Western Oregon Journal

Issue date: 11/29/06 Section: Headlines

Each term students pay a $74 technology fee. According to the Chair of the Student Technology Fee Committee, Levi Hawes, the technology fee allows Western to provide computer labs, smart classrooms, technical support, classroom technology, network storage and many other technological amenities that most students and faculty will inevitably use. This fee also helps fund the wireless service offered on campus. There has been some confusion regarding the additional costs students must pay to receive wireless Internet. "The reality is that the technical fee actually helps subsidize the cost of the wireless Internet, but cannot cover the whole thing," Hawes said. It costs students $20 per month for students to purchase wireless Internet access, which adds up to $60 a term. However, if students decide to purchase the service for the entire term, they can receive it for half the cost, or $30 a term. Off campus, students can expect to pay $40 to $50 dollars for high-speed Internet, so this reduced price may seem like a good deal. However, it is inconvenient that it is only available on campus where there are usually other computers available. "Eventually, we would like wireless to be free," Hawes continued. "Our wireless is very strong compared to what other universities may provide because it's so new." The funds earned from students purchasing wireless go toward access points, plugs and the Internet fee that the university has to pay. "The signal can't stay wireless forever; it eventually has to connect to a hard wire, and each connection costs money," said Hawes. Each wireless connection costs the university $12. Once you add the cost of maintenance to the system and the cost of employing people to keep the system running, it is possible to see why the technology fee cannot cover all of the wireless costs and still provide all of the other technological services available at Western. "I think [wireless Internet] is a great resource for those who own their own wireless devices," commented Brian Smith, a student who has used the service. Any questions regarding this matter can be directed to the Student Technical Funds Committee at STFC@wou.edu. Further information can be found on the Western Oregon University online forums at wou.edu/forums.

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