Proposal

Narrative

This proposal seeks to extend FAU’s wireless network to the FAU Preserve, which greatly expand the educational, research and public outreach potential of the Preserve.  Through discussion with FAU OIT network personnel, we have identified three WiFi access point locations that should provide coverage to the majority of the Preserve trail system and to the north end of the Preserve for a Geosciences environmental monitoring station (see Map attachment).  OIT network estimates the access points will cost $2,500 to install.

Through a prior tech fee grant, extensive environmental monitoring equipment has been installed on the Preserve and is currently being used by classes in the Department of Geosciences and Department of Biology.  Having internet access in the Preserve would enhance the use of the existing equipment in the following courses:  Biogeography, Hydrogeology, Hydrogeology Methods, Human Environmental Interactions in South Florida, and numerous DIS students.  All have enhanced research components within their instructional curriculum as part of the University’s QEP grant program and the expansion of FAU’s wireless coverage to the Preserve would enhance the field learning and research opportunities for the students in these classes.

Having wireless coverage throughout the Preserve would enable faculty and students University wide to access learning materials (such as online videos or interactives explaining the existing equipment, online manuals for equipment operation, online aerial photos and satellite images of the Preserve, online plant guides, online databases both to access historical data and enter new data, etc.).  Wireless Internet would eliminate the need for faculty and students to have cellular data service and allow online access from any device such as tablets, laptops, and phones.

In addition to being used for FAU classes, internet access on the Preserve would open up possibilities for “passive” learning by the hundreds of students who use the Preserve and its trails for personal enjoyment.  It would  also enable many forms of educational, public outreach by campus visitors, whether coming to an FAU football game, a K-12 class field trip, or just the occasional outside visitor enjoying the unique ecosystems on our campus.   The potential exists to create online self-guided tours of the Preserve with information about FAU’s activities on the Preserve and the local ecology.  

 

This proposal will help meet all four Goals of the FAU Strategic Plan:

Goal I: Enrich the educational experience:  When teaching classes in the Preserve, wireless internet access for instruction and student research as well as access to various online resources would tremendously improve their educational experience.

 Goal II: Inspire research, scholarship and creative activity: Our experience is that students love to be in the field and get excited about doing projects in the Preserve.  Having Internet access will help inspire them to do more and also generate ideas while out in the field rather than having to come back to the classroom to look up various questions that arose while they were out there.

 Goal III: Increase FAU’s community engagement:  During football games and other campus activities such as the annual BioBlitz, the public and K-12 students occasionally enjoy the Preserve.  WiFi access would expand their experience.

 Goal IV: Leverage momentum toward achieving FAU’s strategic goals by being good stewards of its human, technological, physical and financial resources:  The Preserve is an important resource that FAU has.  Enabling WiFi in it makes this resource more useful to students.

Facilities

No Facilities renovations should be needed.  Three OIT installed WiFi access points at the locations on the attached map.

Hardware Requirements

Three WiFi access points provided by and installed by OIT

Software Requirements

none

Personnel Costs

Included in the access point cost estimate from OIT networking.

Other Costs

None

Timeline

Installation as soon as funds are released and OIT can schedule the installation.

Sustainability

The access points have a long life span and do not require routine maintenance.

Resource Matching

Implementing Organization

Geosciences and OIT