Students and Faculty on Same Wavelength at SUNY Morrisville
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In a time of changing technology, the administration at SUNY Morrisville asked itself how it could create a more interactive learning environment that would
better prepare students for the workforce. In addition to focusing on collaborative learning, we wanted to promote an atmosphere in which students could learn wherever they feel most comfortable. Instead of relegating students to the library or classroom while working on projects, we wanted to give them the flexibility to have access to the university network and to e-mail anywhere on campus, be it from their dorm rooms, the dining hall or even outside.
We were able to accomplish one part of our goal by integrating the use of notebook computers into our curricula. This afforded students the ability to work in groups without being forced into a computer lab. However, the students were still tethered to data ports for a connection to the Internet or the campus network.
Going Wireless
We decided the best solution would be to provide our students with a wireless LAN connection. Our president, Ray Cross, Ph.D., is a major proponent of implementing the latest technology within our campus' infrastructure. He played a major role in having our entire campus connected to a wireless LAN (WLAN). Every academic building and residential hall on campus is now equipped with wireless network connectivity.
While conducting research to find a viable wireless network supplier, the university considered three potential vendors. Of the three candidates, Raylink emerged as the only WLAN provider that met all our wireless network criteria. We were impressed by their product's ease of implementation and use, as well as by the strength and reliability of the signal it emitted.
Raylink's use of the frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technique throughout their products gave us the decided edge we were seeking. Since the system's signal path is especially resistant to outside interference from electromagnetic sources, such as appliances and other wireless LAN devices, it was ideal for extending our school's LAN environment. Unlike other WLAN technologies that are based on direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), the Raylink system's FHSS design appears to be immune to interference jamming, unauthorized detection and noise.
Another compelling factor behind our decision was the fact that the connectivity equipment maintains signal strength and throughput from extended distances. Aside from its impressive array of signal strength and reliability features, the products were also completely in line with our budget.
By integrating these products, we have completed our original mission of offering our students a nomadic learning environment. Students can access the Internet or have a live connection to our network from anywhere on campus at any time. Additionally, if it's a nice day, they have the opportunity to take advantage of the weather, regardless of whether they are conducting research on the Internet or working on group projects on the lawn.
Results
Having been in place since fall semester 1999, the wireless products have become mainstays of our campus culture. Currently, more than half of our student population (1,600 out of a population of 3,035) is connected to our WLAN via wireless networking cards. Through the vision of individuals like President Cross and Assistant Vice President of Technology Services Jean Boland, SUNY Morrisville was the first campus among SUNY's 64-school system to implement wireless technology.
Thus far, our wireless campus has been so well received that we were recently named "America's Most Wired Two-Year Institution" by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine. Our school was selected from a pool of nearly 1,300 schools located in all 50 states. The campus connectivity has been such a rousing success that the students who aren't connected comment that they are suffering from "wireless fever."
In lieu of waiting for a professor's office hours, students may simply e-mail any queries to their professors. This wireless technology has now opened up lines of communication between students and faculty on virtually a 24-hour basis. Instead of limiting the human interaction between student and professor, wireless technology has actually increased interaction. Since some questions can be answered by e-mail, students and faculty can get to know each other on a more personal level during office hours.
While the wireless connectivity hasn't turned classrooms into paperless environments, it has eliminated some of the paper shuffle that occurs. Instead of turning in an assignment in class, students are now able to deliver homework into a professor's inbox via the WLAN. Many classes have also gone to CD-ROMs in lieu of textbooks. In a pilot program within the engineering department, the professor took a poll of who favored CD-ROMs over textbooks, and the students were unanimous in their choice of the CD-ROM version.
Aside from getting the thumbs-up from our students, the faculty members in the laptop curricula have also been very receptive to the new wireless environment. Fewer cords means less setup time for class lectures. Since professors are able to work anywhere on campus via their laptops, they are also taking advantage of the increased mobility and freedom the products have provided. Raylink's suite of products has also allowed our faculty more latitude to finish work away from their offices on campus.
Moreover, our relationship with Raylink has been very positive. The company was extremely responsive and reacted very quickly to one of our emergency product requests. Everything we asked for arrived the next business day. Complementing our existing LAN environment with wireless connectivity has resulted in a win-win relationship for everyone involved at SUNY Morrisville.
