Minnesota Professors Object to Mobile Phone Rule

Faculty unions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System are objecting to a new system rule that says officials may inspect the personal mobile phones or other devices of professors, if the professors sometimes use these devices for work, The Star Tribune reported. Faculty leaders say that this rule is not needed and would represent an invasion of privacy. They also note that many faculty members routinely use their phones for some official business, even if most of their use is private. University officials say that they aren't trying to invade anyone's privacy, but are required under state law to be able to perform such inspections to be sure that state data and information are not being shared inappropriately.