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;, ;; ;- ;Continuous Cambnribdge, : lNews Service Massachusetts Since 1881 Friday,,April 12; i991 Volume 111, Number 19 U..J I Sdens a-ccused of comnputer theft By Brian Rosenberg some time," Tewhey said, adding and Joey Marquez that information the Campus Three- undergraduate students Police generate is being turned may face disciplinary action from over to the Dean's Office. "The the Office of the Dean for Stu- investigation might lead -to more dent Affairs in connection with students [being investigated]," multiple thefts of computers Glavin said. from MIT laboratories, accord- She said the case would be ing to Campus Police Chief Anne "dealt with in internal adminis- P. Glavin and Associate Dean for trative procedures in the [ODSA]." Student Affairs James R. Tewhey. Criminal charges will not be Computers from three separate brought because the case is "not laboratories - the Technology a situation where the students Laboratory for Advanced Com- were caught red-handed," Glavin posites (TELAC), the Space Engi- said. "The situation has required neering Research Center (SERC), discussion and cooperation with and the Center for Space the students in order to get the Research (CSR) - were stolen in equipment back," she added. separate incidents, beginning as Tewhey said that "action from early as last summer. TELAC the Dean's Office is pending" but and SERC are part of the added that no timetable for the Department of Aeronautics and action had been set. He would Michelle Greene/The Tech Astronautics, and CSR Joy E. Oester '94 and is part of not discuss details of the ODSA's John E. Chow '92 perform in Next Act's Once Upon A Mat- the Department of Physics. tress, playing tonight and Saturday night at Next House. intentions. l "As a A ___ I-q -·P14·9 ··1· ballpark figure, about Professor of Aeronautics and $70,000 of computer equipment Astronautics Sheila E. Widnall is involved," said Glavin. She '60, chairman of the Committee "I'iscon added, however, that more than on Discipline, said she does not uc~t to eaid three-quarters of the stolen expect that the COD will be in- By Andrea Lamberti The committee has a four-pairt conducting academic research, he equipment has been recovered. volved in the case. "I'm fairly President Charles M. Vest and mission, according to Wrighton: added. Informant tipped off CPs certain the Dean's Office can Provost Mark S. Wrighton have to review and articulate s values Wrighton said it was "hard to completely handle the case, in- recently formed the Committee MIT holds in the conduct of aca- Glavin said the Campus Police cluding any recommendations to on Values to examine current at- say" if better communication 'demic research; to examine I would have prevented the situa- were "originally given informa- the president [for future action] titudes and policies regarding ac- MIT's policies and procedures inI tion by an informant who did not or housing-related education ademic misconduct tion at Whitehead that led to fab- at MIT. The view of those values; to compareI ricated want to become involved" in the issues," she said. -Unnouncemen, comcs-threeweeks M IT's-- policies w:-it_ fedeaiao data. "We need to review I the chronology of events and investigation. "We informed [the after a National Institutes of private guidelines governing re- students] that they were being Fraternity involved in thefts Health what actually happened there. It draft report fouind that an search grants and contracts; andI ~ investigated early in March," she Widnall's comment points to a MIT researcher -isn't--clear that we could have had, fabricated to suggest consiructive changes int done better; maybe added. connection with an independent data for a 1986 scientific paper. MIT's current practices. we couldn't have," he added. Glavin said the students were living group. Earil M. Murman, Wrighton said the aim of the Other, broader aims II of the Former Nobel laureate and implicated in "multiple thefts in head of the Department of Aero- committee "goes beyond the con- committee include raising com- more than one department." Both nautics and Astronautics, said he cerns raised in connection with munity Whitehead Institute Director Da- awareness of values con- vid Baltimore '61, now president Glavin and Tewhey said the in- could "confirm that the students the NIH investigation, but that's nected with scholarly research, I vestigation was ongoing. "Parts certainly one of the areas about developing a mentoring process (Please turn to page 13) of the investigation will go on for (Please turn to page 2) which we do have concerns." The as people come up through theII NIH report, which was leaked to ranks at MIT, and strengthening the press in mid-March, conclud- communication between the Property ed that Thereza Imanishi-Kari, a Institute and incoming facultyI t'heft up over last year former Whitehead Institute re- members, according to Wrighton. By David A. Maltz Asked if perhaps the dormito- The number of bicycle thefts searcher, produced fabricated "I think when people come in Theft of Institute property in ry's arrangement of private went down by 27 percent from data for a paper and subsequent to our community, we need to 1990 went up by 90 percent from rooms in common suites might 148 in 1989 to 109 in 1990. The correction published in -the jour- convey clearly our expectations," the 1989 figure, according to the aid a thief's access, Beinart majority of bicycles reported nal Cell in 1986. Wrighton said. MIT communi- recently released MIT Campus responded that suites actually missing had been left near the Professor of Aeronautics and cates its expectations well in cer- Police Annual Report. The num- discourage larceny "in that there Julius A. Stratton '23 Student Astronautics -Sheila E. Widnall tain areas, such as the guidelines ber of serious crimes against per- are many people around." Center. According to Glavin, the '60 will chair the committee. for safe laboratory practices, but sons remained steady. lowest theft rate was from the Other members 6f the committee the Institute has not communi- The -Institute lost $321,497 in Building 13 bike compound have not yet been selected. cated its expectations on equipment to theft in 1990, up which is accessible only with keys from $169,274 in 1989. Thefts purchased from the Campus Corporation from residence halls totaled Police for five dollars. "Although 'divestment $29,925, an increase of 45 per- [the Building 13 compound] is cent over 1989, ending what not exempt from theft, it does position is unchanged Campus Police Chief Anne P. have a lower theft rate than other Glavin termed a three year By Andrea Lamberti and to divest from companies down- areas" After several months ward trend. of meet- identified as "the most blatant Asked ings during which the Coalition examples" about the increase in The number of serious crimes of indirect investment dormitory theft, Glavin com- Against Apartheid urged MIT in the South African economy. committed against people on Corporation mented that complacency may MIT grounds held roughly steady members to divest The CAA also asked the Exec- have played from South Africa, the coalition a role. "The dormi- at 23 incidents. This number does utive Committee to make a pub- tory theft rate is received word this week that the lic statement reaffirming MIT's like a roller not include crimes committed Corporation's position has not coaster, but after the decrease in against MIT community mem- support for economic sanctions the changed, said Sue E. Nissman G, until past three years, people may IML' bers in areas adjacent to MIT a non-racial democracy is be a bit too complacent about a member of CAA. established in South Africa. Anne P. Glavin Tech file photo such as Memorial Drive. The According leaving their rooms open," number of muggings and robber- to Nissman, the Nissman said, "They said they Glavin said. Trudy Morris, the Burton Corporation is "going to look were not going to hold a press house manager, had no comment ies on campus increased from into providing aid for South conference. I'm not sure what Glavin classified the majority when asked about crime preven- none in 1989 to 4 in 1990. Mean- African students." Also, the they're going to do as far as of residence hall larcenies as tion measures in the dormitory. while, the number of assault and Corporation will prepare a state- sanctions go." "open and unattended," meaning Both Glavin and Beinart (Please turn to page 1) ment to be released in one or two She added, "Basically they that the thefts occurred from agreed that some thefts, were weeks, she said, . rejected- 99 percent of the pro- rooms left unlocked while the probably committed by MIT The vice president and secre- posal." owners were elsewhere. community members and some tary of Athe Corporation, Con- Nissman said the coalition did For the second year in a row, were committed by outside stantine B. Simonides '57, could not view the CAANs discussion Burton House was the dormitory thieves, both professional and not be reached for comment. with the Corporation as a "trade- with thc highest number of amateur. Corporation Chairman Paul E. off where they can either provide reported thefts. Out of all resi- Computers made up the vast Gray '54 was out of town and aid or divest." Nissman said she dences reporting to Campus majority of equipment stolen could not be reached for felt that "most.schools do both, Police, Burton reported 23 thefts. from the Institute. Most of the comment. considerably better thanwe -do." MacGregor reported 15, while thefts were IBMs or Apple Mac- At the most recent meeting last Nissman said, "There's certain- New House had 10.