Central building hooks up to Wi-fi

October 15, 2009 by Pashtana Usufzy 

Student body senators fund wireless Internet proposal

More students can now break out their laptops and surf the Web during class thanks to the latest funding endeavor by the UNLV student government.

CSUN approved $13,000 for the expansion of wireless Internet into the Carol C. Harter Classroom Building Complex Monday after a debate over the appropriate location to fund accessible wireless.

A vote of 18 senators in favor and five opposed led to passage of the action item.

The Wi-fi service, which Office of Information Technology officials said will be up and running as soon as the equipment can be purchased and properly installed, will utilize built-in and newly constructed access points to provide Web access.

“I think it’s safe to say, barring any issues, that we can look to a spring [working] date,” said student body president Adam Cronis.

The debate over whether to fund the project included worries over whether the system would be able to keep up with so many students attempting to access the server.

Other senators worried about the cost, wondering whether wireless service is a necessity.
OIT officials said they have been moving forward with a proposal to bring Wi-fi to the entire UNLV campus, but the expansion would require approval by the state legislature. More than $1 million is required for funding.

“I love using Wi-fi,” said health sciences senator Ariane Freeman. “I’ve been talking to President Cronis throughout this entire thing and … [got] his opinion on certain things. One thing that came up that we talked about was in CBC [is] I just feel like those classes are very introductory.”

Freeman went on to say that she would not be comfortable with funding wireless services for students to simply browse social networking sites.

Liberal arts senator Cynthia Hernandez disagreed, joining other senators by sharing a personal story of how she once missed a quiz in a course that required students to use Internet in class.
College of Engineering senator Jesus Campuzano agreed.

“Speaking for my college, it would benefit engineering students a lot,” he said, “because we have some introductory and then we have some 200, 300, 400 level classes,” he said.

Senators had the choice to approve both, either or neither of the proposals presented to them, including one request for CBC funding of $13,000 or funding for an expansion of wirelesss service to Pida Plaza and the alumni amphitheater for $12,000.

“There’s been an effort to look at what areas could utilize wireless,” Cronis told senators, explaining that he has spoken both with OIT professionals, constituents and members of the Senate.

While CSUN executives hoped to expand wireless to reach a greater number of students, funding would have been an issue, Cronis told senators.

“The issue of resources came into play, obviously, but also staffing and [how] to keep a network functioning,” he said.

Senator Mike Wong of the College of University Studies said he did not support funding wireless services because both faculty members and graduate students would reap the benefits of services provided with undergraduate student fees.

“Are we footing the entire bill for the wireless?” he asked Cronis.

Lori Temple, the vice provost for information technology, responded that CSUN fees will fund upkeep. She added that the wireless network will feed off of portions of an already in place system.

“The cost of the fee will cover the maintenance [and] the upkeep of the Web site,” she told senators.
Cronis said he feels the passage of the item, despite some remaining concerns, will be of great benefit until the OIT has a system-wide effort approved by the legislature.

“I think in general,” Cronis said, “it will provide more service than what is available.”