Bowling Green State University Chief Information Officer John Ellinger addressed Undergraduate Student Government Monday night about technology issues at the University.

Ellinger’s primary talking point was cyber security at the University, specifically on the issue of compromised University accounts. Compromised accounts occur when a password has been given or taken by someone other than the user.

The number of compromised accounts have risen over the past three years.  94 accounts were compromised in the first week of 2018, leaving the University on pace for over 5,000 compromised accounts this year.

To combat the issue, Information Technology Services is developing an email appliance designed to stop the traffic of phishing emails that will be in place by the end of January. Duo, the security app now currently used with myBGSU, will also be implemented with University email accounts after the end of the spring 2018 semester.

Two other major issues Ellinger talked about were the implementation of the Tuition Guarantee Program and the introduction of the program Handshake to replace WorkNet.

The Tuition Guarantee Program will be for 2018 incoming freshmen and subsequent classes. The program will allow the institution to set an amount for tuition, fees and room and board for four years of a student’s academic career.

Handshake, a career planning service, will replace WorkNet at the end of spring semester this year. The new program will be implemented May 13.

Ellinger also provided insight on system updates for the winter session being implemented in the next academic year. He talked about a new four-year course planning tool being developed by ITS, which will be implemented this fall.

USG also addressed:

• The concerns of a group of student employees. Kody Korbas, a student bus driver and senior, spoke to USG on behalf of the student shuttle drivers at the University. The rising costs of maintenance and fuel have led the University to research outsourcing the shuttle service to a private company. The private company requires drivers to be 25 years old, eliminating student drivers.

• Creed Day. Creed Day will be on March 22 in the student union and will focus on celebrating students at the University with food, games and prizes.

• Upcoming USG elections. Information sessions on the new election procedures for this year will be held Feb. 7, 8 and 13 in BTSU 315 at 7:15 p.m., as well as Feb. 12 in BTSU 314 at 6:45 p.m.