1. Getting Wired: A Look at Telnet’s Future University of Connecticut

2. Goals of the Telnet Technology Task Force Our plan of action centers around three main categories: Student Awareness, Daily Integration, and Building 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9.  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

10. Daily Integration New technology permeates campus culture and the demand for Telnet College to keep up is an ever pressing issue. By taking a pro-active stance on usage policies, bandwidth and server issues, and web-based classes, Telnet will be better prepared to address future concerns. We hope to embrace new web-based services through creating an office who’s sole obligation is 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Incorporate computer ownership in 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

21. 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

22. 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.

23. Residential Life Using the Student Development Theory  Incorporate Sanford’s idea of person-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)

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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 Code Violations  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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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.