Officials are backing away from a controversial rule allowing Minnesota's state colleges and universities to examine the personal cellphones of their employees.
The new rule, which took effect April 1, gave administrators the right to inspect privately owned phones, computers and other mobile devices if employees used them for work.
But after pushback from employees and state legislators, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system agreed last week to shelve the rule until a compromise can be worked out.
Under the agreement, MnSCU said it would not enforce the rule while an employee/management work group comes up with alternative language.
"They were aware of the fact that a lot of people were up in arms about it," said Ricardo Muggli, a technology specialist at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a union steward for the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, which represents some 2,000 MnSCU workers. "People felt that it was overstepping the bounds of privacy."
In March, MnSCU officials said the rule was needed in order to protect such "government data" as text messages and e-mails that may be contained on employees' cellphones or other devices. The rule stated that employees of all 31 state colleges and universities may be required to hand over their own devices for inspection and that they may be disciplined if they refuse.
In the weeks since the rule took effect, Muggli said, many MnSCU employees stopped using their phones for work — meaning that students and colleagues could no longer reach them after hours.
"People have said, 'Don't call me on my personal cellphone; don't text me'," he said. "There are quite a few people who are changing their behavior."
