Students: Chamber of Commerce is right, New Mexico is failing

By: Jyllian Roach, Managing Editor | Information From: icw.uschamber.com/reportcard

Liberal Arts major Ty Knight said he was surprised by the information about New Mexico’s higher education released in a recent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The study “Leaders & Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Public Postsecondary Education” awarded New Mexico’s two-year colleges poor grades, with four-year schools doing only slightly better.

“This is mega-disappoint­ing,” said Knight.

The study looked at four areas for two and four year post-secondary public schools: student access and success; meeting labor market demands; efficiency and cost effectiveness; and transparency and account­ability. Two-year schools in New Mexico received two F’s and two D’s, respectively.

Continue reading “Students: Chamber of Commerce is right, New Mexico is failing”

ITS resolves privacy concerns

By: Jonathan Gamboa, Layout Designer | Student Poll By: Scott M. Roberts, Photojournalist

As soon as the ITS department was made aware of the security problems for employee emails, corrective measures were taken, said Director of Information Technology Services Michael Schalip.

The security loophole allowed employees to view emails sent to many departments including Financial Aid, the Cashiers Office, and the Records Department. Many of these emails included private student information.

Every cyber-security issue concern­ing a FERPA dispute is taken very seriously by CNM, said Schalip.

Access to the department emails in Outlook for all work-study students and employees, except essential CNM per­sonnel, was revoked within 30 minutes of the CNM Chronicle having discov­ered thousands of emails sent to many offices across campus, he said.

“All CNM employees take mandatory FERPA training and are expected to abide by FERPA regulations, but whether this incident would fall under a violation of FERPA, that is not clear,” said Schalip.

If an employee accesses a student’s record for reasons other than official CNM business, it would be a potential violation of FERPA on the part of the employee, he said.

There has not been such an incident to date at CNM, said Schalip.

Student Poll: “Do you know what FERPA is?”

Therese Sossman, Paralegal Studies
“I have an idea that it has to do with federal education funding.”

Chancey Begay, Culinary Arts
“Nah, never heard of that.”

Eve Bethoney, Liberal Arts
“I am aware of it, and I think it is a good thing and overall it would help everyone.”