BACKGROUND REPORT: The state college system has a network to serve its campuses, including dorms, but, easily overloaded, it never worked well. "The state has been promising to provide more bandwidth to the campus for the past two years, and has not followed through," said Dave Gresham, who is in charge of Winona State network services. "With an overwhelming number of students using the Internet, the line overflowed."
In 1999, as an interim solution, the university turned to Hiawatha Broadband for the dorms. The deal, without competitive bidding, raised eyebrows because Hiawatha is run by a former Winona State vice president, Gary Evans. Officials defended the choice of Hiawatha as expeditious to deal with mounting problems related to the state network overload. Also, Hiawatha executives were tied into the infrastructure of the entire Winona educational institutions. It was easy. Stein Kristiansen, a campus network specialist, said: "HBC is a company locally owned and has ties with all educational institutions in Winona."
The Hiawatha switch was supposed to provide service to the campus only until the state system followed through. But campus network people grew impatient at a lack of improvements in the state network operated by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. "MNSCU does not seem to want to provide services to the residential halls on campus, so we put out a public bid," said Gresham. It was time to go beyond "the emergency measure," the quickly cobbled together 1999 arrangement with Hiawatha, he said.
Bidding was open to all Internet service providers, but only Hiawatha and Charter responded. The Charter bid was lower. Still, it's an interim deal. In the spring, Winona State will put out a request for proposal for a more permanent solution.
"The request for proposal will be a more complicated long-term contract," said Kristiansen. "The campus is hoping to set up a relationship with one of these providers that will allow affiliates of the university a cut rate on home cable modems as well." "The primary focus on this is to reduce the reliance on the dial-in modem the campus now has," said Kristiansen. |
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| WSU switches
web provider:
It works!WINONA, Minn., Feb. 9, 2002 -- The new Internet service provider for Winona State University dorms, Charter, is meeting expectations, said David Gresham, network services manager of the campus. "It has been up and running in the residential halls since Jan 2 and seems to be just fine." Charter won a contract to service the dorms, replacing Hiawatha Broadband, a Winona company. Dorm student complaints had been crescendoing about breakdowns and slow service with Hiawatha. The dorms now have web access with a speed of 1,000 megabits per second, which means, said Gresham, "fast, fast, fast Internet service." He contrasted the dorm speed with the 4 megabits per second service to other buildings through a state-provided system.
Reporter: Ann Nolin
Background:
WSU seeking bids
for dorm web service
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Tech earns facilities maintenance awardWINONA, Minn., Feb. 9, 2002 -- Southeast Tech received a state college system award for facilities maintenance. The award, one of five awarded statewide, cited Tech for a wide range of accomplishments. These included student service and attractive, clean and well-maintained facilities.
R.I.P.: Donald A. Walz Sr.KEY WEST, Fla., Feb. 9, 2002 -- Retired Winona, Minn., Buick dealer Don Walz Sr. a Saint Mary's College alum, died of complications from a stroke. He was 81.
| Department-level assessment activities vary. "Some masscom students might get together, order a few pizzas and talk about their classes," said advertising prof Becky McConnell. "Some departments do things like testing and focus groups, while others just hang out and get to know people in their major." The university was gigged last year by accreditors for statistically flawed student feedback mechanisms. Do participation incentives work: Sophomore Aaron Skobel said:"This year's assessment day will be better than last year's because I get to meet people in my major and get free food." |
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| Pizza lures, door prizes
part of WSU assessmentWINONA, Minn., Feb. 9, 2002 -- Winona State students have classes off Tuesday for the university's annual assessment day "to express their opinions about classes and campus life," said counselor Nancy Dumke. "Basically, Assessment Day is a way for us to identify what we're doing well, and figure out what we need to work on to improve," said Dumke. Penalties are not being assessed for nonparticipation, but incentives are being offered for going to focus groups and other activities. Incentives include door prizes to motivate students to show up and take exams to measure learning progress. The top five scores earn $50 cash.
Reporter: Brendan McVoy
Background: Students told: "Make a difference" |
WSU
SECURITY
REPORT
Feb. 9, 2002 | A student was caught attempting to bring alcohol into the Richards dorm at 3 a.m. |
JILL
TURACEK
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KRIS
TOVSON
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JESSICA
LARSON |
RYAN
BUHLER |
MICHAEL
FISCHER |
DAN
STETS |  |
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TOMORROW'S GREATEST BYLINES TODAY |
WSU prof: No choice but to kill elkWINONA, Minn., Feb. 9, 2002 -- A Winona State University bio prof agrees that precautions should be taken to protect human health from elk-carried and cattle-carried tuberculosis. Kim Bates, a wildlife biologist, endorses a decision by state and federal officials to kill 800 elk and cattle in Oregon after an elk was found dead in early November. Bates said the disease is easily transmitted to deer-like animals and can contaminate cattle and their meat and milk. Cattle at one northeast Oregon ranch have been tested and the results have come back negative.
Reporter: Amanda Egholm
Prof's seating chart not for taking rollSKIPPING
CLASS
ATTENDANCE
POLICY
SURVEY
A
CYBERINDEE
SERIES
DAVE
ROBINSON
WSU ENGLISH
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| WINONA, Minn., Feb. 9, 2002 -- Dave Robinson, a Winona State University English prof, does not penalize students for missing class. Yes, he uses seating charts but not to take roll. The charts help him award students who participate in class discussion with extra credit, Robinson said. Also, he said, seating charts help him learn students' names in big classes. Robinson does, however, notice who's missing: "If students are not in class for two weeks I will check if I feel worried about their health or the student's grade." He's understanding of varsity athletes who miss classes. "I played sports in school too," said Robinson. Even so, he sees attendance as important: "If students can do the class without showing up, then more power to them, but quiz questions are based on class discussion so it wouldn't work because you're not in class taking notes." Any absence to do with family is excused, said Robinson. If students need to miss class for any reason they can take a test later, said Robinson. If students hand in late papers or just were not in class to take a quiz, they will be accepted late -- but he has extra expectations for late work: "When a student's material is late I will talk with that student about how they should do better since they had extra time." He said he accepts almost anything late: "Life goes on outside school."
Reporter: Abbie Butlin
Other installments:
Jane Carducci, WSU English
Goldie Johnson, WSU English |
QUICK
SPORTS
Feb. 9, 2002 | BASKETBALL (MEN'S): WSU 85, Wayne State of Nebraska 72. Carleton 68, SMU 60.
BASKETBALL (WOMEN'S): Wayne State of Nebraska 63, WSU 67. Carleton 73, SMU 57.
GYNNASTICS (WOMEN'S): WSU.
HOCKEY (MEN'S): Gustavus Adolphus 2, SMU 2 (tie).
HOCKEY (WOMEN'S): SMU 5, St. Catherine 1.
TRACK (WOMEN'S): John Skemp Invitational: WSU (team scores not kept). |
© 2002,
CyberIndee
|
UNDER-AGE
BOOZERS
WHO GOT
CAUGHT
BEING
STUPID
DON'T
TELL
THEIR
MOTHERS
|
CAMPUS
SALARIES
Louis
DeThomasis
SMU president
2000: $139,281
Darrell
Krueger
WSU president
2001: $152,130
Jim Johnson
Tech president
2001:
$125,000
OTHER
SALARIES |
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Matt Del
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2002
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