3 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/04/20 7:47pm)
A GPA calculator on the Indiana Bloomington campus was in violation of federal privacy law. This included students from all nine IU branch campuses, including graduates from 2015 and later.
This calculator was used for the sole purpose under the domain of the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, to help students calculate their GPA for specific classes and get a better feel of what to accomplish in them.
“It has been a little hard to trust the IU system since this happened. Knowing our grades have been out in the open for anyone to see makes [me] feel a little vulnerable,” junior Erika J said.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act acts to protect grades, test scores and courses which led students into wondering how this happened.
Chuck Carney, Director of Media Relations and spokesperson for Indiana University, has never seen anything quite like this. The webpage was intended for internal use only and students were not supposed to have their hands on it. This happened because of a software vulnerability.
“Any news about improperly accessed data is understandably troubling to students. Some students have certainly had questions about that,” Carney said. “Fortunately, we have been able to reassure them that while no unauthorized access to any student records is acceptable, it was limited. Only persons with an IU central authentication system login could see those records to begin with.”
The IU information security team is examining how that happened to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The tool won’t be available until the vulnerability is fixed. The Department of Education can indeed pull their federal funding if the university is unable to fix this problem.
“The only records viewable were names of courses taken, course grades, course credit hours, semesters involved and GPAs from a subset of individual student records. No financial information, no social security numbers, or credit card information was visible,” Carney said. “Additionally, for a student record to be included, it would have to be a Bloomington-related student who took a course associated with an IUB program of study or whose record was reactivated since November 2013.”
Duo, IU’s enforced two step process to log into any information for students oversaw protecting this link. However, once students logged in there was a glitch and other students were able to search other users. As soon as IU was notified of the problem, the tool was shut down. Since that happened, the security team has been examining the system to understand what happened.
“I’m not sure we could have acted more quickly and responsibly. You certainly can’t have a system in place that would let another student go in and see what your grades are,” Carney said.
FERPA training is also required of all IU employees. Disciplinary action for negligence, public disclosure of private information or not tracking disclosures of student records are just a few things IU could be held responsible for. This also depends on if IU knew the grades were accessible which they are claiming was not the case.
The GPA calculator had been online since at least 2018 and has seemed to expand to all nine IU campuses. This is a big deal and could potentially cause an issue with IU’s reputation. There has been no abuse of the calculator reported but this could have gone more in depth.
However, unless someone meets the criteria outlined for records that were accessible, no IUPUI students should have been at risk. If they did meet one of those criteria, they would have received an email stating so by this point.
Students do have the right to report FERPA violations to the Office of Registrar if they ever feel something needs to be shared, as well as talking with the Department of Education.
(02/27/20 2:07am)
February calls attention to Black History Month. Throughout time there have been many iconic personalities who are very important to remember. These achievements have been among the greatest and no doubt have played key roles in what our country has become. Looking at some of the greatest male figures, it is clear to see why.
Barack Obama was the first African American to hold the presidential office from 2009-2017. Among his greatest achievements were signing landmark legislations, including the Affordable Care Act and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. He supported same-sex marriage, which was legalized nationwide during his time in office. He was also awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
Another iconic figure was Muhammad Ali. Ali, who passed away in 2016, is the only athlete to become a three-time lineal heavyweight champion, winning the coveted title in 1964, 1974 and 1978. Named sports personality of the century by BBC, the greatest athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated and the third greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN were among some of his top honors.
Another athlete who has been of great influence is LeBron James. As an athlete, producer and entrepreneur he is making a name for himself in ways people can’t forget. Not only has he set records on the basketball court and named Forbes second-highest paid athlete with his four-time MVP and three-time league champ status, he has also done great things off the court. In July 2008, he opened the I Promise School in his native Akron, Ohio. Each student receives emotional support, free meals, and a bike to get back and forth to school. James has pledged free college tuition for each graduate.
