HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES

AND UNIVERSITIES

An Assessment of Networking

and Connectivity

Prepared For

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Technology Opportunities Program

Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary

Prepared By

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education

Henry Ponder, Chief Executive Officer and President

Mildred Freeman, Director, Sponsored Programs

Stephanie Myers, Principal Investigator

October 2000

Note: Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the authors and

do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policies of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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FOREWORD

T

he National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) has the unique

charge of advocating on behalf of one of America's most precious treasures --118 Historically

Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), located in 24 States, the District of Columbia, and the

Virgin Islands. Each year, these institutions graduate fine young people with undergraduate,

graduate, and doctoral degrees, who go on to make enormous contributions to American society and

abroad. 

An essential part of NAFEO's mission is to advocate on behalf of policies and initiatives that can improve

the quality of education for students attending HBCUs. We work with Presidents and Chancellors at 118

HBCUs, as well as other institutions that serve predominately African-American student populations, to

insure that our young people receive an education equal to that acquired anywhere in the world. 

We all realize the information revolution is changing the landscape of education forever. That is why we

wanted to gain an overall assessment of where HBCUs are on the Information Super Highway. This way

we can determine whether our institutions are "keeping pace" with change or whether they have been

seriously impacted by the digital divide. Results from this study will assist us to advise HBCU leaders,

Federal and state governments, and the private sector about the strengths and shortfalls of our institutions.

Most importantly, we must monitor how HBCUs are providing access for students to the Internet, World

Wide Web, and other important networks.

Based on the results of this study, I am happy to report that, in spite of overwhelming odds, the majority

of HBCU Presidents and Chancellors have risen to the challenge and have wired their campuses. However,

it is clear from the findings that there are serious digital divide issues that affect the ability of HBCUs to

be competitive with other institutions of higher education.

I am saddened to learn from our research that fewer than 25 percent of our students own their own

computing resources. This means that in spite of the best efforts of HBCUs, students must often wait hours

at labs to use computers in order to gain access to the Internet and the World Wide Web. We must find

ways to get more computers in the hands of our students so they can have universal access to global

networks. 

Another area of concern is whether our faculty and administrators are making full use of the marvelous

technology that encourages professional exchange and rewards creative instruction in the classroom. Our

results indicate that work is needed in the area of integrating technology into the classroom. HBCU faculty

and staff must realize that they will be measured, in coming years, on their ability to participate in

networks and provide students with global access to knowledge. 

In comparison with other similar technology studies, our findings indicate that HBCUs are just short of

"keeping pace" with other institutions of higher education. However, I am not satisfied with that result

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since "keeping pace" in today's ever-changing world of technology is tantamount to standing still. I

believe that as minority-serving institutions, we have the first opportunity in the history of America, to leap

ahead of the pack if our institutions become aggressive regarding the use of cutting edge technology. 

The opportunity to respond to innovation and change should be possible for all HBCUs large, small, urban,

rural, public and/or private. I would like to see our institutions develop the capacity to respond quickly and

experiment with new innovations. I believe that by working in partnership with the Federal Government,

state and local governments and the private sector, we can attempt a grand experiment to launch our

institutions onto the cutting edge of the new economy in the 21st Century. Our report finds that overall,

our institutions are ready for such partnerships. 

I would like to thank Gregory L. Rohde, Assistant Secretary, National Telecommunications and

Information Administration; Bernadette McGuire-Rivera, Ph.D., Associate Administrator, Office of

Telecommunications and Information Applications; Stephen Downs, Director of the Technology

Opportunities Program (TOP); and Francine E. Jefferson, Ph.D., Evaluation Specialist, Technology

Opportunities Program, for their leadership and vision that enabled NAFEO to conduct this very important

study. Without their commitment, this comprehensive look at the networking and connectivity of

Historically Black Colleges and Universities may have been overlooked, as it has been in years past. 

My sincere thanks go to the HBCU Presidents, Chancellors, and technology professionals who responded

to our requests for information. In addition, I would like to thank our TAS team. Scattered throughout the

country, our team studied the HBCUs, analyzed the data, and wrote the report using "virtual"

communications. The TAS Team was led by Stephanie E. Myers, Principal Investigator, and includes

Antoinette Hubbard, Eugene Royster, William Jordan, Lisa Hughes. Finally, a special thanks to Mildred

Freeman, Director of NAFEO Sponsored Programs, and the NAFEO staff who provided support for this

special effort.

