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Larger than life Inside this edition: Get ‘Jaz’ed up California artist’s exhibit Park carefully: TSSAA tourneys return, page 6 to help kids, at Todd Gallery ‘extraordinary’ Red-light cameras are watching you, page 7 page 7 see page 3 Science prodigy gets USA Today nod, page 8 a publication for the Middle Tennessee State University community March 10, 2008 • Vol. 16/No. 17 Inventing fun Take action now to keep info secure: president by Dr. Sidney A. McPhee ecently MTSU had an informa- tion security incident that R occurred on a desktop comput- er and resulted in the possible expo- sure of sensitive information. This serious situation resulted in extensive media coverage that could have an adverse impact on the MTSU commu- nity. It is imperative that each member of the university community does his/her part to limit the risk of acci- dental release of such information. While in the past, the use of personal- ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FOURTH-, FIFTH- OR SIXTH-GRADER?—The Campus School team of Tatum Watson, 9, sec- ly identifiable information, especially ond from left; Katherine Minatra, 10; Nina Kelly, 10; and Mary Lane Minatra, 10, listen to advice from Kelly's mother, Rhonda Kelly, Social Security numbers, was a part of before the judging of their game, "You Are a Math Genius," at the 2008 Invention Convention in the Tennessee Room of the James normal university business Union Building. Sponsored by State Farm and the Department of Elementary and Special Education, the 16th annual event drew See ‘Action’ page 2 hundreds of local young inventors and a special Invention Convention alumnus, entertainer Chris Young. See story, page 5. photo by Andy Heidt Outstanding Teacher Award ‘Makes me feel good about the future’ nominations due Women’s History Month National Women’s History Month young women and transgender youth Committee and director of the June ages 15 to 30,” according to www.third urry! There’s still time to events show diversity, Anderson Women’s Center. wavefoundation.org. The daughter of nominate an MTSU facul- The keynote speaker will be Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Alice H ty member for the 2007- scope of feminism author Rebecca Walker, who will Walker, Rebecca Walker is the author 08 Outstanding Teacher Award. deliver an address, “Third Wave of To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Deadline for submissions is Rising: The Role of Feminism in a Changing the Face of Feminism; Black, Monday, March 10. by Gina K. Logue Rapidly Changing White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a The MTSU Foundation has World” at 4 p.m., Shifting Self; and What Makes a Man: funded the Outstanding Teacher isual depictions of feminists, Tuesday, March 11, 22 Writers Imagine the Future. Her new Awards for more than 40 years, words of wisdom from in the Keathley memoir, Baby Love: Choosing presenting five awards with an V women in science and visits University Center Motherhood After a Lifetime of accompanying prize of $3,000 from dynamic activists are part of the Theater. Her speech Ambivalence, is a chronicle of her preg- each. observance of National Women’s and most other nancy and impressions of life after Three groups make nomina- History Month, which kicks into high Women’s History giving birth to her son, Tenzin. tions each spring: alumni, faculty gear in the month of March with the Month events are Activist and philosopher Angela and students. Selections are based theme of “Feminist Now.” free and open to the Davis is featured on this year’s on evaluations by students and “Watching the progression of the public. Walker Women’s History Month buttons, tenured faculty. first response to being called a femi- Walker is co- which are distributed by the Women’s Nomination guidelines are: nist to the reaction now makes me founder of the Third Wave Center. A professor at the University • Faculty need only receive feel good about the future,” says Terri Foundation, a nonprofit organization Johnson, co-chair of the MTSU that “works nationally to support See ‘Future’ page 5 See ‘Outstanding’ page 2 human, based on the book A View Association and the Office of IN BRIEF from The Center of The Universe. The Leadership and Service are coordi- event is set for 11:20 a.m. in Room nating the annual Campus NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FIND A PLACE IN THE WORLD 475 of Walker Library. For more Beautification Day during Make a U.S. POSTAGE PAID Rabbi Rami Shapiro (religious information, contact Bill Black at Difference Week. The tentative date MURFREESBORO TN studies) will lead a faculty brown- [email protected]. for the project is Saturday, April 19. PERMIT NO. 169 bag conversation Tuesday, March Please send your suggestions for 18, on the potential impact of the CAMPUS BEAUTIFICATION SET improvements to [email protected]. www.mtsunews.com new cosmology on what it is to be