The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2 - 94

Kevin Guidry • Carol Anderer • David Futey • Clifton Pee

students now expect high-speed Internet connectivity (Berman, 2001; Garrison, 2002) to match their high level of ownership and use of Internet-connected devices (Salway & Caruso, 2007). Today, residential computer networks are ubiquitous in residence halls (Abramson, 2003, 2005; Hawkins & Rudy, 2008). As computers and information technologies have impacted and changed the social and intellectual lives of students (ACPA & NASPA, 2004; Kuh & Vesper, 1999; Nelson Laird & Kuh, 2005), residential computer networks have played a key role in the lives of both oncampus residents and the housing and IT organizations that support and maintain those networks. This support and maintenance crosses physical and organizational boundaries, as responsibility is often shared among multiple departments and divisions; sometimes, however, these responsibilities lie solely with housing professionals (ResNet Applied Research Group, 2005a, 2008). Futey and Bender (2005) have characterized the services offered in connection with residential computer networks as “a microcosm of the broadest spectrum of IT services on campus” (p. 3). In 1992, the ResNet organization was conceived to provide a forum for the professionals who provide this broad set of services. From its inception, the ResNet organization was “dedicated to the advancement and research of residential networking technologies and living-learning environments within academic institutions” (ResNet, 2006). The ResNet organization facilitates information exchange, providing an opportunity for ResNet, IT, and housing professionals to discuss their common challenges and share solutions in supporting students and their computing technologies in
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residential areas. This is primarily achieved through a listserv and the annual ResNet Symposium. From 1995 through 2006, nearly 450 presenters from 172 colleges and universities conducted over 500 presentations at the annual symposium. Despite the rapid growth of computer use among residential college and university students, little scholarly attention has been paid to residential computer networks and their implementation, maintenance, support, and use. Given the ubiquity of residential computer networks, the historic and continuing financial investment in these networks, and their importance in the academic and social lives of residents, housing professionals must develop some understanding of the major historical and contemporary challenges posed by these networks and their users. One way to gain insight into these issues as well as map the historical development of residential computer networks is to analyze the programs presented at the ResNet Symposium from 1995 through 2006. By examining these presentations, we hope to address our research questions: • What identifiable issues were to multiple presentations? common

• How did those issues change over time? • What issues remained consistently present?

COMPUTERS AND NETWORKS IN RESIDENCE HALLS
Despite the popularity of residential computer networks on American college and university campuses, few scholarly works have been written about them. Most works are case studies of specific institutions, often with a very immediate focus and the contemporary practitioner

THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITy STUDENT HOUSING

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2