Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Universities introduce cell phone plans
By Tara Funk
The Daily Vidette (Illinois State U.)
07/19/2006

(U-WIRE) NORMAL, Ill. — Montclair State University in New Jersey and the University of Cincinnati in Ohio are both catching up with technology by offering incoming freshman cell phones.

At the University of Cincinnati students do not have to pay for the actual cell phone, but they do have to pay for the plan. A few different choices are available to students.

"There were a couple of developments that fell in place at the same time. One reason we are offering cell phones is we discovered in the residence halls, the students weren't using the landlines. They were preferring to use cell phones," Greg Hand, director and associate vice president for public relations at the University of Cincinnati, said.

Hand also said the university runs their own telephone company on campus. He added that the telephone equipment and switchboard are at the point where the university needs to replace them soon.

When several different cell phone companies approached the university looking for partnerships, the timing seemed to make sense.

The cell phone program is being aimed at incoming students for the fall 2006 semester, but Hand said the cell phone program is available for all employees and students.

"The indication I have had from the students that are still in orientation is that we are meeting targets. To make the program work, we have to sell a certain number of packages," Hand said.

Montclair State University's program is designed a little differently. According to Pat Fischer, assistant to the dean of students, their university uses a wireless system called Rave.

"The wireless system is mandatory for all incoming students and the phone can pinpoint the location of any student at any time."

According to the Rave website at ravewireless.com, colleges are challenged by the breed of student that uses text messaging and cell phones constantly and line lands are outdated. Rave encourages universities to adapt and learn to communicate with students through mobile phones.

Rave University, the cell phone program used by universities like Montclair, is comprised of two modules, the Rave TXT and Rave GPS. Rave University also provides universities with a set of administrative tools and interfaces.

"One of the freedoms when I went to college was the fact that there was no one to tell me exactly what to do. I do not know how I would feel about my college being able to locate me at anytime," Catherine Shepherd, junior criminal justice major, said.

"On the other hand, universities are normally held responsible for what the freshman do since they live on campus. I can understand how a university would want to keep track of them, but, I am still not sure if that is really the school's place," Shepherd said.

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