Guaranteed Access to Campus Network Resources: Policies and Issues

Abstract

Campus constituents have become accustomed to robust access to wide-area and local-area networks in their offices, residence halls, and labs. They expect similar access from home and other remote locations. Technology budgets, if they are growing at all, are not keeping up with the exponential growth in user demands. How is remote access best provided? Participants in a Current Issues discussion session at CAUSE97 in December 1997 in Orlando, Florida, discussed options and issues about providing access to campus resources, and there have been subsequent discussions on the EDUCAUSE CIO electronic discussion list. The options discussed include departmentally owned modems, university-owned modems, contracting with a third-party provider for local and/or national service, or using a wireless access. Some of the issues include providing authentication to the campus network, assuring network security, assuring privacy of information, keeping equipment current, charging or not charging users, separating personal e-mail from institutional business, and using institutional resources wisely.