Getting Wired: A Look at Telnet’s Future

University of Connecticut

Goals of the Telnet Technology Task Force

Our plan of action centers around three maincategories: Student Awareness, Daily Integration, andBuilding a Better Community. We cannot get away from technology, so as a College we must find a way to integrate it into campus life in a positive and healthy way. By encouraging students to get out of their rooms and educating them on the pros and cons of leading technology driven lives, we hope to address the concerns of our committee and Telnet College.

Student Awareness

In order to address our students changing needs in a

technological capacity, the College needs to become

more pro-active. Students are spending hours each

day surfing the internet, talking on Instant Messenger,

entering chat rooms, and downloading media. If we are

to be successful in helping these students become

responsible adults, they need to be more aware of the

negative aspects that can be a part of any of these

activities.

Internet Addiction

Establish programs to educate

students about internet addiction

What is internet addiction?

How to identify if you or a friend is at risk for addiction.

Resources that are available for those who need help.

Working with Mental Health professionals

Provide professional assessment for identifying addiction.

Collaborate with student affairs professionals on self-assessment literature.

Incorporate psychological research on the relationship between internet addiction and other social disorders.

Counseling Options

Establish peer support groups

One-on-one meetings with counselors

Brochures on coping with internet addiction

Advertise National and Regional addiction hotlines and websites

Develop Education Initiatives in the Residence Halls

Educate all Residential Life staff through interactive workshops on warning sign of addiction, referral options, and programming options

Utilize the Resident Assistants in the creation of informational bulletin board about the dangers of addiction

Instant Messaging

Educating students about negative side effects

At risk for reduction in social skills (i.e. face-to-face)

Physical harm such as eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome

Potential decline in academic success

Developing Helping Techniques

Actively seeking out students who are isolating themselves from the community and encourage involvement with activities

Work with academic advisors to set up action plans for at-risk students to create a diversion and refocus on academics

Arranging group study sessions with students with “healthy” internet habits, as well as similar academic schedules

Chat Rooms

Dangers

Uncertainty of the other person’s true identity

Identity stealing

Online stalking and harassment

Easy access to personal information

Education & Options

Provide brochures about the dangers of chat rooms and ways to avoid problems (i.e. not divulging personal information)

Offer website resource links off of Telnet’s main page

Holding sessions provided by local police about the options students have to address online stalking and harassment

Sessions provided by the College’s Information Technology Services Office on safe guarding computers from breaches in security

Downloading Music

Developing a university policy limiting the amount students can download

Research legality of search engines and music swaps

College needs to decide whether to ban certain websites

Establishing firewalls to block certain non-research activities

Research how much of the College’s bandwidth is being used to download music

Research for these new policies and procedures at Telnet College are based on initiatives made by the Resnet Technology Branch of the Department of Residential Life at the University of Connecticut.

The following policy on copyrighted material is an example of the stance we would like to take with the Telnet Community.

“Copyrighted Material: Do not copy, display, or redistribute copyrighted materials, including software, music, and movies, except under limited "Fair Use" circumstances. This includes, but is not limited to, copying software that was not purchased, downloading a song that was not bought, or uploading a movie that was not made by the user.”

http://netreg.uits.uconn.edu/#policy

Daily Integration

New technology permeates campus culture and the demand for Telnet College to keep up is an everpressing issue. By taking a pro-active stance on usagepolicies, bandwidth and server issues, and web-basedclasses, Telnet will be better prepared to address futureconcerns. We hope to embrace new web-basedservices through creating an office who’s sole obligationis to implement this plan. With that in mind, due to the financial restraints of some students, a digital divide is inevitable. By providing hardware for the Telnet community to access these new services, our goal is that no one will be left behind.

Slower Servers and Bandwidth Issues

Research what the students are

using computers for

Surveys asking students what their personal usage habits are

Monitoring the system to see what sites have the most traffic

Using this information to determine if primary usage is personal or academically driven

Limiting the amount of

downloaded Gigabytes

Establish a monitoring system that will limit the amount of material the students will be able to download per month

Block downloading capabilities when the monthly maximum has been reached

Judicial Sanctioning for Excessive Downloads

Through the use of creative sanctioning, we are hoping that the students will have an educational experience and not

one that is simply punitive.

Writing papers about the legal ramifications of downloading media

Collecting data and statistics about the College’s financial obligations in providing bandwidth for campus use

Studying and reporting on the effects that excessive downloading has on the speed of the College’s server

In conjunction with the above mentioned sanctions, students who were repeatedly found in violation of the policy would also lose their internet privileges in their respective residence halls

Web Based Classes

Collaboration with faculty and staff to limit web based classes

Classes can be offered to off campus students only in order to prevent on campus students from staying in their rooms

Off campus students need the web based classes more due to the fact that they most likely have other jobs and responsibilities

Students who are on campus have easier access to the academic buildings, therefore less of a need to take web based classes

Supplemental information to

lectures on class web pages

Mandating that the faculty do not post FULL class notes on web sites; only supplemental information

The expectation is that information posted on class web sites will not replace the lecture

Students need to be responsible for going to class and receiving the information in a classroom environment

Internet Usage in the Workplace

Develop policies about internet usage in the office

Use of office computers is restricted to work related issues only

The only time that the internet can be accessed for personal business is during the designated lunch hour or after business hours

