It’s 6 p.m., you have an online test due in an hour, a teacher that needs you to e-mail a request for permission to miss class, and you need to add a class with an add code that closes tonight, do you know where your wireless hot spot is?
Well, if you are a student at City College you only have a few choices.
One would be Floors 2 and 3 of the LRC, that’s the Learning Resource Center for those of you not familiar with that building, and the other would be the cafeteria.
If you are lucky you may be able to catch a signal outside the cafeteria in the Gorton Quad, but that’s it. Not in the computer labs, or the City Times newsroom. Nor in the B, or T buildings where most Graphic Design, Computer Business Technology, and Educational Technology classes are held. So, why is that?
Staff in the CBT (Computer Business Technology) Center offered little as to why they don’t offer wireless Internet. When asked most responded, “no comment”, “please don’t quote me on that,” “leave my name off of that,” or “go to the LRC and ask them.” One staff member said that the Internet needed to be regulated so that they could control who used it.
Over at the LRC, Sandra V. Pesce, Electronic Resource Librarian, said, “What it really comes down to is money. When wireless Internet was first introduced to City College, only at the beginning of the year, it was to have been in the cafeteria first, but as it turns out City College followed suit along with Mesa College who also has wireless in their library. Then the installation in the cafeteria followed. ”
Pesce also commented that in order for other departments to have wireless service, it would be up to them to get the funding, but what about the areas of the campus that are not governed by a department? What about Schwartz Square, Curran Plaza, or the grassy areas in front of the Gorton Quad and the R building? These are all areas that students convene, read, and do homework on a regular basis.
“The newer buildings will most likely be equipped with wireless network,” Lydia Gonzales, Administrative Secretary in the Vice President of Instruction Office said, “and it would be Mary K. Benard who would know about wireless in the common areas.”
Benard was out of town and unavailable for comment.
At this point, the network is available only to current students, faculty, and staff who have laptops. You need an access code to log in and if there are any problems with the service, City College offers no technical support staff to help trouble shoot.
