While most students were busy with co-op, classes, or relaxing at home over the summer, the Stevens IT department began its ambitious network project to replace its 10+ year old wireless system.
Over 20,000 feet of copper Ethernet cables and 3,300 feet of fiber optic cable were installed all across campus. High-speed wireless access points were then added across campus; beginning with the library, and following suit, the classrooms and on-campus residence halls. The new wireless network has 3 times as many access points throughout campus and has 4 times the speed of last year’s internet, according to Stevens’ IT department. In addition, the network backbone speed is expected to reach 10 times the speed of last year’s network by November.
The goal of the network project is to obtain full wireless coverage of the Stevens campus by the end of the year. Currently, 80% of the campus is covered by the new network, and by the end of the next two weeks, 95% of the campus should be covered.
This sweeping increase in the number of access points throughout campus will increase internet availability and make it easier for students to access the Stevens network anywhere on campus, including rooms that previously had network issues, such as the Burchard lecture hall. To close gaps present in the network, the IT department used heat maps to pinpoint the locations of these gaps and eliminate them. Additionally, a fairly recent technology will be incorporated- the new network will allow access points to be distributed among the users in any given room (network load balancing) to increase the overall speed of the internet.
Students are already using the new wireless network- whether they know it or not. As of last Tuesday, 3,000 users were already giving the new network a try. Many students were also quick to notice the removal of the ‘Stevens Student’ network. For improved ease-of-use, efficiency, and security, the “Stevens Student” network was merged with the “Stevens” wireless network, which will now require all students to log in to “Stevens” wireless. Student credentials no longer work on the Stevens Guest network, but it will remain available for visitors and individuals without Stevens credentials.
David Dodd, Stevens CIO, commented that “We tried to make this [transition] as seamless and transparent as can possibly be.” Nobody will experience a hiked up technology fee due to these upgrades either. In fact, the new network was funded by a $3.75 million grant from the state of New Jersey.
Of course, there is more to a large project like this than meets the eye. These network changes reflect the strides Stevens is taking to thrust itself forward to the cutting edge of university technology and rightfully maintain its name as an institute of technology. Stevens’ new wireless network is a part the Stevens Master Plan and represents the three principles of the Stevens Strategic Plan, particularly “Technology at Our Core.”
Additional upgrades to the network include a new state-of-the-art security system and a new VPN. The IT department has also taken buildings to be demolished in a few years (such as Jacobus) into consideration and studded out the new fibers. This will reduce the time and costs to completely reinstall the cabling for the new buildings, which will be completely furnished with new wiring and technology.
Another plan related to the upgrade of the Stevens network is to change the interface of myStevens and add a new student information station with a more intuitive design. Already, there has been one solid change made to the myStevens interface- the addition of Canvas, a new program that will eventually replace Moodle for checking grades and assignments for courses. Canvas has a cleaner, up-to-date interface that enables students to easily access all aspects of a course and includes a large, neat calendar clearly showing all relevant dates for homework assignments, test dates, and the like.
A sister project to the upgrade of the new wireless network is the virtual learning environment. For the past few years, the Stevens IT department has noticed that students tend to bring their own devices to class, such as an extra laptop or tablet. The virtual learning environment has also been given a $3.5 million grant from the state of NJ to expand STEM education. The virtual learning environment will enable students to use their own devices to access the cloud to run (without downloading) programs like SolidWorks. As of now, the virtual learning environment is limited to freshman, but when the laptop program is phased out of Stevens after this academic year, the virtual learning environment will be available to all Stevens students.
Some students have been extensively involved in the network change. While the Stevens IT department has been central to the ongoing development of the new wireless network, its student employees, recognizable in their green t-shirts, have been providing the frontline support for users of the new network. They have also performed tests for the network and analyzed the heat maps, both of which were critical steps to this project.
Through the collaboration of staff, faculty, and students, Stevens’ new wireless network will make a difference in not only the availability and ease of access to the internet, but will also play a role in shifting the image of Stevens towards an institution that keeps a huge focus in up-to-date technology and strives to withhold principles of the Stevens Strategic Plan.
Recently, Stevens has been invited by Workday, a software company, to a webinar to discuss the partnership and what is being developed with the new student system. According to Dodd, “Stevens is on the path to be a leader in the use of technology for higher education,” Dodd stated. Without a doubt, big changes, seen and unseen- are already occurring on a tiny campus brimming with so much student intellect and potential. While the IT department is finishing up with upgrading the new network, a team of support staff will be available to answer any questions and assist users with transitioning to the new network as smoothly as possible.
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