PRO FUTURIS

Baylor’s Pro Futuris movement outlines goals concerning the student body and the entirety of Baylor University. The vision has great potential to bring both the university and the Baylor community to the forefront of higher education. It is an industrious time for Baylor University; we are currently making an intentional effort to develop superior research capabilities and technologies that will not only bring Baylor to a higher rank but also empower students to take advantage of their education. As the newest student body of Baylor University, we, the Class of 2016, would like to push for the addition of wireless internet connection inside campus residence halls. The access to wireless internet within student living spaces would increase student productivity, improve living experiences, and boost Baylor’s overall appeal towards incoming generations.



STUDENT LIFE

In a survey conducted over two weeks, we found that 72% of students would prefer to have Wi-Fi in the dorms and 69% would be willing to pay for or purchase their own router. We also found that 56% of the students study in their dorm rooms for more than 10 hours a week. Students find that being in close proximity to their study materials helps them learn necessary content. Although they would rather study in their rooms, the unavailability of Wi-Fi in the residence halls is one of the reasons that students go to the library. This is an inconvenience especially when studying late because students are leaving their residence halls at times when they are advised to remain within the residence halls for safety precautions.



Today, smartphones are an integral part of daily life, and without internet access the devices cannot be used to their full potential. The lack of Wi-Fi also adds inconvenience for students who use their iPads for academics, gaming systems, video chatting, and other online activities that require a strong, constant internet signal. Students around campus agree that the lack of Wi-Fi has hindered their studying potential and ability to unwind after classes.



STRUCTURE

Baylor University strives to keep returning sophomores on campus, as well as provide comfortable living for freshmen. In order to achieve this, wireless living is necessary. Today, students and faculty alike can surf the net free from restricting cords around campus; however, this is not the case within the residence halls. The most common defense for not getting Wi-Fi is that the current residence halls are too old and the walls are too thick for wireless signals to be effective and efficient. This brings up the question as to why the oldest academic buildings on campus can receive a Wi-Fi signal through their structures, but the residence halls cannot support Wi-Fi. This issue does not seem like a very big problem for the demonstrated capabilities of Baylor elsewhere on campus. The resolution of this problem, nonetheless, is paramount in order for students to study productively within the residence halls without the restriction of Ethernet cables.



OTHER UNIVERSITIES

A common argument against Wi-Fi is attributed to the thick concrete walls. The head of Tech Support at Texas A&M University gives us hope that this issue can be overcome. While A&M has similar thick walls in their residence halls, Tech Support created one access point that covered about four rooms. If other universities such as A&M can overcome such issues and have access to Wi-Fi in the dorms, Baylor should be more than capable to do the same by adopting their method or finding a similar solution.



SECURITY

Despite security problems such as the potential danger of physical tampering and cyber infiltration, the transition to wireless Internet shouldn’t be ruled out. Baylor has the ability to provide and regulate routers for each residence hall as well as commission its own student workers to encrypt them. This would offer potential employment and experience for students who are interested in working with technology as future career. In addition, security shouldn't be an issue because the university technology team has seemed to secure the entire campus. Why is campus-wide security achievable but security within residence halls not? Although security seems to be an issue for implementing Wi-Fi, Baylor can easily resolve this problem with a variety of solutions ranging from simple password protections or more complex encryption techniques.



COST

Many argue that the cost of Wi-Fi is too significant, but other institutions have already presented solutions to this problem. Dartmouth College, for example, has divided the cost amongst its students, charging only $13 extra per year. For Baylor, an extra fee for the many students who desire Wi-Fi could relieve much of the problems of funding. This is a small price to pay for a necessary enhancement such as Wi-Fi. Collective student funding could increase the budget for wireless internet within the residence halls, or Baylor could set aside the appropriate funds for residential Wi-Fi.