|
|
|
|
|
IU BLOOMINGTON AGAIN RANKED AS ONE
OF NATION'S 'MOST WIRED' UNIVERSITIES
For the third year in a row, Indiana University Bloomington is ranked second among the nation's public universities in Yahoo! Internet Life magazine's survey of America's "most wired" universities. This year IU is ranked ninth overall.
IU President Myles Brand said, "Since the inception of the Yahoo! survey, Indiana University has consistently been ranked among the very top of the nation's public universities. This recognition is a matter of great pride for the university. But more importantly, it sends a message to IU students that their technology environment is among the best in the nation."
IU Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Michael McRobbie said, "These consistently top rankings assure us that year after year IU's technology landscape remains at the forefront. The continuing changes we are making to IU's information technology environment are keeping us at the very top of the academic institutions in the nation. IU students can count on the fact that the technology preparation they receive at IU provides them the best academic advantages. When students graduate from IU, they will be among the nation's most technologically savvy graduates, prepared to compete in an increasingly technological world."
Now in its third year, the Yahoo! survey annually invites some 600 colleges to respond to a broad range of questions about the use of information technology on their campuses. Each year, the questions focus on certain aspects of "wired life." In 1999, they covered the categories of computer availability and description; undergraduate personal computer use; e-mail use and access; Web space use and access; networking; degree and distance learning; and educational and administrative uses.
In a final question, respondents were asked to specify information technology uses that especially distinguish their universities.
Yahoo! tailors its survey questions and criteria to mirror the nation's highly dynamic technological landscape. Survey staff noted that given the rapidly changing nature of wired life, these rankings capture a "moving target." In this year's survey, for example, the network occupied the attention of surveyors and respondents alike. Next year's focus is anybody's guess, and rankings might shift considerably.
In certain areas of the survey, IU achieved especially high marks. Of the institutions ranked in the top 10 overall, IU ranked second (along with Rensselaer Polytechnic and Wake Forest) in offering its students up-to-date computer equipment in its Student Technology Centers. IU's policy of replacing all STC computer equipment every three years means that currently 70 percent of all STC equipment is less than two years old. All IU residence hall rooms are equipped with dedicated network ports, and 75 percent of IU students have registered for those connections.
In the amount of information technology support offered, IU ranked third in the nation after MIT and Washington State University. The Yahoo! survey made special note of IU's acclaimed Knowledge Base, which this year won top honors in the International Online competition hosted by the Society for Technical Communication. Earlier, Netscape hailed the IU Knowledge Base as an invaluable Web resource, Windows Magazine honored it as a top technical support site, and Yahoo! Internet Life magazine singled it out as "Best Technical Support Page."
The Yahoo! rankings join these and other instances of acclaim for IU's technology environment. In its March 15 issue, PC Week recognized IU as a top technology innovator.
"These honors confirm that this has been a remarkable year for providing a state-of-the-art information technology environment for the IU community," McRobbie said. "We will continue to ensure that IU deploys technology services fundamental to the educational process."
For the full survey results, see http://www.zdnet.com/yil/url/9905/9905a.html
(Karen Adams, University Information Technology Services, 812-856-5596, kadams@indiana.edu)