Hackers Compromise UC Berkeley E-Mail Server
Daily Californian
April 9
Electronic intruders gained access to a Berkeley faculty and graduate student e-mail server last week, requiring all network users to change their passwords.
Although the intrusion was brief, Associate Director of Academic Computing Services Ann Dobson said the system’s security was still compromised.
The server shut down for nearly 10 hours while administrators tried to find the source of the breach, which potentially revealed password and account information for all of the server’s users.
Dobson would not reveal details about the breach since that information could possibly aid hackers in future attacks.
She said the problem was noticed quickly, which helped system administrators isolate the breach’s effect. Since the identities of hackers are difficult to trace, Dobson said UC Berkeley is not planning to pursue an investigation into the intrusion.
Indian Tribe Gives Millions to UCLA
Associated Press
April 11
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which operates a casino in San Bernardino, gave $4 million to the University of California, Los Angeles Law School to establish new courses on California native issues and provide tribal internships for students.
Tribal representatives said programs addressing Native American culture often lack funding, but due to the success of Indian-operated casinos, money is now available to support them.
“We’re trying to build relationships,” San Manuel Chair Deron Marquez said. “It’s another way for Indian people to get the population educated about our issues.”
Although some critics believe the influx of special interest money degrades academic integrity, others say the tribes are simply following the example of other companies that donate significant funds for school programs.
“It’s almost like the tribes are coming of age,” said Sheldon Krimsky, a Tufts University professor who studies conflicts of interest that arise when private money funds scientific research. “Drug companies and chemical companies have long given professorships or funded graduate education to help shape the agenda of higher education.”
Carole Goldberg, a UCLA law professor who heads the advisory board of the law school’s Native Nations Law & Policy Center, said the tribe’s gift would not affect the way existing courses are taught.
“It’s not as if those topics are taught now and the tribes want them taught differently,” she said. “It’s more like they are not taught at all.”
The San Manuel and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians are funding a UCLA Law School conference next week on media coverage of tribal issues.
In addition, San Manuel also gave $3 million to California State University, San Bernardino, which named its student union after a historic leader of the tribe.
UCLA Revokes Sigma Chi Sponsorship
Daily Bruin
April 9
One of UCLA’s largest fraternities, Sigma Chi, lost its official university sponsorship last week, but school officials would not say why.
Berky Nelson, director of the Center for Student Programming at UCLA, would only say that such action is taken “with serious thought and investigation.”
Last quarter, UCLA administrators placed sanctions on 11 campus sororities following an anonymous complaint about a Sigma Chi-hosted event that reportedly included a sorority “keg-off,” in which teams from sororities competed to finish kegs of beer.
Although Sigma Chi will not be able to compete in sporting events organized by the Inter-Fraternity Council, outgoing house president T. J. Marston said the lack of affiliation with UCLA will not affect the fraternity on a day-to-day basis. He said the fraternity would still be recognized by the international Sigma Chi organization.
“Whether or not we’re UCLA Sigma Chi or Sigma Chi … doesn’t really affect us much,” Marston said.
He said Sigma Chi had been working with UCLA officials for “some time,” and that it had been given terms by which to abide to be reinstated into the UCLA greek system. He said current plans call for the house to be re-evaluated in the fall.
