To our Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Due to the current and ongoing challenges with WiFi access on campus, the IT Department has begun implementing alternative resources outside of the existing network. These resources will provide greater internet access to support students in their end-of-semester academic efforts.
Starting Tuesday morning, November 7th, there will be wireless “Study Zones” in every residence hall on campus where students may connect to high-speed internet 24 hours a day. These Study Zones will also include the Annex adjacent to the campus and West Oaks Apartments.
Additional internet resources will be available in the Eva B. Dykes Library as a “Super Study Zone” to accommodate an additional 200+ students at a time. On Monday, November 6th, two additional Study Zones will be added to academic areas for test-taking and study purposes. The current traditional network will remain in place to allow connectivity in areas outside of the Study Zones.
Throughout the Winter Break, a more wide-reaching alternative network will be implemented on campus. This extended network will provide comprehensive connectivity for residence halls, learning buildings, and auxiliary functions while the current network is being upgraded.
To maintain security standards in the continued recovery from the cyber-attack, specific information on how to access these resources will be constrained to the student body and support staff.
Academic Accommodations
In recognition of some of the IT challenges we currently face, and after conversation with our United Student Movement, the following academic accommodations were voted on October 25, 2023, by the Provost, Deans, and Chairs of the Academic Division:
- Granted extensions for submission of projects and assignments
- Approved alternative methods for submitting assignments (i.e., by email or in person)
- Encouraged faculty to administer assignments offline (i.e., by pencil and paper) during in-class instruction
- Encouraged students to use existing computer labs located in various buildings on campus (e.g., Business Building labs, Education Lab, etc.)
- Where appropriate, developed alternatives to administering online final written exams, such as team projects, research papers, and oral presentations
- Waived penalties for resubmission of assignments in D2L
- Extended the course withdrawal date to November 10, 2023
- Approved two Mental Health Days per academic year
Finally, if any student has concerns about their individual grade, they can always meet with their respective professor and work through additional accommodations not captured in this or other communications from the Academic Dean.