PENNPRINTOUT - University of Pennsylvania
PENNPRINTOUT - University of Pennsylvania PENNPRINTOUT - University of Pennsylvania
BY DANIEL A. UPDEGROVE IAND GEORGE P. McKENNA n March the University’s Board of Trustees approved plans for ResNet Phase 3, which will provide, by September 1995, PennNet Ethernet, cable television, and enhanced phone service to 1,260 students in five residences—DuBois House, Hill House, Mayer House, Stouffer College House, and Van Pelt College House. A total of 4,770 students will then have ResNet connections, leaving only the two Grad Towers and most of the Quad unwired. Engineering and cost studies will be undertaken during the next few months to determine if the remaining buildings can be completed in one additional summer or two. Before approving the Phase 3 plan, Provost Stanley Chodorow requested an assessment of the use and impact of the first two phases of ResNet. To that end, a five-page questionnaire was distributed in all student residences (wired and unwired) in January. Of the 6,300 surveys distributed, 1,160 were returned, a 19 percent response rate. The survey results reveal much about ResNet as well as the state of student computing and network use on the campus. Background In March 1993 the Trustees approved a four-year plan to wire the residences, with funding from both residential and general student fees. In September 1993, 1,620 students moved into the first five wired buildings: Class of 1925/Modern Languages College House, English House, Kings Court, Ware College House (Quad), and High Rise North. To promote effective use of the Ethernet data connections, software was made available at no cost and installed, upon request, in student rooms. In addition, an automatic IP (Internet protocol) assignment system was developed, which simplifies start-up and permits students with laptops to roam from building to building. By year’s end, about 310 (20 percent) of the students had used their Ethernet connection. In 1994 wiring was extended to 1,890 students in Harrison and Harnwell Houses. The software distribution and installation processes were streamlined such that many 8 Student survey results students were able to obtain and install networking software without assistance; as of mid-March, over 880 ResNet students (26 percent) had connected their computers to PennNet. Television reception was improved by a change from the rooftop laser and microwave transceivers employed in Phase 1 to underground cable in Phase 2. In addition, the ResNet Video Network was merged with the Academic Video Network, which had delivered news, public affairs, and foreign language programming to 35 academic and administrative buildings. The ResNet program also includes three additional components: • Upgrading computer labs in the residence halls • Expanding the modem pool • Creating a central server, named “dolphin,” for use by students in the eight “small” schools—Annenberg, Dental Medicine, Education, Fine Arts, Law, Nursing, Social Work, and Veterinary Medicine—to access electronic mail, NetNews, and World-Wide Web resources, including their own personal home pages ResNet’s goals ResNet was conceived as a multi-faceted program with multi-dimensional goals: • Contribute to University efforts to make residences “more academic” in character, via access to high-speed PennNet/Internet connections as well as public affairs and foreign-language television programs in rooms and lounges • Promote integration of computing and information resources into curricula, via reduced barriers to access and increased student information technology literacy • Enhance Penn’s ability to prepare graduates for a networked, information-rich, international, multicultural world • Remain competitive with peer institutions who already offer or are planning to offer similar services • Increase residence hall occupancy • Meet a growing demand for access to computing and information resources without concomitant investment in student computer labs by leveraging student computer ownership and the convenience of in-room network access • Reduce growth of modem pool expenses • Enhance residential telephone services and reduce maintenance costs • Promote use of electronic communications in the small schools Survey results Of the 1,160 survey respondents, 628 live in ResNet buildings, 432 live in unwired residences, and 100 PENNPRINTOUT
neglected to identify their residence. Response rates by building ranged from 37 to 5 percent, with wired buildings tending to elicit higher response rates. See the tables Table I: Survey respondents below for breakdowns by class, School, and number of roommates. A systematic assessment of non-response bias is in process. (continued on next page) Breakdown of respondents by class Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Grad/Prof Total ResNet 88 260 175 90 14 627 No ResNet info 11 24 17 16 32 100 Non-ResNet 151 59 34 31 157 432 Total 250 343 226 137 203 1159 Breakdown by School College Wharton Nursing SEAS Other Total ResNet 337 134 25 114 12 622 No ResNet info 36 23 8 15 18 100 Non-ResNet 179 84 10 55 103 431 Total 552 241 43 184 133 1153 Breakdown by number of roommates Zero One Two Three Total ResNet 94 226 134 174 628 No ResNet info 39 31 15 15 100 Non-ResNet 205 177 36 14 432 Total 338 434 185 203 1160 Note: Because some students did not respond to every question, the totals vary slightly from the 1,160 total survey respondents. Table II: Students using specific resources (%) E-mail News Lynx Mosaic Gopher PennInfo Library FTP ResNet 97 76 37 50 72 55 71 41 No ResNet info 90 65 38 33 59 58 73 31 Non-ResNet 93 63 39 39 62 53 63 30 Total 95 70 38 45 67 54 67 36 APRIL 1995 9
- Page 1 and 2: PENNPRINTOUT VOLUME 11:6 APRIL 1995
- Page 3 and 4: Technoliteracy A student’s view B
- Page 5 and 6: The Wharton Research Data System In
- Page 7: large-scale study of the financial
- Page 11 and 12: Alumni PennNet Service BY ALFRED C.
- Page 13 and 14: ists around campus—in what has be
- Page 15 and 16: Internet Access in Philadelphia & B
- Page 17 and 18: Other sites Other sites offer news
- Page 19 and 20: Supported products In addition to t
- Page 21 and 22: Virtual University (from page 1) ch
- Page 23 and 24: evolution is putting libraries and
- Page 25 and 26: ANNOUNCEMENTS Further information o
- Page 27 and 28: ISC B&P seminars Bits & Pieces semi
- Page 29 and 30: Hot Dates Please note that the summ
- Page 31 and 32: I want to include sound files with
neglected to identify their residence. Response rates by<br />
building ranged from 37 to 5 percent, with wired buildings<br />
tending to elicit higher response rates. See the tables<br />
Table I: Survey respondents<br />
below for breakdowns by class, School, and number <strong>of</strong><br />
roommates. A systematic assessment <strong>of</strong> non-response bias<br />
is in process. (continued on next page)<br />
Breakdown <strong>of</strong> respondents by class<br />
Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Grad/Pr<strong>of</strong> Total<br />
ResNet 88 260 175 90 14 627<br />
No ResNet info 11 24 17 16 32 100<br />
Non-ResNet 151 59 34 31 157 432<br />
Total 250 343 226 137 203 1159<br />
Breakdown by School<br />
College Wharton Nursing SEAS Other Total<br />
ResNet 337 134 25 114 12 622<br />
No ResNet info 36 23 8 15 18 100<br />
Non-ResNet 179 84 10 55 103 431<br />
Total 552 241 43 184 133 1153<br />
Breakdown by number <strong>of</strong> roommates<br />
Zero One Two Three Total<br />
ResNet 94 226 134 174 628<br />
No ResNet info 39 31 15 15 100<br />
Non-ResNet 205 177 36 14 432<br />
Total 338 434 185 203 1160<br />
Note: Because some students did not respond to every question, the totals vary slightly from the<br />
1,160 total survey respondents.<br />
Table II: Students using specific resources (%)<br />
E-mail News Lynx Mosaic Gopher PennInfo Library FTP<br />
ResNet 97 76 37 50 72 55 71 41<br />
No ResNet info 90 65 38 33 59 58 73 31<br />
Non-ResNet 93 63 39 39 62 53 63 30<br />
Total 95 70 38 45 67 54 67 36<br />
APRIL 1995 9
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