A strong password is the first line of defense against falling victim to cybercrime. A password will not protect you if it’s easy to find or guess.

• Creating a strong password is an essential step toward achieving good data security

• Strong passwords are created using numbers, letters and symbols

• Don’t write your passwords down

• Consider using long phrases with mixed case and numbers

• Weak passwords contain common words and familiar sequences

• Weak passwords are a common cause of security breaches

What is a Weak Password?

A weak password is a common word or phrase, information that can easily be discovered about you (think Facebook), and popular phrases. Any of the following password examples can be cracked in minutes. Here are some examples:

Creating a Strong Password

A few changes could make your passwords stronger. Below are some quick strategies for building stronger passwords:

1. Lengthen your password – the closer you get to 15 characters the better

2. Use all the character types (upper, lower, number, symbol) and don’t place them all at the end

3. Make the password unique by adding in something unique for the website to the password

4. Use phrases, not words

One way to achieve all of these, is to have a base passphrase such as : a_S1ice0fApplePi

then add a unique ending to it: a_S1ice0fApplePi3. Use a different variation of your base passphrase for each login.

Please call the ITS Service Desk at extension 7111 with any questions or concerns or email us at itshelp@colgate.edu.

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Dear members of the Colgate community:

Friday, September 25, marked the one-year anniversary of a peaceful protest that lasted for 100 hours. It is not for us to commemorate this day, for we do not own it; however, we write today to remember the significance of the sit-in as an important juncture in Colgate’s history and to restate our commitment to build a Colgate for All consistent with the belief, expressed in our mission statement, that residential education “encourages exploration, expands mutual understanding, and supports a broadened perspective within a caring, humane community.”

Our vision for a Colgate for All is one of our most important university priorities. And carrying it out is everyone’s responsibility. We know there is much more work to be done, yet many students, professors, and staff members — both individuals and groups — have mobilized since last fall to bring about positive change at Colgate in structural, programmatic, and informal ways.

In continuing that effort, we began the new academic year focused on the entering students, with a letter welcoming our Bicentennial class. At orientation, Colgate Conversations fostered important intergroup dialogue, and a fall lineup of speakers is allowing for extended discussions of themes in the summer reading of Kiese Laymon’s book through Colgate Community Reads. In the area of student support, Drea Finley ’13 was appointed director of our new first-generation program. All these efforts, the product of much hard work by many, are setting a positive tone and building skills among our newest students.

Regarding faculty and staff efforts, we organized the annual White Eagle faculty retreat in May around the theme of Power, Privilege, and Pedagogy. More than 200 professors and staff members have participated in intergroup relations training, and we organized a brown-bag series of readings and related discussion about equity, diversity, and inclusion at Colgate. This past weekend, Thomas Cruz Soto, associate dean for multicultural affairs, and Trustee Leroy Cody, Jr. ’71 hosted two events with Professor Michael Jeffries (author of Paint the White House Black) for students, staff, faculty, and trustees.

We know that leadership is critical. Diversity and leadership coach Pat Romney facilitated the president’s staff’s summer retreat and continues to offer a series of just-in-time workshops for faculty search committees. A new council composed of faculty, students, and senior administrators is charged with identifying equity and inclusion goals for their areas and monitoring progress. Ms. Judi Dorsey has been hired as vice president for human resources. Her position is essential to making positive cultural changes in recruitment, training, and retention of staff. Changes to the operations of the Office of Equity and Diversity are in process to ensure that there can be greater attention to intergroup dialogue and other important initiatives in this interim year.

We will continue to share progress on the Colgate For All site. We thank you in advance for your suggestions — and your active participation.

In May, commencement speaker Eddie Glaude commended our students for having “courageously forced this university to look unflinchingly at itself.” He pointed out that “colleges and universities are training grounds for citizenship” where “you either cultivate the habits of courage or learn the habits of cowardliness and complicity … You and I must seize hold of the idea that a different arrangement of things is possible.”

Let’s do this together.

Jill Harsin
Interim President

Connie Harsh
Interim Dean of the Faculty and Provost

Suzy Nelson
Vice President and Dean of the College

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Dear members of the Colgate community:

The dean’s office would like to remind community members that the fall hunting season begins today. Hunting is not allowed on university-owned property, and Colgate’s property lines are posted and very clearly defined; however, Colgate University adjoins privately-owned property that hunters may have permission to use.

Community members should exercise caution and wear bright clothing when in or near any wooded areas of the campus during deer hunting season. Bow season begins today and regular hunting season begins November 21 through December 13.  To report anyone who is hunting on university-owned property, please contact campus safety at 315-228-7333.

Sincerely,

Suzy Nelson

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