Chance the Rapper is not only a musical genius but has used his voice for society. Some of his most exciting contributions have largely been his social-justice work. He supported the #NoCopAcademy hashtag, a campaign which was led by young black activists who oppose the construction of a new police academy in Chicago. In May 2018 he delivered the commencement speech at the historically black college, Dillard University, offering advice to recent graduates. He also headlined the Special Olympics 50th anniversary concert in July 2018.
After the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant, it wouldn’t be right to not add him in this article. Bryant was one of the most influential people, not only in basketball but around the world. He joined the NBA straight out of high school and won five NBA championships along with the 2008 MVP Award with the Los Angeles Lakers. He surpassed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA all-time scoring list in December 2014. He retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points to a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center, leading the Lakers to a win against the Utah Jazz. Among his philanthropic endeavors, Bryant partnered with the non-profit After-School All-Stars as part of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. Having four daughters, he was an advocate for not only female sports but female equality. He also started writing children’s books, with his own publishing company, Granity Studios.
Robert Johnson, Indiana University graduate of ’88 is another man who could be considered one of the most influential African Americans of present day. Starting his own company, ACommon1 Connectivity which connects coaches with passionate leadership, desiring to rise beyond their perceived potential. He has served on numerous boards including National Association of Black Females in Music & Entertainment as Executive Advisor and Indiana University Black Philanthropy Circle as a Charter Member.
Throughout history, Black History Month has been a way to keep in mind and celebrate those who have impacted our society and been unafraid to show who they truly are. We should not only have this way of thinking in February but throughout the entire year. With our ever-changing world, which seems both good and bad, knowing there are people who take a stand and make a positive impact is reassuring. Although there is more room to grow and more progress to be made, the impact of Black History Month stands firm.
(02/23/20 8:16pm)
When thinking about orange chicken from your favorite restaurant, the thought of fresh orange slices on top of chicken breast does not usually come to mind. The thought of crispy fried chicken covered in orange sauce is usually what is pictured. However, Tower Dining decided to take a fresh and unique take on this dish.
IUPUI’s Barstool Instagram account discovered this meal, after being posted by @myahbales. After going through comments, there is a wide variety of opinions.
@jake_williams_28 writing “Woah woah woah, stop hating and try it. That chicken was fire.” While others such as @andy.heltzl commented, “Forget about maggot and mold. This is the biggest L for the dining hall.”
There were many comments both supporting and criticizing this dish, but the main question throughout was why? Why would the dining hall simply throw orange slices on top of chicken and call it orange chicken?
Stacy Blanton, Residential District Manager for IUPUI Dining shed a little light on what went through their minds to serve this.
“The recipe calls for fresh oranges as a key component of the sauce. In some cases, the chef or cook will arrange them on top of the chicken after cooking as a garnish. The recipe is more in depth than what has been made popular by Americanized/Hybrid Asian restaurants and fast food franchises. It lends a flavor profile similar that you might find in the Hunan province where bright citrus combined with chilies is very common,” Blanton said.
For those unfamiliar with the Hunan province, it is a mountainous province in southern China, bringing tradition to their palate. Blanton is an experienced food service professional with fifteen years of food service management in the higher education sector. She claims IUPUI was simply trying to follow tradition and create a dish which might have been an unusual sight, especially when people are not used to it being prepared this way.
“I mean, I would try it out of curiosity, but I wouldn’t expect it to taste the same. I’ve had orange chicken from PF Chang’s and Panda Express, but this definitely looks different.,” senior Jenilyn B. commented when asked about this unique approach.
At first glance this orange chicken may look like something which was thrown together with little thought, however, this was not the case. This raises the question, just because something doesn’t appear as the norm should we avoid it and believe it won’t be great? Maybe that is a little too in depth for orange chicken, but it is something to think about. Was this out of the ordinary? Definitely. Was it the prettiest dish to look at? Maybe not. Did it taste good? You would have to try it and decide for yourself.
After doing research on IUPUI Barstool’s Instagram, it is clear to see Tower Dining has had many unique dishes in the past and will most likely continue. Whatever your take on this Chinese dish, Tower dining has definitely laid down the groundwork for some unique meals in the future.