Proposal for Telnet College:
Technology in the future
Jennifer Boynton
Christopher Dayss
Ethel Hill
Amy Sheils
The University of Maine
The History of the Internet
 1960: There is no internet
 1962-1969: The internet is first conceived under the
U.S. Department of Defense’s Advanced Research
Project Agency (ARPA), transforms from paper
based, to network (ARPANET) intended to connect
researchers in the United States through supercomputers.
 1970-1973: ARAPNET and immediate success.
Though originally intended to share scientific data,
email quickly becomes the most popular feature.
The History of the Internet
cont’d
 1985: Newsgroups and email common on many
campuses.
 1991: At the University of Minnesota, the first point
and click internet is created. Creator, “the first
internet my mom can use”. The ability to combine
text, pictures, and sounds is introduced.
 1993: Traffic on the Internet has a 341,634% annual
growth rate.
 1996: Nearly 10 million hosts, connecting 40 million
people.
(www.pbs.org/internet/timeline/timeline-txt.html)
Why Should Student Affairs
Be Concerned?
 Astin’s Theory of Involvement:

Theory can be summed with “students learned by
getting involved”. Involvement leads to investment,
which leads to retention and commitment.
 Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure:
 Encounters with structures and people in the university
lead to a greater integration, and higher persistence.
(Pascarella, E., Terenzini, P., 1991)
A Look at the Issues…
 Internet Dependency
 Internet Harassment
 Internet Stalking
 The Digital Divide
 Academic Dishonesty
 Legal Issues
 Increased Usage
Internet Dependency
 Since 1997, studies have been conducted that
document the increasing use of internet on
campus.
 Students, in one study, were characterized as
Internet Dependant spent 229 minutes a day online
for non-academic reasons, compared with 73 for
non-dependent.
 As many as 6% spent more than 400 minutes per
day- 7 hours! (Reisberg, 2000)
The Story of “Scott”
 (Anderson, 2)
Internet Dependency (cont.)
 It is important to note that not all psychologists
recognize internet “addiction” as a valid disorder.
(DeAngelis, 2000)
 Many feel that increased computer use does not
isolate, but rather, “The internet is a community of
chronic communicators” (Strangelove, 1994, cited
in Chenault, 2001) And in fact, relationships are
abundant.
Internet Stalking
In one instance the “finger” program of
email was found to be a contributing factor
in stalking incidents at the U. of Michigan.
The stalker could see who was online, and
at what terminal. As a result, the program
was discontinued. (Olsen, 2001)
Internet Harassment
 At Pennsylvania State University, the
computer security officer received 5-25
reports of computer harassment and misuse
per day in 1999. (Rogerson, 2000)
 The availability of computers, the
“anonymity” of confrontation, inability to
judge tone, “big brother” qualities all
contribute to internet harassment.
The Digital Divide
In fall of 2000, the U.S. Department of Commerce found that :
 51% of all U.S. homes had a computer; 41.5% of all U.S. homes had
Internet access
 White (46.1%) and Asian American & Pacific Islander (56.8%)
households continued to have Internet access at levels more than
double those of Black (23.5%) and Hispanic (23.6%) households.
 86.3% of households earning $75,000 and above per year had Internet
access compared to 12.7% of households earning less than $15,000
per year.
This discrepancy between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ will only
grow if all services on a college campus shift online.
Students who have never accessed online information
would be placed at an extreme disadvantage, and it could
be argued, are not given the same opportunity for an
educational experience as those with technology
experience.
(Source: Falling Through the Net, 2000) http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn00/contents00.html
Academic Dishonesty
 In 1998, Boston University filed suit
against five on-line sites devoted to the
selling of term papers. Though this
particular case was dismissed, it
demonstrates an increasing issue of
Academic Dishonesty via the internet.
(Guernsey, 1998)
Increased Usage
 The increased usage of the internet on
campus has caused information
technology departments to take a hard
look at the amount of bandwidth offered.
Universities are finding that regardless
of bandwidth offered, demand exceeds
supply, mostly due to increasing ‘trade’
of MP3’s and movies.
Legal Issues
The law surrounding technology is ever
changing, and should be a priority for Telnet
to keep abreast. In terms of monitoring online
activity, a review of literature seems to imply
that universities CAN monitor online activity
over their networks, but it is not REQUIRED.
Legal Issues
 The Communications Decency Act of
1996 would have had major implications
for universities. It forbade the
transmission of indecent material to
minors under the age of 18. In Reno v.
ACLU, the Supreme Court held that
such was unconstitutional, and ‘wholly
unprecedented’. (Roberts, 1998)
Legal Issues
 In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court let
stand a lower court ruling that an
‘Internet service provider is not liable if
an user defames someone in an email
message or online bulletin board
posting.’ (Carlson, 2000)
Legal Issues
 The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986
generally prohibits someone from interfering or
intercepting electronic communication. Stored
information is somewhat less protected.
 In U.S. V. Simons (1998) a CIA employee’s computer
was searched after it was discovered that the
employee had accessed a site with sexually explicit
material. The employee challenged, but the judge
determined there was no reasonable expectation on
privacy. (Higgins, 1999)
Legal Issues
 Other legislation that must be
considered (ALWAYS consult University
counsel!!)
 F.E.R.P.A.-
what is the line for student
information privacy?
 Right to know laws- some states now
include a person’s cookies (internet history
log!)
The Challenge of being a
Wired Community…
 This is a question that seems to be asked
again and again. How do we build
community when we can’t get students out of
their rooms?
 Maybe it is time to stop looking at technology
as the challenge, and start considering it the
SOLUTION!
 Instead of focusing on how to get students off
their computers, let’s shift our focus on how to
integrate this attention to building online
communities that can enrich their collegiate
experiences!
Learning From Distance
Education Programs…
 There are several programs
established that are utilized for
distance learning. Instructors have
the ability to:
 Schedule
individual chat times
 Post the assignments and syllabus
 Students can have on-line
discussions
Learning From Distance
Education Programs…
 The most important learning is that
with distance education we have
thought outside of the box.
 Found a way that people with
different lifestyles, in different
places can join together in a class
Some Possible Solutions…
Solutions
Computer Use Policy
IT
Residence Life
Campus Activities
Admissions
Counseling and Health Services
Computer Use Policy
 Telnet College needs to prioritize and
establish an “Acceptable Use Policy” to assist
students/faculty/staff in determining for what
purposes the campus network can be used.
For sample AUP’s see:
http://www.4c.net/documents/4cnet_policy.html
http://www.msu.edu/dig/aup/msuaup.html
http://www.upenn.edu/computing/policy/aup.html
IT (Information Technology)
IT needs to undergo an assessment of the quality of the
current technologies in place at Telnet College.
Some areas that need to be scrutinized:
 Is there adequate bandwidth?
 Are there “Shapers” which prioritize the type of data coming




