UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 24, Page 1
March 18, 1993
New cable project supports computing, TV on campus

     By the time the new academic year begins in the fall, the University
will have taken an exciting step toward making the educational tools of
modern technology available to students on the campus," according to Susan
Foster, associate vice president for Computing and Network Services.
     Over the summer, University residence halls will be wired for cable
television and equipped with data outlets for microcomputers, Foster said,
noting that "the data wiring is critical to helping prepare students for
success in today's world."
     Commonwealth Communications Inc. of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was awarded the
contract for wiring the residence halls, and the cost, for outside and
inside cabling and distribution electronics, is estimated at $2 million, to
be paid from a reserve fund and other sources administered by the Office of
Housing and Residence Life.
     Video and data access will now join telephone services as part of the
basic room services package for students who choose to live in University
residence halls, according to David Butler, director of housing and
residence life.
     "We believe that these services will contribute significantly to the
quality of life in our residence halls," he said.
     The project is the result of recommendations by the Computer Resource
Planning Committee, chaired by Harry Shipman, professor of physics and
astronomy, which established a high priority for providing students access
to technologies appropriate to their disciplines and to the working world.
     As part of the overall project, C-Tek Cable Systems Services Inc., a
sister company of Commonwealth Communications, will install the equipment
for receiving television programming at a campus location, at a cost of
$234,000.
     Television has been an integral part of most University of Delaware
students' lives for years, Foster said, and they can look to the new
University service for both education and entertainment.  In fact, she
said, students usually bring television sets to campus, and this fall for
the first time, they will have clear reception on 55 channels-10 of them
originating at the University and 45 network or satellite channels, such as
SCOLA, which carries foreign language education.  Premium channels, such as
HBO, will not be included.
     This new initiative also holds promise for faculty, especially as they
take advantage of the University's sophisticated television production
facilities and capabilities to deliver educational programming. 
"Television accessibility will make possible more innovative offerings
tailored for University students," Foster predicted.
     In addition, Foster said, data network access will make it possible
for students to communicate with faculty and each other and to seek out
important information found via electronic bulletin boards and on local and
national educational networks.
     The Student Computing Initiative, which enables students to purchase
computers at reduced cost, is still in place to encourage computer
ownership.
     Future plans for wiring academic spaces on the campus, including
classrooms, offices and meeting rooms, would permit further computing and
video services flexibility, Foster said.
                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure