Down to the wire

At Columbia, where there are so many big, interesting, important projects underway, the continuing absence of wireless Internet in the dorms may seem a trivial inconvenience. In reality, though, the lack of wireless access in most dormitories at Columbia and some at Barnard is a daily reminder of inefficiency on campus. The prompt implementation of wireless in all dorms would mark both a necessary improvement to the everyday quality of student life and a welcome change to bureaucratic stalling.

The issue is hardly new. The entire campus—much of which is quite old—is wireless, save for the places where students actually live and work: their rooms and lounges. The necessity of Ethernet cables—many of which must be plugged into inconveniently located jacks—hinders individual study habits and the ability to study in groups in the dorms. Columbia is behind the 21st-century times: The University of Pennsylvania, for example, has wireless all across campus, including in the dorms. At a school that has had its own email server for over a decade, where professors often post last-minute changes to assignments online, and where students are frequently expected to participate in online discussions, the lack of wireless in dorms is outdated and irrational.

This is not to say that the administration has not started to make small changes. Earlier this year, CUIT conducted a pilot project in which the rules restricting the use of wireless routers (specifically Apple AirPort Express routers) were modified for Hartley, Wallach, and Furnald residence halls. Students who lived in those three dorms and had the technological know-how to set up their own wireless were able to do so. There is currently a push to include wireless access for dormitories in the budget for the coming academic year, and Barnard and Columbia are separately discussing how best to implement wireless in phases, giving a few dorms access at a time.

The reality, though, is that one line in a budget does not necessarily make wireless a priority. The fact that some dorms are projected to have wireless for the coming year does not mean that the entire campus is on its way to becoming free of Ethernet cables. The administration’s current efforts are appreciated, but this project needs to be pushed forward as soon as possible. That this is still even a matter of discussion is proof that the issue is not being made a priority. With all that happens on campus, this is understandable up to a point. But given the situation at comparable universities, the amount of time that has elapsed without real change being made, and the daily inconvenience to students, this point has passed.