Texas Tech University Faculty Senate

Enhanced Computer Security Measures

eRaider logon screenIn the Senate Meeting of September 14, senators discussed the rotating eRaider password changes which were mandated over the summer. Some had been locked out of their accounts. While senators recognized the need for enhanced computer security in an increasingly hostile internet environment, there was considerable debate as to whether or not these matters might have been handled in a more faculty friendly way. After a show of hands, the matter was referred to Senate Study Committee B. As part of its efforts, that committee arranged for Sam Segran, Associate Vice President for Information Technology, and members of his staff to appear at the Faculty Senate meeting of October 12. He discussed the work and anticipated work of the Information Technology group on email passwords, encryption, storage quotas, network backups, abuse, and plagiarism. He affirmed that more latitude was now allowed in the creation of passwords; he also said that the strictness of the filter used in the university's junk mail screening system was being continually adjusted to meet faculty requirements. Committee B produced a preliminary report and continues to monitor the situation.