it as a messaging opportunity to university staff to be more vigilant in how they vet people who are not in front of them.” John McCarroll, director of
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Courtesy of iStock
Iowa State University’s ban of electronic cigarettes on all campus property went into effect Jan. 1 2016. Iowa State’s Faculty Senate passed the policy in December 2015.
Policy bans e-cigs Photo Illustration: Charlie Coffey/Iowa State Daily
The Iowa Legislature will meet Monday to discuss funding for state schools. Despite legislative efforts to prevent a tuition raise, all three state universities will experience a raise in 2016. State Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, said compromise this session might be tougher because of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s veto to cut out one-time funding for schools.
Funding put to the test D
espite party leaders saying they hope for a quick deal on education funding, the Iowa Legislature may be heading for another bitter battle over funding of schools in the state when they convene Monday. Last year’s funding The divided legislature went back and forth over how much to fund K-12 schools and higher education throughout the entire session in 2015. Democrats were pushing for a 4 percent increase, while Republicans stood their ground on 1.25 percent. In the end, both chambers passed a bill increasing funding by 1.25 percent, but it also included $55.7 million in “onetime” funds, meaning the schools will only receive that amount this coming year. Along with the K-12 funding, and a certain amount of money for each state university, the legislature also passed a bill giving money to universities in hope for a tuition freeze in the spring 2016 semester. Branstad ended up using his lineitem veto power, which allows him to strip out specific funds from appropriation bills without vetoing the entire bill. The veto cut out the one-time funding for schools, which included $2,254,079 for Iowa State
University. He called one-time funding of schools in the state “unsustainable.” Compromise and negotiations this session will be ‘tougher’ State Sen. Herman Quirmbach, DAmes, who is chairman of the Senate Education Committee and a professor of economics at Iowa State, said negotiations on a wide range of issues might be tougher with the governor’s veto still fresh in Democrats’ minds. “[The veto] is definitely going to make deal-making harder, not just on education, but across the board,” Quirmbach said, adding the governors office told legislators they could not see Branstad vetoing the agreement. “Well, low and behold, he vetoed it,” Quirmbach added. “The governor undercut the compromise.” Two Republicans — Reps. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, and Quentin Stanerson, R-Center Point — joined every Democrat in the legislature in requesting a special session of the legislature to convene and override the vetoes. State Rep. Ron Jorgensen, R-Sioux City, who chairs the Education Committee in the House, said he hopes lawmakers will put the veto in the past and come together on any compromise this year. “Let’s put that in the past and move forward,” Jorgensen said. “Let’s come
By Michaela Ramm, @iowastatedaily.com
together like I think we can and should, and work out a deal as best as we can. It’s certainly not going to affect me on my willingness to negotiate and get the quickest and best deal.” State Rep. Tedd Gassman, R-Scarville, who is vice chairman of the House Education Committee, said while the veto may have been unexpected, he does not think it will have an effect, at least on the House side. “I don’t think the [veto] will have a long-lasting effect on the House side because it’s controlled by Republicans, but I guess it was a surprise that [Branstad] would do that,” Gassman, who voted in favor of the education funding compromise, said. “I can’t blame him for what he did with that because he ended up probably being right, we are running shorter and shorter on money all the time, and we’ve got to take care of our budget,” Gassman said. He also said based on conversations he had with individuals in the education field such as teachers and administrators he liked the idea of one-time funds that could be used on items such as textbooks and computers, but he does not see the legislature doing it again this year. While a large chunk of Republicans
Students will have to leave behind their vaporizers as they return to campus for spring semester due to a new policy put in place on the first day of the year. Because of a resolution to encourage a Smoke-Free Campus, Iowa State University officially banned electronic cigarettes on all campus property, which went into effect Jan. 1. The policy was passed by Iowa State’s Faculty Senate in December 2015, and is in compliance to the campus’ current rules on tobacco smoking. The policy aligns with the state of Iowa’s Smokefree Air Act passed in 2008 by state legislators that “protects employees and the general public” by banning smoking in nearly all public spaces and in places of employment. Iowa State’s Smoke-Free Campus states “smoking is prohibited in ‘public buildings and vehicles owned, leased, or operated by or under the control of’ the university as well as on the entire ‘grounds of the university.’” Therefore, a person may not smoke any kind of cigarette — whether electronic or traditional — in any building on and off campus, or any outdoor space owned by the university, including Veenker Golf Course and ISU Farms. The only exception to the rule
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Education compromise may be ‘tougher’ after Branstad’s previous veto By Alex.Hanson @iowastatedaily.com
Resolution makes ISU smoke-free
Iowa State names new director of dining By Rakiah.Bonjour @iowastatedaily.com After a year without a director of dining, Iowa State has named Mohamed Ali to the position. Ali was formerly the director of auxiliary operations at Ohio State University before coming to Iowa State. He has 24 years of experience between different food industry management positions, but he said his passion is people. “I am a people person,” Ali said. “I love engaging with people
Courtesy of Iowa State University
Mohamed Ali is the new dining director.
and engaging with students.” Some of the changes Ali plans on incorporating into the
dining centers are product development training, collaborative partnerships, using more organic and plant-based foods and improving relationships with local farmers. However, before he starts implementing new changes he wants to build a relationship with ISU faculty and students to understand their needs. “I want to get to know the people, the student leadership and find out what the needs are before I start listing goals,” Ali said. “That is more important to me than changes.” Ali also plans on addressing
the overcrowding problem many students face when eating at the dining centers on campus. “I plan on addressing [students feeling overcrowded], absolutely, but that’s something to address once I am there,” he said. “It won’t be immediate but I have to see the problem first. I’m a person that spends time with challenges, not sitting in an office.” Ali plans on maximizing food knowledge among his staff, chefs, companies and farmers he works with. He said the greatest change he is looking forward to from Ohio to Iowa is the opportunity
to work with local farmers. “There are more resources available, not just produce but with meats, chicken. It’s amazing,” he said. “And the ability to build relationships with local farmers, there is just more opportunity [in Iowa].” Ali said the “key to understanding this position” is to provide for those who have dietary restrictions such as food allergies, religious beliefs and vegetarianism or veganism. He also plans on offering nutritional information when incorporating his new menus.