Henry Ponder, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer and President

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education August 2000

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 1-2

1.0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 3-5

1.1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3

1.2 NAFEO's Long Term Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4

1.3 Presentation of Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

1.4 Structure of the Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

2.0 TAS Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 7-9

2.1. Characteristics of the Target Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7

2.2. Research Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

2.2.1 TAS Respondents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

2.2.2 Pilot Test of Assessment Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 

2.2.3 Non-Participating Institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

3.0 TAS Areas of Inquiry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 11-14

3.1 Institutional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

3.2 Campus Planning and Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

3.3 Campus Facilities and Computing Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12 

3.4 Campus Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12

3.5 Campus Backbone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13

3.6 Organization, Access, and Connectivity Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

3.7 Multimedia and Distance Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

4.0 TAS Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 15-39

4.1 Demographics of Reporting Institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 15-16

4.1.1 Significance of Demographic Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16

4.2 Institutional Planning and Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 17-20

4.2.1 Computer Competency Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17

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4.2.2 Policies Regarding Computer Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17

4.2.3 Financial Aid for Computer Purchase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18

4.2.4 Institutional Computer Use Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19

4.3 Student Access to Computing and Networking Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 20-23

4.3.1 Student Ownership of Computers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20

4.3.2 Institutional Ownership of Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22

4.4 Connectivity, Capacity, and Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 23-29

4.4.1 Updated Wiring of Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23

4.4.2 Campus Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 24

4.4.3 Networking Campus Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 24 

4.4.4 TAS Standard of Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 25

4.4.5 Comparison of Availability and Use of Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 25

4.4.6 Global and National Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 28

4.4.7 Vendors and Access to Networking Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 29 

4.5 Campus Backbone, Baseline, Capacity, and Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 30-35

4.5.1 Description of Campus Backbone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 30

4.5.2 Access to the Campus Backbone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 31

4.5.3 Computers and Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 31

4.5.4 Location of Workstations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 32

4.5.5 Cost of Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 35 

4.5.6 Network Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 35

4.6 Web Based Services, Distance Learning, and Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 35-37

4.6.1 Distance Learning and Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 35

4.6.2 Integration of Technology Into Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 37

4.7 Strategic Planning and Management Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 37-39

4.7.1 Institutional Expectations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 39

5.0 TAS Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 41-43

6.0 Appendices

A. U.S. Department of Commerce Press Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

B. Participating HBCUs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

C. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

D. About NAFEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

E. About the TAS Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

F. The TAS Instrument. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

T

his report contains findings from a technology needs assessment study of Historically Black

Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) conducted by the National Association for Equal Opportunity

in Higher Education (NAFEO), a non-profit Black college association representing the interests of

118 HBCUs. This study known as the HBCU Technology Assessment Study, (TAS) was funded by

the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP), National Telecommunications and Information

Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce1

. The TAS assesses the computing resources,

networking, and connectivity of HBCUs and other institutions that provide educational services to

predominately African-American student populations. 

The TAS began with several fundamental questions..."Where are HBCUs on the Information Super

Highway? Are they on the side of the road, the on-ramp, or speeding along in the fast lanes?" To

answer these questions, in early 2000, a NAFEO research team took a "snap shot" of the campus networks,

computing and networking capabilities, and telecommunications infrastructure of HBCUs. 

Out of 118 HBCUs, 80 provided input into the TAS. Of the 38 institutions that did not respond, it is safe

to assume that some of these institutions are wired, but simply elected not to participate in the study. Phone

conversations with some non-respondents indicated that they were overwhelmed by other requests from

companies, foundations, and state and local governments for similar data. However, based on repeated

phone calls to a number of the 38 non-responding HBCUs, it became clear that a number of them simply

could not respond due to lack of technical personnel capable of responding to technical questions about

networking and connectivity. More resources are necessary to dispatch a study team to visit the 38 nonresponding institutions and observe firsthand the status of their campus connectivity. 

Among the 80 HBCUs, roughly two-thirds of all HBCUs, the TAS found their overall status on the

information superhighway as more positive than originally assumed. However, there are serious areas of

digital divide in the area of student access, high-speed connectivity and insufficient infrastructure,

particularly at smaller, rural institutions. Admittedly, the research team began the TAS with a commonly

shared belief that many HBCUs were struggling to connect to the Internet via 56kbps lease lines. While

TAS finds that HBCUs are connecting to the Internet with more sophisticated technology than 56k lease

lines, the study does raise troubling questions about prevailing limited forms of access and connectivity

and the lack of strategic plans for incorporating innovation and updating changing technology.

