TheOnlineBeacon.com
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Volume 90 • Issue 1
Campus Wi-Fi Receives Upgrade BY BRIAN RHODES STAFF WRITER As part of the College’s efforts to improve campus life, the Wi-Fi network in the residence towers has been overhauled to replace the outdated network. The Wi-Fi system that was replaced was installed in 2014 and was rapidly nearing the end of its manufacturer support that would leave replacement parts and other essentials would soon become unavailable, said Ian Bergeron, associate dean of information technology. “This upcoming December we had a hard stop for our existing Wi-Fi,” Bergeron said. “It was time to go; this equipment had to be replaced.” Bergeron said that the upgrade is “significant” as it jumps the technology in the residence areas
ahead seven years. All MCLA’s residence areas were refit with state-of-the-art Wi-Fi access points which are equipped with Wi-Fi 6, said Bergeron. He said that the total cost of this update was approximately $200,000. The access points act as a router for students to connect their devices to get internet access. In addition to the already upgraded routers, the access points in several townhouse rooms received wallplates that further improve signals in problematic places. “The biggest concern in redesigning this was that those rooms got covered,” Bergeron said. “That is a significant number of students who would have been adversely affected.” Bergeron also mentioned that there were a total of around 500 routers total that were put in place.
SSI Survey Results
Student Survey Produces Mixed Results
According to Seth Bean, administrator of networks and telecommunications, one notable benefit of the upgraded equipment is a reduction in coverage gaps and slow areas. “These are much better access points than the ones we had before,” Bean said. A main goal of this upgrade, according to Bergeron, is to ensure that the Wi-Fi meets the College’s needs for the next half-decade at least. “We want to be sure that at the end of five years it [the new Wi-Fi] is working fantastically,” Bergeron said. “We are hopeful that we are ahead of the curve.” Bergeron said the classrooms and other areas, due to less overall network impact, do not need updates as urgently as the residential areas did.
Wi-Fi, Page 3
Fresh Grass is Back this Weekend
Recent satisfaction survey exposes the strengths and weaknesses of the institution BY TESSA SESTITO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Results from a Student Satisfactory Inventory (SSI) survey sent to students in April have highlighted MCLA’s shortcomings. Of the figures reported, MCLA was found to have a overall student satisfactory rating of 49%, which is lower than the national average of 56%. According to the RNL Student Satisfaction Inventory Executive Summary, the SSI measured levels of student satisfaction and their priorities, illustrating what issues are important to students as well as how satisfied students are. “The survey provides us with baseline results about MCLA student perceptions about the quality of their experiences, as well as comparative data about how our students’ responses compare to those of students from other four-year institutions who administered SSI this year,” the summary stated. Students were asked to complete the 70-question survey that focused on specific aspects of academics, campus life, services, and programs. Only 367 students, roughly one-third of the undergraduate student population, took this survey during the spring. Of those 367, half provided feedback that expanded on their initial responses in the open comment box provided. Not only did the results highlight the institution’s strengths and shortcomings, but it also provided information on a student’s likelihood to choose MCLA again. Of the strengths found for the institution, the report found that 70% of students were satisfied with their academic advising, “noting that their advisors are approachable, knowledgeable about their major, and concerned about their success.” Overall, almost all faculty were reported to be experienced in their fields of study, available to and caring of students, and providing students with valuable course content and instruction for their majors. Although the institution exhibited strengths in areas, the overall results of the SSI indicate that “MCLA stu-
Survey, Page 3
PHOTO TAKEN FROM MASSMOCA.ORG
This year marks MASS MoCA’s ninth annual FreshGrass Music Festival from Friday, Sept. 20, to Sunday, Sept. 20. Festival-goers can expect performances by: Andrew Bird, Greensky Bluegrass, Calexico, and Iron and Wine, among others. See story, page 6. Enrollment Numbers
Incoming Freshman Class Size Gives MCLA Hope BY NATALIA GIACOMOZZI STAFF WRITER MCLA has bucked the trend in declining enrollment with an incoming freshman class of 288, an approximately 9% increase over last year. The number of transfer students also increased significantly, due largely to 60 Southern Vermont College (SVC) students who opted to come here after the school closed last spring. “Being the teach-out partner for Southern Vermont College was a surprise, because it was a really quick turnaround to mobilize campus,” said Gina Puc, dean of
enrollment management. Puc said she believes that MCLA’s support for those students’ attests to the “state of flux” that higher education faces. The “state of flux” refers to the closure of private colleges across New England. Puc also pointed to MCLA’s new ranking on the Top Ten Public Liberal Arts Colleges in the recent U.S. News and World report, up two spots from last year, as representative of providing“education on an accessible and affordable format.” Puc attributes the increase to the Admissions office’s better use of social me-
Enrollment, Page 3