MnSCU Workers Angry With Personal Cellphone Rule

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A new rule could mean that Minnesota State Colleges and Universities can inspect faculty-owned cell phones if they're used for work. The rule is set to go into effect tomorrow.

MNSCU officials said it would help protect government data, but faculty members who use their own cell phones and iPads for work say it would directly invade their privacy.

"All of the sudden, whoa, this changes the entire ballgame," Minnesota State University-Mankato faculty member Jim Grabowska said.

Grabowska says he often uses his personal cell phone for work emails, and as President of the Union that represents faculty, he's fighting the rule that would make his personal cell phone available to MNSCU.

"The Chancellor said in one of our meetings that he didn't want this procedure to have a chilling effect," Grabowska said. "The fact is it's not a chilling effect, it's a freezing effect."

Grabowska said more and more faculty began using their personal cell phones in 2012 out of fear. That's when MSU-Mankato football coach Todd Hoffner faced criminal charges after naked videos of his children were found on his work phone. Those charges were eventually dropped and Hoffner returned to work, but Grabowska said it changed everything.

"The results of that were that we let all our members know, if you had a state-owned device you turned it in and you used a personal device," he said.

Chancellor Steve Rosenstone approved the new rule earlier this month and it says employees may be required to hand over their personal cell phones or mobile devices for reasons ranging from security concerns to misconduct investigations.

But Grabowska believes the rule would have a negative effect on all faculty -- especially those who have no choice but to use their own phones, like adjunct professors. Grabowska said they need to use their personal phones to communicate with students when they aren't on campus.

"They seem to jump a giant step," he said. "Why not just ask for the data? We'll give you the data but we won't give you our phones."

Grabowska said he's advising all faculty members not to hand over their personal cell phones or iPads if asked, and instead contact the union's legal team first. They're also seeking a moratorium on enforcement from the schools.

MNSCU officials said the rule is designed to protect government data properly, and they have no interest in looking through personal data.