FACULTY SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Minutes, November 9, 2011

Present:

Report of the Chair (Ezra Zubrow)

None

Report of the President

• The Regional Economic Development Council completed its plan for economic development in the Western New York 5-county area.  These include Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara Counties.  Thousands of people provided input to the 7 public forums and 11 working groups.  The plan will be available on the Councils Web site at http://nyworks.ny.gov/content/western-new-york by November 14.
•  Legislation provides $1 billion dollars to the ten councils throughout the state.  Forty million dollar grants are available to each of 4 councils that prepare the most competitive proposals.  
• Zubrow questioned the percent of total employment in the area associated with UB.  Tripathi did not know.
• Tripathi distributed a letter addressed to Aaron Podolefsky and himself from Kenneth O’Brian, President of the University Faculty Senate.  He urged Tripathi and Podolefsky to consult with respective campus governance leaders when planning shared services.  (Appendix A)

 

Report of the Interim Provost

• None.
• Zubrow asked Stenger to provide data about the number of 3E proposals that have implications for information technology, libraries, and facilities.

 

Report on risk management at UB

• Three gentlemen presented a report on risk management at UB

 

• Joseph Brennan, Associate Vice President for University Communications
• James Reger, Emergency Manager, University Police
• Gerald Schoenle, Chief of University Police

• Zubrow asked the FSEC and its guests to consider if UB needs a more integrated risk management approach. 
• He also asked if the University has an Emergency Czar with overall responsibilities for coordinating risk situations.  UB does not have such a position, but police administrators serve that role because someone is on campus 24/7.
• Communication is the most significant aspect of risk management.  It is much improved at UB today.  Multiple communication methods include emails, text messaging, twitters, Web notices, youtube, telephone hotlines, blue phones, distribution of fliers and pictures, and door-to-door visitation.
• The University attempts to respond to all types of risks similarly through a team approach.  Continuity of procedures and processes works best for first responders and the public.  An Emergency Planning Oversight Committee meets monthly, and an Extended Operations Group, that has 120 members, meets as required.
• Risk managers review procedures and processes regularly for improvement.  For example, a recent incident where an armed individual may have been in Lockwood Library taught first responders to make an operations command center more apparent. 
• During the Lockwood incident, University police cooperated with the City of Buffalo Police Department who helped cover the South Campus when South Campus officers were dispatched to Lockwood Library.  Facilities worked with the Buffalo police officers who were unaware of the campus layout.
• M. Lavin stated that students, particularly underclass people, depend upon faculty to react appropriately during emergencies, but professors are not trained to do so and might not know what to do.  Schoenle replied that authorities are preparing checklists.
• UB has 61 sworn police officers.  Sworn officers have full law enforcement powers.  These include 44 patrol officers, 5 investigators, 9 lieutenants, and 3 administrators.
• University Police or Environmental Health and Safety staff is generally the first responders on the scene.
• UB today is safer than in the past. 

 

• The University had approximately 130 burglaries 5 years ago, but had 66 in 2009. 
• Police responded to 6 robberies in 2009, but, thus far, none in the current year. 
• Vehicle report cards placed on windshields reduced car break-ins. 
• UB increased recently the number of blue phones from 39 to 66.  They include cameras and can broadcast messages.

 

Despite this, an undergraduate student representative noted that her

class in the Clemens basement felt isolated during a fire alarm last fall.

 

• Brennan said that his office deals with Randy Borst, Director of the Office of Accessibility Resources, to establish procedures for dealing with the disabled during emergencies. 
• Brennan also said that emergency services personnel need help from all on campus.  He urged people to:

• Sign up for the UB alert system for receipt of text and/or email messages.  The system accommodates three alternate emails for those that have multiple accounts.  Current registration is only 40% of the University community.
• Encourage faculty to accept leadership responsibilities.
• Report incidents to the police.

• Regarding students of concern, Schoenle said that the Counseling Center sees many students who have mental health issues.  Fortunately, few are homicidal.  They are more likely to have problems about themselves than others.  He thought that use of alcohol is the strongest predictor of campus violence.  Schoenle emphasized that what some might consider eccentric or odd behavior does not equate to dangerous conduct.
• FSEC briefly spoke about the Virginia Tech tragedy.  D. Grinde, who knows a professor there, said that prior to the attack selected faculty refused to allow the shooter to register for their classes.  E. Herman asked if UB faculty can do so when feeling threatened, but no one knew.
• Schoenle spoke about several campus mechanisms for dealing with students of concern.  Options other than arrests exist.

 

• The Office of Judicial Affairs & Student Advocacy provides mediation services and maintains a student judiciary.  (http://www.ub-judiciary.buffalo.edu/)
• Although the Counseling Center adheres to strict confidentiality, when it feels a student is at imminent risk, it can still notify all who can assist and those who need to know.  These might include faculty, staff, and parents.
• The Students of Concern Committee meets weekly.  Representatives include the University Police, Counseling, Judicial Affairs, Campus Living, and Health Services.  It considers responses to situations that might affect the University’s health and safety.

Report of Chuck Dunn (University Information Security Officer And Technical Architect)

• Dunn oversees data protection and regulatory compliance for UB IT.  IT personnel advise University administrators who set policies.
• He said that people have spent the last 25 years building technology and interfacing computers without considering the consequences.
• Dunn believes that people and the choices they make, not technology, create most IT security problems.  He used the acronym, PICNIC (problem in chairs not in computer), to describe most difficulties.
• Attackers, hackers, criminals, and nations create most computer threats.
• Dunn thought that smart phones are protected badly.
• The laws and regulations governing computer security are chaotic.  Legal precedents depend upon old cases, but technology changes much faster than the law.
• Despite difficulties relating to security and privacy, people and governments still depend upon computers for national security, critical infrastructure, sensitive data, research findings, finance, education, and telecommunications. 
• Regarding the situation at UB:

 

• Verizon conducted a risk assessment of UB computers in the summer 2011.  Dunn did not discuss results.
• Dunn did not have the exact figures, but UB expends approximately $250,000 plus salaries to maintain IT security.
• IT staff attempts to preserve privacy by collecting the minimum amount of information required by law.  The University cannot provide authorities information that has not been collected.
• Three levels of information collected include regulated private data, such as social security numbers, protected data exempted from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law, and public data.

• Dunn described 4 levels of risk where IT staff either:

-Tolerate the risks.
-Treat or investigate the risks.
-Terminate accounts.
-Transfer risks to higher authorities.

 

• UB lacks a privacy policy, but maintains a process that still protects privacy.

 

Zubrow asked the guests to continue the discussion at our next meeting because the primary question was never answered.  Does the University need an integrated risk management office?

 

 

Appendix A

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