All sites visited at any time must be legal in content

Educate staff on internet usage

Create user’s manuals on the polices, procedures, and helpful hints on how to navigate the world wide web

Hold in-services to teach staff how to use internet research databases

Have work-study students majoring in computer sciences serve as computer consultants for each department

Encourage faculty to use technology in their lectures and assignments

Using multimedia clips in their classes

WebCT

Referencing informational websites that will assist students in understanding class material

Having internet based projects

Complete CD-ROM based experiments and labs

Web Based Student Services

Develop an Office for Internet Technology that would oversee practical creation and implementation of web based student services

Establish an online tutorial system developed by the Office of Internet Technology to help students navigate and operate these new services

Digital Divide

Create internet cafes

A way to get students out of their residence halls

A comfortable environment where students can still surf the internet

Provides a social environment for those students who share a common interest

Expand library resources and

create more computer centers

Expand library resources by subscribing to online data bases as opposed to having hard copies

Create computer labs on heavily populated parts of campus to increase user access

Computer Loan System

Create a lease program through the College to allow those students who cannot afford to purchase a computer the ability to have one

Leasing option would last one academic year and the fee would be on their College bill along with their tuition and other expenses

Incorporate computer ownershipin roommate assignments

Survey incoming freshman on computer ownership

Provide an option on whether they would be receptive to sharing their computer with their roommate

Pair those who opt-in to share with students who do not own computers

This living arrangement would give the students an opportunity to develop scheduling and communication skills

Funding

Financing technological updates

Solicit a partnership with a major computer company (i.e. Dell) to provide the hardware necessary to make these changes

Seek donations from alumni who are interested in transformation of Telnet College into a competitor for top high school graduates

Institute [or increase] a technology fee as part of the already existing student services fee

Research the possibility of applying for state and/or federal funds to aid in this project

Building a Better Community

The community of Telnet College consists not only of

students, but also of faculty, staff, and parents. By

involving all these individuals, we hope to expand and

improve the college experience. Through working

together, we are ensuring the safety and quality of our

community. At Telnet College, establishing a

community where all individuals can thrive and success

is a priority.

Residential Life

Using the Student Development Theory

Incorporate Sanford’s idea ofperson-environment interaction, which consists of readiness, challenges, and support.

Using Sanford’s theory as a model, we will educate our hall staff on creating a community environment conducive and healthy for all individuals

Through resources, such as counseling services, career services, and health services, we will provide support academically, socially, and mentally for the Residence Hall communities.

Using Computers to

Encourage Involvement

Survey students to evaluate what they are using their computers for

With results from the surveys, develop programs and activities to encourage community involvement within the residence halls (I.e. computer game competitions on floors and in halls)

As an incentive for community

involvement offer rewards pertaining to computer usage (I.e. gift certificates for computer software or hardware)

College Life

Internet Advertising

Create a Telnet website

Use this website to increase

awareness and encourage

participation of campus and

community events

Using Internet Cafes

Encourage students to use

cafes through campus

advertising

Have sponsored activities and programs in cafes to increase participation and interaction among students

Networking the Campus

Provide Internet access for all

residence halls, library, and

community centers

Educate and inform students on the positive aspects of network sharing

Create a WebCT discussion page for students to share their

knowledge as well as receive

answers to their technology

questions

Development through the Cube Model

This model, developed by Morrill, Oetting, and Hurst, assists Student Affair professionals in enhancing student learning through intervention

The three dimensions of the Cube Model include: the target, the purpose, and the method of intervention

Using the Cube Model, assess the community and technological issues by incorporating the three dimensions of the Cube (i.e. target=students, purpose=community involvement, method=programs and activities

Protecting Our Students

Developing Policies Addressing

Online Harassment

Create a university committee

consisting of faculty, staff, and

students to establish the

University’s position regarding

online harassment

Inform students of the University’s online harassment policy

Police Involvement in Online

Harassment Cases

Have the police work with the

committee in publicizing the legal consequences of online

harassment

Inform police of any possible

harassment situation and work

together on compiling evidence to catch perpetrators

Campaign for Preventing

Online Harassment

Help the University community

recognize the signs of harassment

Publicize the consequences and/or sanctions resulting from

inappropriate online activities

Developing Student CodeViolations

Utilize the committee in developing a section for online harassment in the student code and sanctions that result from violating these policies

Possible sanctions could include: loss of internet privileges, loss of housing, a probationary period, suspension, and/or expulsion

Technology Savvy Parents

Developing a Website for

Parents

Include information on University rules and regulations

Provide a calendar of University

events, important dates, and a

listing of clubs and organizations

Offer a virtual tour of the University campus and community

Web-based Resources for

Parents

Provide information on available

students services (i.e. academic

advising, counseling, financial aid, etc.)

Post a listing of all relevant contact phone numbers and email addresses

Develop a list of Frequently Asked Questions

Developing Policies Regarding

Confidentiality

Research the legalities regarding student confidentiality

Work with University officials to

incorporate the law in creating

University policies

Inform parents and students via

email, flyers, and/or letter, about

the University’s policies as well as the legal aspects of student

confidentiality

Educating Faculty and Staff on

How to Work with Parents

Offer interactive workshops to help faculty and staff improve and develop communication skills

Provide a resource for faculty and staff to receive advice in dealing with difficult situations involving parents

References

Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998) Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice. Using Student Development Theory. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. pp22-23 & 25-26.