JANUARY 24, 2005

Mesa State College to Celebrate Completion of First Phase of the Campus Wireless Access Project

Grand Junction, CO - Mesa State College will hold an open house and electronic ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the implementation of limited wireless technology on the main campus on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. in the second floor study lounge of the John U. Tomlinson Library.

The Tomlinson Library, which provides its services to Mesa State students and local community members alike, is the first site on campus to have this technology. While coverage is currently limited to specific "hot spots," Mesa State College plans to expand wireless access to include public notebook computers in the Tomlinson Library by fall semester 2005. Phase three of the wireless project will include expanding "hot spots" across the main campus.

"We're committed to ensuring that our students have the tools they need to be successful in their educational careers," said Tim Foster, Mesa State College president. "Wireless access is one of those tools and its something that is already being very well received by our students."

With strong student demand for increased broadband and wireless capabilities across campus, Associated Student Government representatives worked directly with Foster and the college's information technology department during the fall semester. As a result, the first phase of the project, which typically takes more than a year to implement, has been completed in less than four months.

"The speed at which this has been accomplished really sends a message about President Foster and the college's responsiveness to student needs and requests," said Jared Wright, Associated Student Government president. "We're happy to have this first phase up and running and are looking forward to the near future when wireless access will be available across campus."

A portion of the funding for the wireless access project is being provided through student technology fees, which are set by the student-elected representatives of the Associated Student Government.

"Mesa State is a growing institution and maintaining that positive momentum requires providing advanced technology and increasing wireless access," said Lena Elliott, chair of the Mesa State

College Board of Trustees. "It's impressive the way that the college's administration and students have been able to bond together and make this project a reality in such a short amount of time. It really does speak quite highly of the cross-campus relationship that exists at Mesa State."

The open house and ribbon cutting ceremony are open to the public and the media. For more information, contact the Publicity Coordinator at 970.248.1371.

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