As students round the corner into the second half of the semester, the impact of inconsistent internet access on learning experiences is becoming a focal point of discussion within the university community.
Some of these connectivity issues can depend on the device students are using.
Assistant Vice President of Information Technology Services (IT) Tim Wilson said in an email interview, “Each device has its own connectivity set of steps and local connectivity parameters.” He said, “Users must be familiar with their device… the best thing a user can do is make sure that their device is current with its updates.”
The Student Government Association (SGA) has been in contact with IT in an attempt to tackle the issues with Wi-Fi on campus.
SGA student body president and senior acting major Marc Palombo said via email, “SGA has pushed the IT Department all year on fixing our Wi-Fi, and we got a commitment from Tim Wilson and the entire department to install at least 10 access points in dead spots or areas with low connection around campus by the end of the year.”
Wilson has already begun to follow through on his commitment, saying, “In working with SGA, we recently identified locations on the second floor of West Penn near our edit suites and animation labs. Additional access points have been installed in those locations in addition to our Center for Media Innovation.”
According to a report from Palombo detailing the results of the student Wi-Fi survey from October 2023, 96% of the 235 student responses experienced issues with campus Wi-Fi. These connectivity issues occur all across campus, with Lawrence Hall, Boulevard Apartments and West Penn as the most affected areas.
However, the report says that students are also experiencing these issues in Village Park, the Student Center, Academic Hall, the University Center, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Point Perk, GRW studios, as well as in Conestoga and Thayer Hall. Additionally, students in the survey “expressed concerns across nearly all floors of every building.”
Sophomore resident educator Becca Whealdon, an acting major, says in a survey that she is having consistent issues with the Wi-Fi in her dorm room of Thayer Hall and in the Point Perk coffee shop. “I like the atmosphere and that I can look outside as I do my work,” Whealdon spoke about her experience in Point Perk. “It’s frustrating trying to get homework done when I can’t connect to any network.”
Zach Gordon, a sophomore business major who lives in an apartment close to campus, discusses his Wi-Fi problems in his West Penn classes, the University Center and in the Pittsburgh Playhouse, saying that it makes him “feel extremely irritated.”
If one is having problems with connectivity, Wilson says to place a ticket with the IT help desk. If the IT help desk is unable to effectively assist, “this would then get escalated up to a network engineer if needed.”
Palombo said, “There is always more to be done, but we have at least seen movement on the issues from our constant communication and push.”