Jessica DeCerce,
SUNY at Morrisville
Contact Information
Raylink
Baldwin Park, CA
(800) 457-6811
www.raylink.com
In a time of changing technology, the administration at SUNY Morrisville asked itself how it could create a more interactive learning environment that would better prepare students for the workforce. In addition to focusing on collaborative learning, we wanted to promote an atmosphere in which students could learn wherever they feel most comfortable. Instead of relegating students to the library or classroom while working on projects, we wanted to give them the flexibility to have access to the university network and to e-mail anywhere on campus, be it from their dorm rooms, the dining hall or even outside.
We were able to accomplish one part of our goal by integrating the use of notebook computers into our curricula. This afforded students the ability to work in groups without being forced into a computer lab. However, the students were still tethered to data ports for a connection to the Internet or the campus network.
X@XOpenTag000Going Wireless
X@XCloseTag000We decided the best solution would be to provide our students with a wireless LAN connection. Our president, Ray Cross, Ph.D., is a major proponent of implementing the latest technology within our campus' infrastructure. He played a major role in having our entire campus connected to a wireless LAN (WLAN). Every academic building and residential hall on campus is now equipped with wireless network connectivity.
While conducting research to find a viable wireless network supplier, the university considered three potential vendors. Of the three candidates, Raylink emerged as the only WLAN provider that met all our wireless network criteria. We were impressed by their product's ease of implementation and use, as well as by the strength and reliability of the signal it emitted.
Raylink's use of the frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technique throughout their products gave us the decided edge we were seeking. Since the system's signal path is especially resistant to outside interference from electromagnetic sources, such as appliances and other wireless LAN devices, it was ideal for extending our school's LAN environment. Unlike other WLAN technologies that are based on direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), the Raylink system's FHSS design appears to be immune to interference jamming, unauthorized detection and noise.
Another compelling factor behind our decision was the fact that the connectivity equipment maintains signal strength and throughput from extended distances. Aside from its impressive array of signal strength and reliability features, the products were also completely in line with our budget.
By integrating these products, we have completed our original mission of offering our students a nomadic learning environment. Students can access the Internet or have a live connection to our network from anywhere on campus at any time. Additionally, if it's a nice day, they have the opportunity to take advantage of the weather, regardless of whether they are conducting research on the Internet or working on group projects on the lawn.
X@XOpenTag001Results
X@XCloseTag001Having been in place since fall semester 1999, the wireless products have become mainstays of our campus culture. Currently, more than half of our student population (1,600 out of a population of 3,035) is connected to our WLAN via wireless networking cards. Through the vision of individuals like President Cross and Assistant Vice President of Technology Services Jean Boland, SUNY Morrisville was the first campus among SUNY's 64-school system to implement wireless technology.
Thus far, our wireless campus has been so well received that we were recently named "America's Most Wired Two-Year Institution" by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine. Our school was selected from a pool of nearly 1,300 schools located in all 50 states. The campus connectivity has been such a rousing success that the students who aren't connected comment that they are suffering from "wireless fever."
In lieu of waiting for a professor's office hours, students may simply e-mail any queries to their professors. This wireless technology has now opened up lines of communication between students and faculty on virtually a 24-hour basis. Instead of limiting the human interaction between student and professor, wireless technology has actually increased interaction. Since some questions can be answered by e-mail, students and faculty can get to know each other on a more personal level during office hours.
While the wireless connectivity hasn't turned classrooms into paperless environments, it has eliminated some of the paper shuffle that occurs. Instead of turning in an assignment in class, students are now able to deliver homework into a professor's inbox via the WLAN. Many classes have also gone to CD-ROMs in lieu of textbooks. In a pilot program within the engineering department, the professor took a poll of who favored CD-ROMs over textbooks, and the students were unanimous in their choice of the CD-ROM version.
Aside from getting the thumbs-up from our students, the faculty members in the laptop curricula have also been very receptive to the new wireless environment. Fewer cords means less setup time for class lectures. Since professors are able to work anywhere on campus via their laptops, they are also taking advantage of the increased mobility and freedom the products have provided. Raylink's suite of products has also allowed our faculty more latitude to finish work away from their offices on campus.
Moreover, our relationship with Raylink has been very positive. The company was extremely responsive and reacted very quickly to one of our emergency product requests. Everything we asked for arrived the next business day. Complementing our existing LAN environment with wireless connectivity has resulted in a win-win relationship for everyone involved at SUNY Morrisville.
Jessica DeCerce,
SUNY at Morrisville
X@XOpenTag002Contact InformationX@XCloseTag002
Raylink
Baldwin Park, CA
(800) 457-6811
www.raylink.com
In a time of changing technology, the administration at SUNY Morrisville asked itself how it could create a more interactive learning environment that would better prepare students for the workforce. In addition to focusing on collaborative learning, we wanted to promote an atmosphere in which students could learn wherever they feel most comfortable. Instead of relegating students to the library or classroom while working on projects, we wanted to give them the flexibility to have access to the university network and to e-mail anywhere on campus, be it from their dorm rooms, the dining hall or even outside.
We were able to accomplish one part of our goal by integrating the use of notebook computers into our curricula. This afforded students the ability to work in groups without being forced into a computer lab. However, the students were still tethered to data ports for a connection to the Internet or the campus network.
X@XOpenTag000Going Wireless
X@XCloseTag000We decided the best solution would be to provide our students with a wireless LAN connection. Our president, Ray Cross, Ph.D., is a major proponent of implementing the latest technology within our campus' infrastructure. He played a major role in having our entire campus connected to a wireless LAN (WLAN). Every academic building and residential hall on campus is now equipped with wireless network connectivity.
While conducting research to find a viable wireless network supplier, the university considered three potential vendors. Of the three candidates, Raylink emerged as the only WLAN provider that met all our wireless network criteria. We were impressed by their product's ease of implementation and use, as well as by the strength and reliability of the signal it emitted.
Raylink's use of the frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technique throughout their products gave us the decided edge we were seeking. Since the system's signal path is especially resistant to outside interference from electromagnetic sources, such as appliances and other wireless LAN devices, it was ideal for extending our school's LAN environment. Unlike other WLAN technologies that are based on direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), the Raylink system's FHSS design appears to be immune to interference jamming, unauthorized detection and noise.
Another compelling factor behind our decision was the fact that the connectivity equipment maintains signal strength and throughput from extended distances. Aside from its impressive array of signal strength and reliability features, the products were also completely in line with our budget.
By integrating these products, we have completed our original mission of offering our students a nomadic learning environment. Students can access the Internet or have a live connection to our network from anywhere on campus at any time. Additionally, if it's a nice day, they have the opportunity to take advantage of the weather, regardless of whether they are conducting research on the Internet or working on group projects on the lawn.
X@XOpenTag001Results
X@XCloseTag001Having been in place since fall semester 1999, the wireless products have become mainstays of our campus culture. Currently, more than half of our student population (1,600 out of a population of 3,035) is connected to our WLAN via wireless networking cards. Through the vision of individuals like President Cross and Assistant Vice President of Technology Services Jean Boland, SUNY Morrisville was the first campus among SUNY's 64-school system to implement wireless technology.
Thus far, our wireless campus has been so well received that we were recently named "America's Most Wired Two-Year Institution" by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine. Our school was selected from a pool of nearly 1,300 schools located in all 50 states. The campus connectivity has been such a rousing success that the students who aren't connected comment that they are suffering from "wireless fever."
In lieu of waiting for a professor's office hours, students may simply e-mail any queries to their professors. This wireless technology has now opened up lines of communication between students and faculty on virtually a 24-hour basis. Instead of limiting the human interaction between student and professor, wireless technology has actually increased interaction. Since some questions can be answered by e-mail, students and faculty can get to know each other on a more personal level during office hours.
While the wireless connectivity hasn't turned classrooms into paperless environments, it has eliminated some of the paper shuffle that occurs. Instead of turning in an assignment in class, students are now able to deliver homework into a professor's inbox via the WLAN. Many classes have also gone to CD-ROMs in lieu of textbooks. In a pilot program within the engineering department, the professor took a poll of who favored CD-ROMs over textbooks, and the students were unanimous in their choice of the CD-ROM version.
Aside from getting the thumbs-up from our students, the faculty members in the laptop curricula have also been very receptive to the new wireless environment. Fewer cords means less setup time for class lectures. Since professors are able to work anywhere on campus via their laptops, they are also taking advantage of the increased mobility and freedom the products have provided. Raylink's suite of products has also allowed our faculty more latitude to finish work away from their offices on campus.
Moreover, our relationship with Raylink has been very positive. The company was extremely responsive and reacted very quickly to one of our emergency product requests. Everything we asked for arrived the next business day. Complementing our existing LAN environment with wireless connectivity has resulted in a win-win relationship for everyone involved at SUNY Morrisville.
