A new survey of 300 colleges ranks the University of Rochester as one of the country's Top 25 Most-Wired Schools. When it comes to student access and exposure to the web, Yahoo! Internet Life says these colleges make the web an integral part of student life.
The survey ranked schools in four categories: use of the Internet for academics; social uses; hardware and wiring; and student services. For the University and the others on the list, the survey in the magazine's May issue found that interaction with the web doesn't stop when classes end. There are student home pages, computer ports for dorm residents and access to a student's own transcript at any time.
University of Rochester students can also access library catalogues; pages on faculty, program and research information; academic bulletins; updated phone directories; pages on student groups; campus publications; and news on University research and events. Because of the web's interactive nature, undergraduates can view their own transcripts and make course selections. Faculty, staff and employees also benefit greatly from the ability to interact with all segments of the University community.
In the library, more opportunities abound. The $1.5 million library information system unveiled in February called "Voyager" breaks new ground in the vast amount of material it offers on line -- access to more than 1.5 million books, documents and other items -- and its ease of use on new computers.
The editor of Yahoo! Internet Life plans to publish the list annually.