continued from cover

Price states, “We only have 12
modems and about 400 people on-
line. Most ISPs have ten subscrib-
ers per modem.” Users dialing-up
and parking on a line, even after
sending and receiving their email,
is a barrier to providing efficient
service.

Morin agrees with Price. “Even-
tually everyone will have access to
the Internet, but we will not
provide remote access to stu-
dents,” he says. Staff and faculty
F will continue to have remote
access.

The decision-making process
within the college is-another
constraint to providing full
Internet service for students.
Before any drastic changes can
occur, access to the Internet must
first be established as a priority.
Price says, “It’s not up to us to
establish priorities in this depart-
ment. We are told by smanepement
where to put our resources.”

+ Morin hesitates to say that

| student Internet access is not a
priority. “This is something that
will have to be determined. It
would certainly be nice to have.
We have to start by being more
program specific as maybe certain

Internet

programs could use it more than
others. I’m only speculating and
I’m not making any recommenda-
tions.” He does, however, see a
time where Internet access and
other communications systems are
more readily available to students.
Douglas College may not have
full dial-up access to the net in the
near future, but plans are being
considered to improve the current
facilities.

Thirty classrooms, spread over three
campuses, may soon be connected to
the Internet. The report mentions that
establishing active connections in
some classrooms will be a priority.
Instructors will be able to use the
Internet as a teaching tool by using
portable carts with computers, which
ill plug into active phone lines in the

Thirty classrooms, spread
over three campuses, may
soon be connected to the

wall.

Morin also discusses the possibility
of a single open student computer lab
rather than separate labs throughout
the campus. In his vision of the open
lab, a technical person will always be
available to deal with problems and
security will be increased by having all
computer equipment in one place. He
says, “The lab would be hooked up to
the various networks so if you have a
notebook computer, you could plug it
in and have access to the college
networks.

“The more service that’s provided,
the higher our expectations rise and
the more we require of the system.
Our expectations just keep rising. I
don’t know what to do about that,”
Morin adds.

Morin believes the problem is not
just a college or a system-wide issue,
but rather a province-wide issue.
“High schools are also dealing with
the same concerns. It’s very tough for
every educational institution.” He also
thinks that the college community
recognizes the complexity of the
problem. So, no Internet soon.

Many cash-strapped students rely
on school computer facilities to write
term papers and complete assign-
ments. Douglas College is sometimes
unable to provide reliable
computers for these
simple tasks, let alone
more complex tasks like
Internet access.

Students attend
colleges to prepare for
successful futures, but
will not be ready without
effective communication skills and
access to technology. Students also
benefit from using the Internet and the
World Wide Web. The web provides
research materials, which can be more
current than any print source. And the
Internet allows access to libraries,
museums, and organizations around
the globe.

The Internet is also becoming a
required tool in the competitive job
market. More and more businesses,
including Douglas College, are
hanging their sign on the World Wide
Web and require Internet literate
employees. Internet literacy should be
taught by educational institutions, but
no one seems to know how. So far, at
Douglas, there are no solutions.

Feature

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by Jim Chliboyko though, of course, I would want to ability to plan effectively.” The action
think that.” plan seems to apologize in advance,
Down ina perpetually bustling The group used research from the “Setting priorities will mean that our
computer lab, a a student who goes by _ past two to three years to help them plan will inevitably fall short of
: + scampi the report. Says Morin, “We...  €ngeting all users’ preferences and
have not started from a blank state.” _expectation.” The report also takes on
“The action team also sought advice “ “ “an occasional dire tone. “Just trying to
from other institutions’ technological find enough resources to support our
plans. goals will require a focus on financial
Those in the college community management that is unprecedented.”
seeking specific kinds of gaitisfaction Another of the changes the action
mp
merely been ‘moved from its usual no S are SOrr
perch to another-place inthesame ~~ specific actions mea mote often a Educational Peay (CET). Says
lab. He says he’s been labelled a plan is there to put processés'in place; © Dr-Morin, “it’s going to havea real
nuisance for: ‘pointing ‘out the when we have decisions,thisis how ~ _ impact onall of them.” As for
4 A we'll make them.”.. integrating the two departments,

. [systems]. and thing gets done. “that’s going to mean some role-
Technically, they [systems] aré'there “As for email and Internet service, _ changing for all of them, but I think
for the students.” .., Dr. Morin believes that students ..° “ they-feel settled now that there’s a

His neighbour pipes in; “Theresa ~ will eventually gétaccess. But it plan out there.”
dot matrix printer upstairs that’s been _ won’ be accessible from home. Dr. Morin hopes the college
broken all year.” She is sitting one row... ..Citing'the practice of those who... community will be cooperative. “1
behind a particular computer thatis park on the Internet, plugging ae hope they're willing to giveita
infamous amongst the more hard-core lines, Morin says “the only way to chance,” he says. “No plan works, it’s
lab users for tearing up floppy disks. provide remote email, was not to people who work. The people who
There is no warning sign on that provide the Internet.” wanted it a different way will have to
computer, though there are some on Dr. Morin claims that the action have the good graces to accept that it
others. plan’s suggestions will also reduce the _isn’t exactly the way they wanted, but

Four floors up, administration is still amount of hierarchy involved in the they'll have to find ways of realizing
ruminating over the state of technol- —_—_decision making process. Though the _ their objectives through these proc-
ogy on campus, and is still hoping for —_ action plan does promote the estab- esses.”
feedback encouraged by a 42-page lishment of two more committees, this Dr. Morin seems aware of the
report released in February. The doesn’t mean more work for the perpetual dissatisfaction that the
report, entitled Setting our Course for college administration, daims Morin. | computers inspire. “The more service
the Future: An Educational Technology “don’t think it adds (to the work- that’s provided, the higher our
Action Plan for Douglas College, was load); it’s a big enterprise, but it expectations rise, and the more we
inspired by the campus-wide, should facilitate the work because it require. | absolutely know for sure that
computer-directed vitriol inspired by _ should only involve the people that peole will still be frustrated with the
most DC computer labs. need to be involv level of service,” he says.

The report was an internal docu- The language of the report is rather Back in the basement, Sudog is
ment compiled by a working group cautious, occasionally defensive, and making a list of things that anger him.
comprised of Susan Greathouse, is careful not to place any blame for Among other things, he says, “It’s
Marsh Price, Rob Linschoten, and the current dilapitated state of DC taken way too long for email to
Interim College President Dr. Lloyd compuiers. According to the report, happen...” It’s not just problems with
Morin. By way of its proposals, the “the dynamic impact of rapid email though. Sudog talks for awhile;
report makes references to debit technological changes, exponential his list isn’t short.
cards, centralized labs, restructuring growth of user expectations, coupled
and help desks. Says Morin, “The with the increasing demand on
response has generally been positive,

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The Other Press April 71997 7