facebook.com/theutdmercury | @utdmercury
April 15, 2019
THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Amazon Echos to be installed in dorms Pilot project to begin at Residence Hall South SOUJANYA BHAT | MERCURY STAFF
The third floor's bookshelves and archives were relocated to Synergy Park North to make room for new study spaces.
NOAH WHITEHEAD | PHOTO EDITOR
Ayoub Mohammed, a political science junior, was elected SG president on April 3.
NIKITA BANTEY | MERCURY STAFF
Amazon Echos installed in the dorms will not be tied to student accounts but will be centrally managed by OIT. ANJALI SUNDARAM Mercury Staff
The Office of Information Technology recently partnered with University Housing to install Amazon Echo Dots in Residence Hall South as part of a pilot program. The program will oversee the installation of third-generation Echo Dot units in all of the suites, classrooms and study rooms of Residence Hall South. OIT plans on installing the devices this summer in order to debut them during the fall semester for incoming freshmen. Amazon introduced the “Alexa for Education” program to encourage universities to install Echos on campuses with the goal of “personalizing campus life,” according to its website. A student survey conducted by The Mercury found that 17% of 116 respondents said they were happy about the Echo installations, while 4% said they were extremely worried. Approximately 55% of students said they have no general opinion on the program. OIT plans to conduct its own survey after the installation process is complete. The idea was conceived during a conference, in which OIT staff were inspired by how other colleges such as Saint Louis University in Missouri were employing Amazon Echos through “Alexa for Education” on their campuses in order to enhance learning and student engagement, said Kishore Thakur, OIT’s associate director of systems and operations. OIT then began implementing Echos into its offices in December. The devices were initially used for conferences and room reservations. “The most beneficial aspect of having Alexa in (the) OIT conference room is to reduce the time to get information and increase productivity through automation,” Thakur said. After the preliminary program, OIT approached University Housing and Student Affairs in an effort to introduce Echos into the residence halls, starting with Residence Hall South. The initial purpose of the Echos, Thakur said, would be for students to access information around campus easily. For instance, students can utilize Echos to gather information about the library’s operating hours or learn more about upcoming campus events. Students, however, will not have their personal information tied to the Echos. OIT will manage the devices through a centralized system, allowing the Echos to be integrated with existing UTD technology such as the university’s Wi-Fi. Though there are certain features that are particular to UTD, the Echos will operate in a similar way as most consumer Echos. Currently, specific questions such as available parking spaces and Dining Hall West menus will not be supported, Thakur said, but OIT hopes to employ students to
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT EYES
INCLUSION, transparency
Refurbished space offers dedicated study zones ANJALI SUNDARAM Mercury Staff
The third floor of the McDermott library underwent refurbishments to incorporate more study spaces. To accommodate the new study spaces, library staff moved the aviation archives and bookshelves to Synergy Park North 2. The new space replaces bookshelves and books with couches and chairs. A long, wooden work bench provides outlets for students to connect their devices. Work pods line one of the walls. A large, opaque separator divides the middle of the room into three separate areas. Dean of Libraries Ellen Safley worked with the university’s design team to refurbish the third floor and make room for study spaces, a move prompted by a lack of existing space that led to students sitting and laying on the ground. Three main goals in the redesign, Safley said, were to allow more space for students to spread out, keep the space easy to clean and maintain and include outlets wherever
MEGAN ZEREZ Mercury Staff
As the new Student Government leadership prepares to take office, the outgoing administration reflected on its ongoing efforts to improve student engagement and represent student interests in a year that saw UTD in national and local headlines in the wake of several high-profile scandals. Outgoing President Eric Chen said that student involvement independent of SG played an important role this year in shaping change at UTD. Chen cited the Jacob Anderson scandal, in which a former Baylor University student accused of sexual assault transferred to UTD, and the allegations against Chartwells’ labor practices.
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Library's third floor undergoes makeover
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ALESANDRA BELL | MERCURY STAFF
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Judicial hearings continue for chemistry fraud case Audit records show former department assistant purchased Apple tablets, bikes with university funds CINDY FOLEFACK Managing Editor
Former UTD staff member Linda Heard made her first court appearance on March 29 after being indicted on a felony theft charge earlier this year. Heard is accused of stealing $130,000 from the university. According an expenditures investigation report from the Office of Audit and Consulting Services dated Feb. 9, 2018, Internal Audit investigators reviewed Heard’s purchases using department funds from September 2012 to December 2017. The report lists 55 items worth a total of nearly $22,000 that appear to be personal purchases. While 45 of the items were located and being used for UTD business according to Heard, the report noted that some of the purchases “did not appear to be the best use of university funds.” The expenditure investigation report was shared with UTD officials by Chief Audit Executive Toni Stephens. The report states the investigation began after allegations were made to a chemistry department employee that Heard was using university funds for personal use. “When we do audits when we look at things at the university, sometimes things come to our attention,” Stephens said. “It was not an outside tip: It was something that an auditor within our Internal Audit office found.” Stephens said she could not comment on details of the case as the police investigation is ongoing. The report details two meetings between Heard and Internal Audit from Dec. 11-12, 2017. During the
first meeting, Heard said 21 of the items were at her personal residence or “on campus somewhere.” The following day during a second meeting, 10 items remained unaccounted for, with Heard stating they were lost, damaged, unable to be located or she didn’t recall purchasing them, according to the report. Department Head for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ken Balkus declined an interview but said in an email that the department was shocked and disappointed after the discovery and that Heard’s future depends on the legal system. According to the One Card Program User Guide, employees are not allowed to use department funds for personal expenditures or to purchase controlled assets without pre-approval. Controlled assets include cameras, cellphones, computers and tablets, among other items. Additionally, purchases made with the cards are meant to be identified through account codes to categorize purchases. Among the 10 items unaccounted for in the report were Apple AirPods, an iPad, a 7-speed bike, a 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt display and other items totaling over $2,000. The report notes that of the 45 items that were accounted for, some were not properly reviewed or categorized based on account codes. The report closes with recommendations to improve the review process and documentation for purchases, as well as improving the accuracy of account codes. Vice President of Budget and Finance
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SAMANTHA LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF