"The Bridge" Archive

Milam, Kersh: Changes ahead for University's laptop program

March 4, 2016

This is a post for faculty and staff from Executive Vice President Hof Milam and Provost Rogan Kersh:

In the mid-1990s, Wake Forest earned our reputation as a leader in academic technology by supplying laptops and a suite of professional software to every student. Unlike two decades ago, Wake Forest is no longer limited to a single platform or brand of laptop in order to meet our commitment to technology in teaching and learning. It is clear that personal technology preferences are often established well before first-year students arrive on campus, as seen with the increasing number of students bringing a laptop or tablet with them to campus.

In response to these changes, WakeWare, a new Wake Forest laptop program, will allow students to purchase a competitively priced Dell or Apple laptop from among several model options designed to support academic work. Planning for this change has been developed over the past 18 months with presentations to and input from the College Faculty, CIT, Finance Advisory Committee, Campus Life Advisory Committee, and student focus groups.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Current students who have a University-issued laptop will continue to receive uninterrupted support at The Bridge, the University’s information technology service center located in the Z. Smith Reynolds library.

• Beginning in fall 2016, incoming undergraduate students will no longer receive a University-issued laptop. Their options include purchasing a WakeWare laptop or bringing their own laptop to campus. Those receiving merit or need-based financial aid through Wake Forest may apply for a technology grant for the purchase of a WakeWare laptop.

• The Bridge will be staffed to support laptops purchased through the WakeWare program, as well as University-issued laptops belonging to current students, faculty and staff.

• Information on laptop models and specially negotiated pricing through the WakeWare program will be available online in May 2016. Current students will have the opportunity to purchase through the program up until they graduate.

• The University-owned faculty/staff computer program will not be affected by this change to the student program. Annual evaluation of appropriate hardware options for faculty and staff will continue to be the responsibility of IS.

• Faculty and staff will have the opportunity to purchase a laptop for personal use on the WareWare site.

Please visit the WakeWare website at wakeware.wfu.edu for answers to frequently asked questions regarding this exciting new program. The site will be updated as additional details become available.

Rogan Kersh, Provost

Hof Milam, Executive Vice President

IS launches eduroam at Wake Forest

February 23, 2016

This guest post from Information Systems’ Mur Muchane was sent by email to the campus community, recently.  Murchane is associate vice president for information technology and CIO at Wake Forest.

Information Systems is pleased to announce the launch of eduroam at Wake Forest University. eduroam, which stands for education roaming, is a secure worldwide wireless network that enables students, faculty and staff to use their Wake Forest credentials when traveling to connect to the Internet at more than 5,500 participating locations worldwide. Additionally, visitors from any participating eduroam institution can securely connect to the eduroam wireless network while at Wake Forest using their home institution credentials.

Where is eduroam available?
eduroam is available at institutions in the United States and in many countries around the world. For a list of the US-based affiliates, visit:https://www.eduroam.us/institutions_list. A map of eduroam institutions worldwide can be found at: https://www.eduroam.org/?p=where

Things to know:

• Always use the WFUwireless connection while you are on the Reynolda Campus in order to have all the access you need to campus resources.
• Use your full Wake Forest University email address and password to connect to eduroam in your wireless network choices when you are at another eduroam institution.
• Access to the Internet using eduroam provides visitor wireless access without signing up for a visitor wireless account, if the visitor is from another participating eduroam institution.
• Connect with any device that connects to Wi-Fi, such as a computer, smartphone or tablet by selecting eduroam in your wireless network choices.
• Contact The Bridge if you encounter connection problems. Visitors should contact their home institution.
• Read more about eduroam at https://www.eduroam.us/
• eduroam is not currently available on the wireless networks in the Wake Forest Overseas houses or Charlotte Business School campus.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the Information Systems Service Desk at help@wfu.edu or 336-758-4357 (HELP).

Campus wireless computing network upgrade tonight

May 20, 2015

This evening, May 20, between 6 and 9 p.m., Information Systems will perform an upgrade to the campus wireless computing network.

What is changing?

• WFUadmin, WFUstudent, WFUfacultystaff wireless will no longer exist. A single option, WFUwireless, will replace the three options. The wireless login process will remain the same.
• WFUvisitor sponsor portal will have an upgraded look and feel. The Web address will remain the same: https://netguest.wfu.edu/
• After 9 p.m. on May 20, a new service at https://mydevices.wfu.edu/ will allow users to connect devices to WFUvisitor that were not able to connect prior to the upgrade. This means that you can now connect your Smart TVs, Roku boxes, Google Chromecast, gaming systems, Apple TVs and other devices to the wireless network. You can only register one of these devices at a time using this new service.

Read more

Want to try out an iPad or ebook reader?

September 1, 2010

You can check out an iPad, ebook reader, flip video camera, HD digital camera and mini LCD projector from The Bridge, located at the back of the main floor atrium in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library.