Submitted by:
Marty Solomon
Vice Provost for Computing
Computing Department
University of South Carolina
1215 Carolina Plaza
Colombia, SC 29208 USA
v: (803) 777-6701
e: solomon@univscvm.csd.scarolina.edu
Categories:
Education, higher
Keywords:
Innovative or improved ways of doing things; More equitable access to technology or electronic information ; Creation of new ideas, products, or services ; Technology transfer ; Local commitment to network-based activities ; Leverage of public funding ; Volunteer contributions of time and energy ; Partnerships between public and private sector
Supporting Documentation (contact author for more information):
Video ; Software ; Documentation; Computer graphic images, such as GIF files; CD/ROM
The Story:
South Carolina University Gets the State Hooked on Internet
Enthusiasm about the Internet runs high at the University of South Carolina, where hundreds of faculty and students are taking advantage of e-mail, access to remote libraries and discussion groups. The discussion groups have been particularly popular, with members of the University community involved in groups on topics ranging from programming languages to concepts of higher education. One man at the Spartanburg campus has even started his own discussion group on the economics and politics of the former Soviet Union; now people from several locations around the world are “talking” with him daily, exchanging thoughts and information. The zeal people have for the Internet and these discussion groups is, says Marty Solomon, University of South Carolina’s Vice Provost for Computing, “a marvelous thing to see happening.”
To get others involved in this “marvelous thing,” the University of South Carolina has showed universities in the state how to apply for National Science Foundation (NSF) grants that can help get institutions started with networking. (The NSF has a “Connections Program” that provides funds for equipment and first-year connection charges.) At present, six universities in the state — including Clemson University, South Carolina State University and Medical University of South Carolina — have connected to the Internet, and they report active, if not heavy, use of this new resource.
The University of South Carolina has also encouraged K-12 schools and government agencies to “get connected” by making computer accounts available to people in state government and to principals and teachers throughout the state. The idea has been to give educators and others access to the network so they can see for themselves what is out there. It has been easier to encourage the uninitiated to explore now that the Gopher application exists. Gopher presents Internet databases in a form that is easy to understand and use. This makes it possible to browse the Internet’s endless offerings without learning all the cryptic commands and lingo. So even the most computer-shy educators have been able to locate resources like Kidsnet, an educational network for K-12 educators. And the State was able to find enough that appealed to them that they decided to join the Internet.