Jessica DeCerce,
SUNY at Morrisville
X@XOpenTag002Contact InformationX@XCloseTag002
Raylink
Baldwin Park, CA
(800) 457-6811
www.raylink.comX@XOpenTag003
In a time of changing technology, the administration at SUNY Morrisville asked itself how it could create a more interactive learning environment that would better prepare students for the workforce. In addition to focusing on collaborative learning, we wanted to promote an atmosphere in which students could learn wherever they feel most comfortable. Instead of relegating students to the library or classroom while working on projects, we wanted to give them the flexibility to have access to the university network and to e-mail anywhere on campus, be it from their dorm rooms, the dining hall or even outside.
We were able to accomplish one part of our goal by integrating the use of notebook computers into our curricula. This afforded students the ability to work in groups without being forced into a computer lab. However, the students were still tethered to data ports for a connection to the Internet or the campus network.
X@XOpenTag000Going Wireless
X@XCloseTag000We decided the best solution would be to provide our students with a wireless LAN connection. Our president, Ray Cross, Ph.D., is a major proponent of implementing the latest technology within our campus' infrastructure. He played a major role in having our entire campus connected to a wireless LAN (WLAN). Every academic building and residential hall on campus is now equipped with wireless network connectivity.
While conducting research to find a viable wireless network supplier, the university considered three potential vendors. Of the three candidates, Raylink emerged as the only WLAN provider that met all our wireless network criteria. We were impressed by their product's ease of implementation and use, as well as by the strength and reliability of the signal it emitted.
Raylink's use of the frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technique throughout their products gave us the decided edge we were seeking. Since the system's signal path is especially resistant to outside interference from electromagnetic sources, such as appliances and other wireless LAN devices, it was ideal for extending our school's LAN environment. Unlike other WLAN technologies that are based on direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), the Raylink system's FHSS design appears to be immune to interference jamming, unauthorized detection and noise.
Another compelling factor behind our decision was the fact that the connectivity equipment maintains signal strength and throughput from extended distances. Aside from its impressive array of signal strength and reliability features, the products were also completely in line with our budget.
By integrating these products, we have completed our original mission of offering our students a nomadic learning environment. Students can access the Internet or have a live connection to our network from anywhere on campus at any time. Additionally, if it's a nice day, they have the opportunity to take advantage of the weather, regardless of whether they are conducting research on the Internet or working on group projects on the lawn.
X@XOpenTag001Results
X@XCloseTag001Having been in place since fall semester 1999, the wireless products have become mainstays of our campus culture. Currently, more than half of our student population (1,600 out of a population of 3,035) is connected to our WLAN via wireless networking cards. Through the vision of individuals like President Cross and Assistant Vice President of Technology Services Jean Boland, SUNY Morrisville was the first campus among SUNY's 64-school system to implement wireless technology.
Thus far, our wireless campus has been so well received that we were recently named "America's Most Wired Two-Year Institution" by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine. Our school was selected from a pool of nearly 1,300 schools located in all 50 states. The campus connectivity has been such a rousing success that the students who aren't connected comment that they are suffering from "wireless fever."
In lieu of waiting for a professor's office hours, students may simply e-mail any queries to their professors. This wireless technology has now opened up lines of communication between students and faculty on virtually a 24-hour basis. Instead of limiting the human interaction between student and professor, wireless technology has actually increased interaction. Since some questions can be answered by e-mail, students and faculty can get to know each other on a more personal level during office hours.
While the wireless connectivity hasn't turned classrooms into paperless environments, it has eliminated some of the paper shuffle that occurs. Instead of turning in an assignment in class, students are now able to deliver homework into a professor's inbox via the WLAN. Many classes have also gone to CD-ROMs in lieu of textbooks. In a pilot program within the engineering department, the professor took a poll of who favored CD-ROMs over textbooks, and the students were unanimous in their choice of the CD-ROM version.
Aside from getting the thumbs-up from our students, the faculty members in the laptop curricula have also been very receptive to the new wireless environment. Fewer cords means less setup time for class lectures. Since professors are able to work anywhere on campus via their laptops, they are also taking advantage of the increased mobility and freedom the products have provided. Raylink's suite of products has also allowed our faculty more latitude to finish work away from their offices on campus.
Moreover, our relationship with Raylink has been very positive. The company was extremely responsive and reacted very quickly to one of our emergency product requests. Everything we asked for arrived the next business day. Complementing our existing LAN environment with wireless connectivity has resulted in a win-win relationship for everyone involved at SUNY Morrisville.
Jessica DeCerce,
SUNY at Morrisville
X@XOpenTag002Contact InformationX@XCloseTag002
Raylink
Baldwin Park, CA
(800) 457-6811
www.raylink.comX@XCloseTag003
This article originally appeared in the 03/01/2001 issue of THE Journal.