Results of the TAS indicate that most HBCUs are solidly on the on-ramp of the information superhighway.

Ninety-eight percent of the institutions that responded report the existence of data, voice and/or data and

voice campus networks at mostly T-1 connectivity speeds. While TAS findings indicate that HBCUs have

basic access to the Internet, World Wide Web and campus networks, examination of the data finds that

there are troubling digital divide concerns in the areas of: (1) HBCU student access to networking and

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1 TOP was formely named the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP)
computing resources; (2) HBCUs usage of higher bandwidth technologies for accessing the Internet,

World Wide Web, and other networks; (3) faculty utilization of Web-based resources in the classroom;

(4) awareness of the importance of network security; and (4) utilization and maintenance of technology

strategic plans. One finding that particularly concerned the TAS team was that private HBCUs, located in

rural areas with student populations of 999 or less, report a significant gap in connectivity, equipment,

student access, and overall computing resources. 

In our view, in light of the overall positive picture of networking and connectivity among HBCUs, it is

possible for significant numbers of these institutions to make a digital leap into the 21st Century.

However, such a leap will require focus of institutional resources to address several areas of weakness: (1)

improvement of high-speed connectivity rates; (2) dramatic improvement of student to computer

ownership ratios; (3) improvement of the strategic planning process; and (4) willingness to incorporate

innovative technologies into campus networks. 

While it is reassuring to find that HBCUs are not in the "dark ages" of networking and connectivity by

providing access for students and faculty to the Internet and World Wide Web, the TAS Team is concerned

that the strategies to upgrade and improve network systems are generally weak. During this era of

continuous innovation and change, continual upgrading of networking and connectivity systems is critical

if HBCUs are to continue to cross the digital divide and not fall victim to it. Failure to do this may result

in what is a manageable digital divide today, evolving into an unmanageable digital gulf tomorrow. 

In reviewing the results of this TAS of HBCUs, many questions emerge from the data that would benefit

from further research. Monitoring the status, growth, and expansion of HBCUs on the information

superhighway is an important, even historic, effort and NAFEO plans to continue to be on the cutting edge

of such research.

In closing, we would like to extend our appreciation to Dr. Henry Ponder, Chief Executive Officer and

President, NAFEO, for providing top-level leadership to involve the HBCUs in the TAS; to Stephen

Downs, Director, TOP Program; and Francine E. Jefferson, Ph.D., Telecommunications Policy Analyst,

TOP Program, for their vision and support; to Mildred Freeman, Director of Health Education/Sponsored

Programs, NAFEO, for her management expertise; to Steve Pruitt, Executive Vice President of the United

Negro College Fund, for his early assistance with development of the TAS instrument; to Dr. Celine Alvey,

Associate Vice President for Information Services, Florida Institute of Technology, for sharing her "lessons

learned" from a similar Florida study; to James Harrington, Director, Minority University Space

Interdisciplinary Network program, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for his perspective

regarding the technology capacity of HBCUs; to Roy J. Myers, President, R. J. Myers Publishing and

Consulting Company, for his counsel and guidance; to NAFEO Staff Alicia Vargas, Statistician, for her

hard work and statistical analysis; to Ashley Bell, Computer Specialist, for her technical expertise and to

Regina Norman, for her editorial assistance. 

Respectfully Submitted, 

The TAS Research Team

Stephanie Myers, M.A., Principal Investigator and Public Policy Consultant 

Antoinette Hubbard, M.S., M.A., Telecommunications Specialist

Eugene C. Royster, Ph.D., Evaluation Researcher

William Jordan, B.S., Internet Entrepreneur

Lisa Hughes, M.A., Virtual Office Specialist

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

T

he Historically Black Colleges and Universities Technology Assessment Study (TAS) contains

findings from a technology needs assessment of 80, or 67 percent, of 118 Historically Black

Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), in the United States, and Virgin Islands. TAS was conducted by

a team of researchers assembled by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher

Education (NAFEO), a non-profit public policy advocacy association that represents the interests of 118

public and private HBCUs. This study was funded by the National Telecommunications and Information

Administration's Technology Opportunities Program (TOP), U.S. Department of Commerce, Broad

Agency Announcement No.98-012. The TAS assesses the computing resources, networking, and

connectivity of HBCUs and other institutions that provide educational services to predominately AfricanAmerican student populations. 

