September 4, 1998

Information Technology

Loyola network is tops

With the installation of a new campus-wide fiber optic network completed, Loyola University New Orleans now has one of the top 50 networks in the world as far as speed and robust interconnections, according to William H. Cahill, assistant provost for information technology. The network includes connections for every residence hall room, classroom, and conference room, as well as faculty and staff offices. It also has created opportunities to further expand distance learning programs.

This network, completed last summer, employs over five miles of fiber optic cable and over 1.2 million feet of high-speed copper wire and establishes state-of-the-art network connections at more than 2,400 locations on and between both university campuses. Network connections sustain transmissions of ten megabits per second to a campus-wide backbone network with a throughput of up to 155 megabits per second.

Internet access was greatly expanded to all users at Loyola and the speed of access and transmission of information to and from the World Wide Web was increased from 1.5 to nearly 45 megabits per second, nearly thirty times faster. This Internet access speed enhancement opens up the exchange of information in new ways for the university which will allow real-time video and audio transmissions in distance-learning applications. All users, in addition to having e-mail accounts and access to list servers associated with courses, will also be able to publish individual home pages.

To exploit the new network communications infrastructure, Loyola’s Division of Information Technology (IT) acquired a new IBM SP2 super-server complex with computing horsepower to host new and existing network services. This system is specifically designed to support client-server based administrative computing applications and network access software.

Loyola’s new state-of-the-art J. Edgar and Louise S. Monroe Library, scheduled to open in January 1999, will enhance the educational environment by providing three new twenty-four­hour access student computer labs and several multimedia classrooms. New microcomputers, with up-to-date software and printing stations, were installed in all of the new student computer labs, as well as in other student labs located around the campus.

Upgraded telecommunications includes new prefix 864

Other information technology improvements on campus include the voice messaging system implemented last summer on both campuses. Currently, the telecommunications systems and cable infrastructure are being overhauled and replaced by a new state-of-the-art telecommunications system to be located in the Monroe Library. Plans are to eventually migrate all telecommunications services over to the Monroe Library. These new systems will enable the integration of voice and data services as needed in the future.

To accommodate phone lines in the new library and residence hall, the phone system will require a new telephone prefix beginning in January 1999. New phone numbers in the Monroe Library and residence hall will be prefixed 864. The business school will convert from 865 prefixes to 864 prefixes in October 1999 to coincide with the publication of the 1999­00 campus directory. When dialing on campus, it will be necessary to dial only the last four digits to reach the new extensions.

City College incorporates technology into off-campus program

City College, a leader in distance education for over a decade, is now incorporating the university’s new technology into its educational programs. In 1984, it established a videotape-based cohort graduate program that currently has nearly 1,000 students enrolled in 26 states plus four foreign countries. In 1990, it began offering its bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree via video to hospital sites throughout south Louisiana.

“The recent dramatic enhancement of Loyola’s technology infrastructure has allowed City College to inaugurate three major technology-related initiatives,” explains Marcel Dumestre, dean. First, the college started offering online courses in a variety of disciplines. Second, web pages are being incorporated into on-campus classes to enable students to gain access to research links and supplementary materials. Third, the college formed the Loyola Center for Professional Development to utilize Loyola’s technology infrastructure to the fullest extent.

Loyola’s Center for Professional Development offers professional-level continuing education programs to working adults in an environment sensitive to community demands and supportive of industry needs. All programs enhance students’ current skills or provide training for career transition. The center provides flexible scheduling options serving the needs of working adults and their employers.

The center specializes in professional-level computer technology education, including training for the Microsoft Certified Systems engineer (MCSE) certification exams; and training for the Oracle Certified Database Administrator courses, which will be added this fall. The success of the MCSE program in the past year reflects national trends in a field that creates 40 new IT jobs every hour.

Loyola’s program allows adults to attend classes outside regular work hours while selecting a format option that suits their prior knowledge and personal schedule. The center utilizes experienced instructors who not only teach the material needed to pass certification exams, but also provide in-depth coverage of the material for incorporation into job situations.

To accommodate the high demand and growth of the programs, the center has moved to an off-campus location at the New Orleans Centre with state-of-the-art computer training classrooms in a convenient central location with free parking.

–William Cahill, Assistant Provost for Information Technology