The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2013
VOLUME 141 NO. 1
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 1960, The Miami Student reported that a two-night pajama party was to be held in the University Center Ballroom following the All Campus Musical Show’s production, “Pajama Game.”
CONTRIBUTED BY SAURABH MEHTA
BIKING TO YOUR CONGRESSMAN
Miami University senior Saurabh Mehta (left in uniform) and junior Jason Milliken (second from left in unifrom), stand on the US Capitol Building Lawn in Washington, D.C. after riding their bikes from San Francisco to DC for Push America’s Journey of Hope.
Aiding student health
Former Miami students sentenced in grade scandal
BYVICTORIA POSMANTUR
BY LIBBY MUELLER
FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT
McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital and Miami University are merging resources to create greater healthcare services for students. After the assistant vice president of Health Services resigned this past February, Miami reviewed the current healthcare model and strategies of other universities to see what services and resources are most beneficial for students, according to Carole Hauser, senior director of human resources at Miami. “Healthcare is becoming very complex, and the Student Health Center wants to serve all students’ needs, “ Hauser said. “After the assistant vice president of Health Services resigned, we had to decide whether to hire a replacement or outside expertise.” After a third-party research study was performed regarding healthcare at Miami as well as other universities, Miami determined that their healthcare program was not benefiting the students as much as it could be, Hauser said.
“The Student Health Center previously used McCullough-Hyde’s X-ray technicians ... a partnership with this hospital was just a natural fit,” Hauser said. “A medical director and practice coordinator from the McCullough-Hyde staff will work with Dr. Walter (Miami PhD and associate vice president of student affairs).” Hauser described the medical director position in more detail. “Dr. Shelly Naegele, Medical Director, will provide expertise in additional levels of quality assurance,” Hauser said. “This includes working alongside the doctors and nurse practitioners to review complex cases and make sure the needs of students are met.” Hauser then gave more insight into the practice coordinator’s role. “Janae Arno, a Miami graduate and practice coordinator, will make sure the administrative side runs smoothly, including a student’s ability to schedule appointments easily and having enough appointments for everyone to be served,” Hauser said. “Arno also works with billing and coding, confirming the
university’s reimbursement from the insurance company that will help improve efficiency.” Miami’s PhD and associate vice president of student affairs, Scott Walter, shared his enthusiasm about McCulloughHyde assuming management of Student Health Services. “I’m excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring,” Walters said. “Miami and Oxford are one in the same. We are one community that shares the same resources. This partnership will benefit the students, faculty, staff and community members.” Sophomore Kyle Anderson, who was ill last semester with pneumonia and bronchitis, said he is thrilled to hear of the new partnership. “When I was sick last year, I was very fatigued, which made it very difficult to commute back and forth between both treatment centers for consultations,” Anderson said. “It is great to hear that McCullough-Hyde and the Student Health Center are combining their resources to make a student’s experience more beneficial, informative and convenient.”
Suspected Fiji arson remains unresolved BY REIS THEBAULT
FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT
On May 25 officials entered the charred remains of the Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) house and, upon inspection, fire officials alleged that arson ignited the historical building. As students move back to Oxford and the 14 Fiji brothers who were living in the house during the summer find themselves displaced, there is no new information. “I spoke with the investigators and there is no new information
to be released at this time,” John Detherage said, Chief of the Oxford Fire Department. Outside of the house, officials posted a sign announcing the suspected arson advertising a reward of up to $5,000 for any information regarding the case. According to Detherage, this is the standard reward that the Ohio Fire Marshal starts with. Until the fraternity’s house can be reconstructed, Fiji members were forced to seek alternative housing. According to senior Fiji brother Ethan Kaplan, they
found refuge in another vacant fraternity house. “As our chapter begins preparations to rebuild our house on high street, our brothers will be living in the Sigma Chi house until construction on the property is completed,” Kaplan said. Construction has yet to begin but, according to Kaplan, it will take two years to complete. The State Fire Marshal’s Fire & Explosion Investigation Bureau is encouraging anyone who may have any information pertaining to the fire to come forward.
WEB DROP DEADLINE CHANGES The typical five-day window in which students can drop and add classes to their schedule online has been shortened to two days, expiring tonight at 11:59 EST. Those who took the time to
read the letter from the Dean of Students, sent out on Aug. 23, will find this no surprise. But for those who are just discovering this news now, take heart: students can still add and drop courses after Tuesday. It will
just require the approval of the course instructor and a trip to the registrar’s office. The Academic Policy Committee (APC) of the University Senate decided on this policy change primarily because the se-
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Former Miami University student David Callahan, 22, was convicted in Butler County Area 1 Court of three charges of attempted unauthorized use of property, a first degree misdemeanor, for hacking into school computers and tampering with grades. Callahan pleaded guilty to all three charges. He will pay $3,000 in fines, forfeit a computer external drive and key logger and serve one year on probation, according to court records. The other former student involved in the grade changing, Beckley Parker, 22, convicted of six charges of attempted unauthorized use of property in June, and was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service and two years on probation. He must also forfeit his computer and iPad and pay $1,500 in fines, according to court records. Parker and Callahan were both members of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity separated both Parker and Callahan from the organization following the grade changing scandal. Miami University communications director Claire Wagner said a key logger device had been used on classroom computers to record keystrokes made on the keyboard and obtain faculty unique IDs and passwords. Parker and Callahan used faculty login information to change their grades and those of other students. “About fifty students had at mester terms are being shortened from 15 weeks to 14 weeks, according to University Registrar David Sauter. “The shorter semester means a slightly shorter time frame for instruction so each day must count,” Sauter said. “Prior policy enabled students to miss an entire week of class.”
least one grade changed, plus one of the students, Beckley Parker, changed [grades] in 17 of his classes,” Wagner said. According to Wagner, Miami disciplinary actions separate from the court proceedings included dismissal of both students from the university. Wagner said IT Services implemented changes last spring to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Changes included a two-step email notification process that will alert instructors to grade changes. A weekly email report of all grade changes made in the previous week will also go to faculty members. IT can also now perform a thermal scanning of classroom keyboards to detect one form of the key logger device that can be placed inside the keyboard, Wagner said. All of the grades changed by Parker and Callahan were corrected, according to Wagner. “We feel thoroughly confident that now people can have confidence in our grading system,” Wagner said. Miami University Police Department (MUPD) Chief of Police John McCandless said in his nine years at MUPD, he has not seen anything like the grade changing scandal. “I’ve been here nine years and I can’t remember [a similar incident],” McCandless said. “[But] student academic dishonesty isn’t necessarily a criminal offense, so they certainly may catch students who cheat. That doesn’t necessarily come to the police’s attention.” Wagner confirmed that this is the first incident of its kind at Miami. This new system allows faculty to decide whether a student has missed too much of the class already to be able to join on or after the third day of the semester, Sauter said. As normal, students can drop a class without receiving a ‘W’ on their transcript until Oct. 28, with the approval of the instructor.