Related Links: About MVNU | Campus Computing Project

The Beginnings
The wireless initiative started two years ago, as both the library and the then newly constructed William and Evelyn Prince Student Union were equipped with wireless capabilities. “We wanted to get things rolling, and as these facilities are used frequently by students, it seemed like a fitting place to start,” said Director of Network Computing Tim Myatt.

The next phase began to take off at the end of the fall semester, and is currently in the process of being completed. The main common areas of campus, which include residence hall lobbies, the cafeteria, the President’s Dining Room (PDR) and Student Government offices, are all wireless ready.

A Larger Trend
The Campus Computing Project, a 2006 survey of information technology in U.S. higher education, reports that wireless networks now reach 51 percent of all college classrooms. Additionally more than three-fifths of campuses have increased their budgets for wireless networks. Keith Green, the project’s founding director, notes several catalysts for this increased investment: the reduced cost and increased performance of the technology, the shifts in student purchasing preferences from desktop to notebook computers and the appeal and benefits of mobility for students and faculty.

Meeting Expectations, Additional Benefits
"We really wanted to hit the common areas to give students the opportunity to meet in these places, and have internet access,” said Myatt. “We also wanted guests who use campus facilities, such as the PDR, to have access to wireless internet when they visit.”

Also included in the phase currently under construction are classrooms and conference rooms. This will allow group work and research to be completed without being bound by cables and desks. By April 1, it is expected that the expansion will be complete for all major classrooms on the campus.

"One bonus to the expansion will be the residual coverage,” said Myatt. “Students on the quad or at the Eternal Flame should pick up the wireless access. Many of the faculty office suites will get that residual coverage as well.”

Myatt and his team worked diligently after the end of fall semester to get the ball rolling for the next phase. “I worked with the administration to get the funds and set the technology plan,” he said. “From there, John Yarman was the chief engineer for the project. He worked with Mark Crist in telecommunications to coordinate implementation. A student worker was also a big part of building the network.”

The wireless network is not meant to take the place of the current wired system, but rather to work in addition to the current system. “Wired networking isn’t going away anytime soon, so the wireless is more of a complementary service,” said Myatt. “Most of the users are not mobile, but we’d like those who are to have the ability to be untethered.”

The Work Continues
Network Computing hopes to have the entire campus wireless at some point in the future. “We’re still working out a lot of the details for the future plans, as we’d like to finish this phase first,” said Myatt. “We hope to equip all of the residence halls, rather than just the lobbies, and we will have to see if there are weak spots which need strengthened. It’s a continual process.” You will soon see “CougarNet WiFi” signs identifying the campus’ wireless locations.

For more information about MVNU, please contact (740) 397-9000, ext. 4341.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students and working adults. U.S. News & World Report ranks MVNU in the top 50 Best in the Midwest (Bachelor’s-Comprehensive) institutions for the fourth year in a row. With a 400-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and eight additional satellite Adult and Graduate Studies campuses throughout the state, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education to more than 2,670 students from 27 states and six countries/U.S. territories.