MTSU’s Student Government FOR THE RECORD Action from page 1 procedures, the threat of identity Division to all faculty and staff theft has now become a major socie- regarding changes to network access Information security is tal problem. Therefore, the university that will better secure the data main- has moved from using the Social tained on MTSU computers. This Security number as the primary iden- change is based on a recommenda- tifier for students, faculty and staff to tion of the Information Security Task everyone’s job at MTSU using the “M” number in its place. Force, which has been approved by First and foremost, the use and university administration. While I by Greg Schaffer storage of personally identifiable recognize that institutional change information, including Social Securi- can sometimes be unsettling for uni- heft of laptops from the Davidson County Election Commission, the ty numbers, should cease immediate- versity constituencies, the failure to loss of a jump drive at Tennessee Technological University, the hack of a ly if not required and approved by change in this instance could lead to T professor’s machine at MTSU…what these all have in common is that immediate supervi- civil liability for our university and sensitive information, specifically names with Social Security numbers, were sor. If documents individual employees if someone’s potentially exposed. are needed that personal information has been made An action, or lack thereof, today may expose hundreds or thousands to contain legacy data subject to unauthorized disclosure. potential identity theft, even though that same action would have been not such as grade The measures outlined above do only acceptable but also proper and common business practices only a few sheets, travel forms not guarantee the absolute security of years ago. Go back to the 1990s and stroll the halls of Peck Hall, where grades and so on, all per- sensitive information, but they will were often posted on professors’ doors using class rosters that contained sonally identifiable contribute greatly to improving the names and associated Social Security numbers. information, security of such information on the “While in the past, the use of personally identifiable information, especial- including Social MTSU campus. I ask that you take ly Social Security numbers, was a part of normal university business proce- Security numbers, McPhee these beginning steps, and as further dures, the threat of identity theft has now become a major societal problem,” must be redacted policy and procedures are recom- said MTSU President Dr. Sidney McPhee in a recent e-mail to all faculty and from those documents. If the docu- mended by the Task Force, the MTSU staff. To ensure that all clearly understand the seriousness and immediacy of ments are no longer needed, the elec- community will be informed. the problem and that it is not just related to electronically stored data, McPhee tronic copies must be deleted and Again, information security is a said that “the use and storage of personally identifiable information (also paper copies shredded. Any retained part of everyone’s job. It is not about known as PII), including Social Security numbers, should cease immediately if documents that contain personally technology or record retention or not required and approved by immediate supervisor.” identifiable information must be specific personnel but requires a con- It is extremely doubtful that a single data breach would shut down MTSU secured. scious effort on the part of everyone permanently, yet any possible breach, at the very least, is bad Early this year, an Information as they perform the business of the public relations for the university. State law mandates notifi- Security Task Force representing university. It is not a task that we will cation if there is reasonable suspicion that a transfer of per- offices, colleges and divisions univer- ever say is finished; rather, it is an sonably identifiable information may have occurred. MTSU’s sitywide was formed. This task force ongoing responsibility that all must reputation could suffer if it is perceived that the university is is currently in the process of develop- embrace. not doing enough to protect sensitive information. ing policy and procedures that will If you have questions or need It’s not just about adding technology, but instituting core help the MTSU community better further information, please contact changes in how jobs are performed. Old ways need to secure sensitive information. your respective vice president. Thank change and new initiatives must be introduced; such is the An announcement will be made you very much for your careful primary reason for the formation of the Information Security soon by the Information Technology attention to this serious issue. Schaffer Task Force. Representing all MTSU faculty and staff, the task force first met in January 2008.

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