UB wired? Yahoo! Internet Life says it certainly is

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM
News Services Editor

It's one thing for UB to claim that it's "wired." It's quite another for Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine to say it.

And now it has.

According to the May issue of Yahoo! Internet Life, UB is one of the 100 Most Wired Colleges in the U.S. UB, which was not on the list last year, is listed 47th.

Now in its third year, the Yahoo! 100 is a closely watched barometer of the most technologically advanced college campuses.

Landing a spot on the survey has become increasingly tough, with the magazine reporting that it received 30 percent more responses this year than last, "making the ranking more competitive than ever."

UB is the only university in Western New York on the list. Of the three SUNY campuses listed, UB ranks highest. Geneseo State College appears as No. 49 and SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome is No. 95.

Out of a possible score of 100 (the top school, Case Western Reserve University, scored 91), UB scored a healthy 75.99.

"We are delighted to have made the list of Yahoo's 100 most wired colleges," said Joseph Tufariello, senior vice provost for educational technology. "From not even being listed last year, UB has vaulted to the number 47 position this year."

He said that the establishment of the new Center for Computational Research, as well as the planned introduction of Access99, UB's computer-access program for students, were probably the most important factors that pushed UB into this elite group.

In the "Notes and Comments" section on UB's entry, the magazine mentioned that UB "is home to a next-generation version of IBM's chess-playing Deep Blue super-computer," a reference to the state-of-the-art equipment at the Center for Computational Research.

UB's selection as one of the top 100 is "very highly deserved," said Hinrich Martens, associate vice president for computing and information technology.

"Our campus stands very well among its peers, certainly in terms of campus networking and the emphasis that we are placing on access to computing and information resources for our students," he said.

What contributed to UB's being listed?

The magazine noted:

- the availability of 12.08 computers per 100 students

- the percentage of public computers (50 percent) that were purchased in the past two years

- public computers that are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week

- the fact that 75 percent of UB's dorms are wired.

UB's strengths in academic areas, such as the availability of online registration, drop/add, course schedules, transcripts and distance learning also contributed to its being on the list.

Additional criteria used by Yahoo! Internet Life in developing the rankings included the availability of a computer requirement for students; discounts for buying computers; free services, such as amount of Web space and network file space guaranteed for students; campus tech support; free alumni access to the school's network, and students' access to email accounts for life.