through (email over MP3 files, etc.)? (see Olsen, 2001)
Are there adequate virus shields and firewalls?
Is there enough budget to keep up with the technology demands
at Telnet College?
Is there adequate staff?
Is there grant money to implement improvement plans?
Residence Life
 Traditionally residence life has encouraged getting
students out of their rooms to interact with others.
This has been the predominate mode of
programming.
 The challenge is that students are now spending
even more time in their rooms
 The following ideas look at engaging students and
promoting interactions via the computer.
 Note: We STRONGLY favor programs that build
the cost of a laptop into every first year students
tuition costs…we strongly feel this is necessary
to give students a similar starting point.
See: http://www.math.clemson.edu/~bmoss/carmichael.html
Residence Life
 Cyber Lounges
 Physical lounges in the residence hall will be
equipped with data ports and furniture conducive
for students gathering with their laptops. These
areas:



Provide an opportunity for visiting lecturers to integrate
websites into presentations.
Allow gaming online, while still maintaining personal
contact.
Provide opportunities for educational sessions for
students not as adept at technology.
Residence Life
 “Virtual Lounges”
 Provide an online meeting place for
students of particular interests.
 Could be opened to “non-traditional” and
“distance education” students as well as
traditional to create a bridge at any given
institution.
 Available Residence Life staff for Q&A
Chat nightly.
Residence Life--Assessment
 Have a monthly question asked on the
residence life website.


This will help to get a sense of the students’
interests
Information gained can help focus programming
and campus funding
Campus Activities
 Traditional Campus Activities offices have
focused programming out of the halls, often in
the central student meeting place, such as
the student union.
 The challenge in the growing technology age
is to provide activities using available
technology and offer some activities online.
Campus Activities
 E-mail surveys to students
 Find
out what performers students want to
visit campus---provide digital recording
samples
 Video library of past performances
 Students
who missed the original
performance could check out a copy.
Campus Activities--Logistics
 Web-based Calendar
 All
campus events will listed in one central
place
 Room Scheduling On-line
 Students,
faculty and staff can reserve a
room anywhere on campus via a central
program
 On-line ticket sales
Campus Activities--Events
 Institute an “unplugged” series:
 Work with outdoor adventure programs to engage
students with opportunities away from their
computer terminals.
 This can be tied back to the internet by hosting
preliminary discussions regarding preparations,
and also reflections after the activity.
 Additionally, online evaluations could be utilized.
Campus Activities--Events
 On-line Olympics
 Event
held annually to engage students in
a campus-wide event
 Games to include
Trivia
 Board type games

 Diablo and Counterstrike Tournaments
 Virtual Pet Adoption Center
Campus Activities--Web-Cast
 Web-cast events
 Showcase campus activities and events
 Campus Activities Board and Student
Government meetings broadcast live

Input and motions could be received via the
internet
 Daily
news broadcast---student run
National, local and campus news
 Social events highlighted

Admissions
 Personal Video Messages
 Admissions
Counselors will send admitted
students a personal video message
welcoming them to the University
 A day in the life of a student
 Prospective
students can watch a 24 hour
video of the typical student, from when
they wake up to when they go to sleep
Admissions
 Constant flow of information
 Send
prospective students on-line version
of the campus paper weekly to keep them
up to date
 On-line admissions process
 Potential
students can track where they are
in the process
 Check on acceptance
Counseling and Health
Services
 Assessment (alcohol use, diet, depression




and concern for friends, etc)
Confidential Q&A, library of FAQ
Daily Chat (with an anonymous option) with
an M.D.
Possible outsource to 24-hour healthcare
agency in which students could discuss
symptoms.
Online support groups in private chat rooms.
Counseling and Health
Services
 Ordering prescription refills, with automatic
email reminders; links to online information of
medications
 Scheduling appointments and filling in patient
forms prior to arrival.
 Links to other online medical resources.
 Individualized health and wellness diaries
maintained by students, including health and
wellness links
Telnet College-where to go
from here…
 Assess which issues are most relevant (and
immediate) at Telnet.
 Assess current IT department, equipment,
staff, vision, and budget.
 Re-design traditional programs to incorporate
online technology. This will require extensive
training of administrators and staff in these
departments.
It all begins with a total
institutional commitment…
I’m excited to get started…
Are you?