the news in brief

(U-WIRE) AMHERST, Mass. – A single safe-sex brochure depicting two men engaging in sexual… (U-WIRE) AMHERST, Mass. – A single safe-sex brochure depicting two men engaging in sexual relations remains posted in the Student Union following a University of Massachusetts directive to remove the posters last week.

University officials removed the posters from the office window of the Radical Student Union last Friday, said Alex Peterkin, a member of the campus organization.

RSU members reposted a copy of the brochure in the upper right corner of their office window today.

“The administration wants us to take them down,” he said. “We’re going to continue educating about safe sex, minority identities and homophobia on campus.”

According to University spokesman Ed Blaguszewski, the RSU office is University property, and the administration has the right in “specific and very limited cases” to remove objects deemed inappropriate.

“We thought that was the appropriate thing to do,” said Blaguszewski. “They occupy the office though it is University property.”

University of Massachusetts Republican Club President Brad DeFlumeri – who led the campaign to have the posters removed – said he expected the group to face penalties if they continued to defy the University decision.

DeFlumeri organized a “rally for public decency” on the steps of the Student Union last Friday calling on the RSU to take the brochures down.

“The University administration has concluded that the brochure in question should no longer be posted in a window of the Student Union, in a public place where members of the public can come across it in daily business,” said Blaguszewski in a statement last week.

“We have one flier up right now and we’re going to leave that one up,” said Peterkin. – Derrick Perkins, Massachusetts Daily Collegian (U. Massachusetts)

(U-WIRE) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Information security breaches at colleges and universities are on the rise, according to a report released earlier this month.

The report, Educational Security Incidents Year in Review, spotlights institutions worldwide, and Penn State was included in the report with one data breach last year.

“My goal with ESI is to, hopefully, increase awareness within higher education that not only is information security a concern, but that the threats to college and university information are not as simple as network and/or computer attacks,” Adam Dodge, ESI creator, wrote in an e-mail.

The report indicated that there were a total 139 incidents at institutions during 2007, a 67.5 percent increase since 2006. The total number of institutions affected by data breaches also went up to 112, a 72.3 percent increase since 2006.

The report also shows the majority of information breaches at colleges came from unintentional leaks, rather than hackers. But Penn State Information Technology Vice Provost Kevin Morooney said he isn’t sure how deeply anyone should read into the report.

“I’m ignoring the report,” he said. “Hackers are a constant and daily threat at the university, and we have many things put in place to mitigate the risk.”

Dodge said people need to protect their private digital information better by utilizing protection programs and just being knowledgeable about the risks.

Dodge also wrote that data breaches will continue to happen, but it is now up to the colleges and universities to take the steps to make them few and far between. – Elizabeth Murphy, Daily Collegian (Penn State)

(U-WIRE) DEKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University will no longer sell memorial T-shirts or any other items referencing the Feb. 14 shooting.

This new policy, said Michael Malone, vice president of University Advancement and Development, was in response to the number of fundraising and manufacturing requests the university has received.

“We could not vouch for those individuals and organizations who want to use our logo for fundraising efforts,'” said Malone.

However, Malone said that there are a number of well-meaning people who just want to show their support.

“What we’re really trying to do is get a handle on the merchandise relating to the Feb. 14 tragedy,” said Malone.

The moratorium, according to an official statement, includes its name, logo or trademarks for “any fundraising on its behalf.” It also extends to items sold at the University Bookstore and the Village Commons Bookstore.

Malone said some vendors were able to secure rights to the NIU name and logo in regard to the shooting before the policy was enacted. Malone said these deals will still be honored, but the university will not renew any deals after the initial stock is sold out.

According to the official statement, the only thing NIU has authorized in connection with the shooting is the Feb. 14 Student Scholarship Fund. According to the official statement, donations from outside groups are still being accepted; however, “neither NIU nor the NIU Foundation will enter into any partnerships or co-sponsorships with these independent fundraising efforts.” – David Thomas, Northern Star (Northern Illinois U.)