By the end of fall semester, every residence hall will be wired for cable television and Ethernet. "ResNet puts a world of information in your room -- you can send an electronic mail message, talk on a private telephone line, search the library's on-line catalog, access the campus-wide infromation system, watch television programs from around the world or access information from America to Hong Kong," says the on-line description of the Emory ResNet Project.
When completed, ResNet will provide each room with access to 27 satellite networks, nine Atlanta networks and two campus stations as well as to the campus computer network via a high-speed Ethernet connection. It is a project that has excited the imagination of both ITD and Campus Life. Todd Schill, assistant dean and director of residential services, spoke of the "unlimited potential" with the new set-up, both with cable and with computers. He envisions students being able to do a great deal of research, turn in papers to faculty members, and receive their grades, check on their financial status with the University and possibly even vote for Student Government officers, simply by logging into the campus computer network. He also envisions the possibilities inherent in the cable system. "With the cable, we'll be able to have our own program channel, our own calendar of events. Students can find out at any time what's going on. If there's an important lecture going on and there's not enough seating, we can send it out to everyone on the cable network."
Bob Hamilton, assistant to the director of residential services, echoes that optimism about the possibilities. "We can predict what will happen in five months; nobody can predict where this is going in five years." He sees the applications bridging many areas of the University. "It's conceivable faculty membres can post their class notes and put their syllabi on-line. Students can turn papers in." Hamilton becomes increasingly excited as he lists the many possibilties: from art history professors posting images for students to view from their rooms to biology professors allowing students to perform "virtual" dissection via the computer.
The project began with the goal of putting cable television capabilities into the residence halls, and that part of the project is expected to be complete when students arrive on campus for fall semester. The Ethernet connections will take slightly longer, but are still expected to be complete by the end of fall semester.
In addition to the 27 satellite networks and nine Atlanta channels, the Emory Television cable system will also include two local campus channels, edu.net and the Student channel. Edu.net programming will air information technology programs, satellite conferencing, and appropriate film and videotapes from the University's film collection. Students will also be able to view live campus events and taped programs in their rooms.
In the near future, educational programming from the Residential cable system will be distributed to classrooms, faculty and administrative offices. These programs should include CNN International, The Discovery Channel, and C-Span.
In addition to the computer jacks and cable connections being installed in the rooms, three new satellite antennas are being installed on the roof of Cox Hall. Two additional antennas operated by Multimedia Communications will be integrated into the system to provide foreign language programming and satellite conferencing.
When the installation is complete, there will be "one computer line per residence hall room that will be Ethernet-connected, and each room will also have one cable TV connection," said Linda Chiappe, director of special projects for ITD. "Students will be offered a server kit for a nominal fee that will include the software they'll need to get their machine connected." Chiappe also said that each residence hall will have a student residential computing coordinator to provide local support. ITD will also be hiring a residential project coordinator to support this effort. Chiappe said that ITD is also exploring adding new clusters in the dorms; clusters are small labs for students who don't have computers.
A WorldWideWeb site for those interested in more information regarding ResNet can be reached at <http://www. emory.edu:80/RESNET/>. It offers updates on wiring, a listing of cable channels and links to their home pages, information from ITD and an on-line guide to programming.
-- Nancy M. Spitler