In an October 7, 1999, press statement announcing the TAS, William M. Daley, former Secretary of

Commerce, declared, "Access to information resources is critical to taking courses, researching, finding a

job or public information...In a society that increasingly relies on computers and the Internet to deliver

information, it is important to ensure that all Americans have access to information technology so that they

can continue to be a part of our economic growth and prosperity." (See Appendix A for Press Release.)

HBCUs educate significant numbers of African-American professionals in the disciplines of higher

education at the baccalaureate, masters, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels. These predominately AfricanAmerican students go on to lead important institutions in their communities and contribute to our Nation's

productivity in all of the major industry sectors including the emerging technology sectors vital to the new

economy. In keeping with Secretary Daley's statement, the TAS was developed out of the desire to ensure

that graduates of HBCUs have equitable access to and utilization of information technology so that they

can actively participate in the technology-based workforce of the future.

1.1 Background

NAFEO's interest in conducting the TAS was prompted in part by a report issued by the U.S. Department

of Commerce, Falling Through the Net3

. This report indicated that as of July 1999, whites were more

likely to have access to the Internet from home than blacks or Hispanics from any location. The report also

found that black and Hispanic households were approximately one-third as likely to have home Internet

access as households of Asian/Pacific Islander descent, and roughly two-fifths as likely as white

households. And, rural areas were less likely to be connected than urban areas. Regardless of income level,

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2 The TOP Program was formely known as the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program

(TIIAP), National Telecommunications Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

3 Falling Through the Net, U.S. Department of Commerce, July 2000
those living in rural areas were lagging behind in computer and Internet access. At some income levels,

those in urban areas were 50 percent more likely to have Internet access than those earning the same

income in rural areas. Falling Through the Net, termed these discrepancies the "digital divide." The TAS

focus was whether a digital divide was present among HBCUs and, if so, whether such a digital divide

would reflect itself in differences in connectivity, access, and computing resources among different kinds

of HBCUs, such as those institutional characteristics including urban, rural, public, private, large or small. 

Another event that prompted NAFEO's concern about the status of HBCUs on the information highway,

was a survey published in the May 1998 edition of YAHOO's Internet Life4

. In an article titled, America's

100 Most Wired Colleges, not one HBCU was listed among the 1998 list of the 100 top universities and

colleges. However, it should be noted that the year 2000 update of the YAHOO study reports that three

HBCUs made the list.

The YAHOO list, coupled with Falling Through the Net and media coverage about the digital divide

generated interest at NAFEO to find out the facts about the status of networking and connectivity at

HBCUs. NAFEO also wanted to determine the extent and scope of campus networks. In order to

determine with some degree of accuracy the facts about the networking and connectivity of HBCUs,

NAFEO approached the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the U.S.

Department of Commerce with first an unsolicited proposal and later a proposal submitted under a Broad

Agency Announcement contract program. 

1.2 National Association for Equal Opportunities in Higher 

Education's Long Term Goals

NAFEO's long-term goals for the results of the TAS are tied to the overall objectives of finding ways to

promote, support, and assist HBCUs as they strive to compete in the 21st Century. NAFEO's mission is to

foster a positive environment for the achievement of the following long-term goals:

Goal 1: To strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to participate in the national effort to improve the Nation's

technology and telecommunications infrastructure;

Goal 2: To improve the quality of education for students attending HBCUs, by encouraging policies and

leadership that support the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for campus wide

connectivity; and

Goal 3: To strengthen NAFEO's capabilities and role as a national service organization that provides

research, evaluation, and dissemination of information about telecommunications and technology

infrastructure to HBCUs and minority institutions.

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4 Yahoo Internet Life, “100 Most Wired Campuses,” May 1998
1.3 Presentation of Results

Data in the TAS report are presented in the aggregate, rather than identifying the particular strengths and

weaknesses of individual institutions. Keeping in mind NAFEO's mission to strengthen the capacity of all

HBCUs, the TAS research team sought to ensure that answering questions regarding institutional

capacities and capabilities would be done forthrightly, without concern for perceived institutional

liabilities by institutions not yet on the cutting-edge of technology. Therefore, the TAS presents an overall

picture of HBCUs and does not include individual school profiles.

For comparison, the TAS refers to two other campus technology assessment studies. First, the 1999

Campus Computing Study, conducted by Kenneth Green, Visiting Scholar, Claremont Graduate

University, provides a baseline to determine whether or not HBCUs are keeping pace with other

institutions of higher education in networking and connectivity technology, and whether the policy issues

facing their institutions are similar or different. The second reference used as baseline data for TAS

findings is the YAHOO Internet Life 100 Most Wired Campuses Annual Survey. We used survey findings

for years 1998, 1999, and 2000.

1.4 Structure of the Report

The TAS report is organized in five major sections:

■ Section 1: Introduction

■ Section 2: TAS Methodology 

■ Section 3: TAS Areas of Inquiry 

■ Section 4: TAS Findings 

■ Section 5: TAS Conclusions

■ Section 6: Appendices

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2.0 TAS METHODOLOGY

T

he TAS methodology included a research design based on standard needs assessment practices,

including identification of the target population, design of an assessment instrument, pilot test of that

instrument, and revision and distribution of the instrument to the target population and compilation

and analysis of results into a report. 

2.1 Characteristics of the target population

There are 106 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), 104 of which participate with

NAFEO. HBCUs are defined as postsecondary institutions founded prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964

with the primary objective of educating African-Americans. There are 14 other colleges and universities

that are referred to by NAFEO as "Other Equal Opportunity Educational Institutions" (EOEI). These

institutions were founded after 1963 and enroll a plurality of blacks and other minorities. (Vargas, 2000.)

It should be noted that the number of institutions identified as HBCUs fluctuates according to standards

set by the U.S. Department of Education. However, for the purposes of the TAS, the definition of HBCUs

is based on a report compiled by NAFEO, A Status Report of the Historically Black Colleges and

Universities and NAFEO's Other Equal Opportunity Educational Institutions. According to NAFEO,

"HBCUs are postsecondary institutions founded prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the primary

objective of educating blacks." (Vargas, February 2000).

HBCUs and EOEIs are located in 24 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands and are found

in large urban cities, suburbs, and small rural towns. They serve a campus community of over 350,000

students, many of whom graduate to become leaders of major institutions, including government, business,

and education. The institution's focus on liberal arts, business, agriculture, research, science, and

technology and graduate more African-American students who become professionals in medicine,

dentistry, pharmacy, and teaching than all other institutions in the United States. Forty-six percent of

HBCUs are public institutions funded by their state governments, and 54 percent are private institutions,

a number of which are supported by national religious denominations. HBCUs and EOEIs include

accredited two-year, four-year, and graduate and professional institutions. 

HBCUs and EOEIs have multiracial staffs that provide educational services to increasingly diverse student

populations, including white students. While most are located in the South, there are HBCUs in the

Midwest, Mid-Atlantic Region, the Far West, and the Virgin Islands. 
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2.2 Research Approach

TAS was conducted by a team of five researchers located in five cities: Washington, DC; Cincinnati, OH;

Silver Spring, MD; Kalamazoo, MI; and Detroit, MI. The TAS team met in a virtual environment using

online technology as the mechanism for most of the communication. Team members included a public

policy specialist, a professional evaluator and research consultant, two telecommunications professionals,

and one Internet entrepreneur. NAFEO provided in-kind staff support to the team in the form of executive

leadership, program monitoring, statistical analysis, computer programming, meeting facilities, and

logistical support. 

The first task of the TAS Team was to design a needs assessment instrument tailored to the issues that were

relevant to HBCUs. To obtain input for this instrument, the team conducted a literature search to identify

similar studies and solicited input from a variety of sources. These sources included review of a technology

assessment instrument used by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for a 1999 technology assessment

of UNCF institutions; obtaining input for critical areas of inquiry from James Harrington, Director,

Minority University Space Interdisciplinary Network (MU-SPIN) program of the National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA); Consultation with Dr. Celine Alvey, Director of a 1997 technology

assessment of the Florida Independent Colleges; and personal interaction with heads of technology

attending the 1999 Clark Atlanta University HBCU Educational Technology Expo. (See Appendix F for

TAS Instrument.)

Additional input for the instrument was obtained from reference documents on the Internet, articles

appearing in journals of higher education such as the Chronicle of Higher Education, and professional

reports and studies. (See Appendix C for Listings.) The team also conducted on-going consultation with

TOP Evaluation Specialist, Francine E. Jefferson, Ph.D., for continuous review of the instrument,

development of research strategy, and analysis of findings. 

2.2.1 TAS Respondents 

In order to identify the appropriate respondents for completion of the TAS Instrument, Presidents and

Chancellors of participating institutions were asked to refer the instrument for completion to individuals

at their institutions who had broad knowledge about the institution's computing capability. These

respondents provided the data for TAS.

2.2.2. Pilot Test of Assessment Instrument

The TAS instrument was pilot tested with ten HBCUs. The pool of ten pilot test institutions was balanced

to include urban and rural institutions, large and small, public and private. Upon receipt of comments from

the pilot test institutions, modifications were made in some of the questions including in the TAS

instrument. 

An assessment instrument including input from the pilot test was distributed to all 118 HBCUs with the

request to complete and return it to NAFEO. Eighty-three institutions indicated that they would participate

in the TAS and out of that number, 80 institutions, or 96 percent of the number who promised to
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participate, followed through. The results of those returns are summarized in this report. The 80

participating institutions represent 67 percent of the total number of 118 NAFEO designated HBCUs.

2.2.3 Non-Participating Institutions 

The TAS Team followed up several times with the 38 institutions that declined to participate in the TAS.

The Team's observations regarding why the 38 institutions did not participate include direct and anecdotal

feedback such as: (1) lack of technical staff, (2) being overwhelmed by corporate, foundation, and local

government studies seeking similar data, (3) inactive members of NAFEO, and (4) lack of interest. Note:

Less than 1 percent of HBCUs returned their responses after the final deadline and could not be included

in the study. 

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3.0 TAS AREAS OF INQUIRY

T

he objective of the TAS was to gain an overall perspective of the networking capabilities and

connectivity of HBCUs. The assessment instrument was developed to obtain data that would

evaluate the capacity of HBCUs to function as part of the national and global network. The emphasis

was not so much on individual institutions, but on a distinct community within the higher education

environment. Therefore, assessment inquiries were designed to obtain comprehensive information with the

intent to discern trends. Described below are the categories and rationale for inquiry including: 

■ Institutional Information

■ Campus Planning and Policies About Computing

■ Campus Facilities and Computing Resources

■ Campus Connectivity

■ Campus Backbone

■ Organization Access and Connectivity Environment

■ Multimedia and Distance Learning

3.1 Institutional Information 

The first version of the instrument requested a range of data regarding the demographics of the institutions.

However, in response to comments made by institutions during the TAS Pilot Test, the final TAS

instrument was revised to limit inquiry into demographic information. Instead, in compliance with

requests from Pilot Test institutions, demographic data such as campus population size was based on data

collected by NAFEO in its annual survey of HBCUs titled, A Status Report of the Historically Black

Colleges and Universities and NAFEO Other Equal Opportunity Educational Institutions.(Vargas, 2000)

3.2 Campus Planning and Policies

The TAS focused on the institutional practice of planning for technological needs and usage and on the

existing policies related to student computer competency. Such information is important because the
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future of HBCUs utilization of technology is dependent upon their commitment to make strategic

decisions and plans that align organizational practices with institutional goals. 

Strategic planning usually means that an institution commits itself to a review and update of its

accomplishments compared to its plans. These procedures focus on the organization's attention to a

common purpose. Having no plan is, in fact, a strategic plan decision and is important information.

Institutions were asked about the existence of strategic plans and the updating of those plans. TAS

inquired into the policies guiding the behaviors and expectations of institutions regarding networking and

connectivity using the theory that networking and connectivity policies should be based on strategic plans.

TAS also attempted to elicit information about the expectations of participating HBCUs regarding student

computer competency and use in order to better understand the planning process. 

3.3 Campus Facilities and Computing Resources

TAS reviewed HBCU facilities and resources in order to assess student-to-computer ratios. The study

reviewed the ownership of computers on campus, types of computers available, and whether the

equipment was institutionally owned, leased, or personally owned by faculty and/or students. Further, it

determined student/faculty access to those computers and location of workstations. 

Assessments were made about the percentages of computers available on HBCU campuses. This section

also asks about the numbers of buildings on campuses with updated wiring and estimated percentages

regarding the total number of campus buildings that have been updated. 

3.4 Campus Connectivity

One of the core concerns in the TAS is the composition and makeup of the network with regard to its

ability and capacity for connectivity. This assessment requires an understanding of the capacity of HBCUs

to share and access information both globally and locally on campus. A full understanding of the

technological environment must include a look at the local telephone company and Internet service

provider (ISP) since local telephone company and ISP infrastructures are an important part of this picture.

If an institution's network is based on wiring and cable, the ability of an HBCU to access global and

national networks is dependent upon the last mile. The last mile is defined as "the connection between the

customer and the telephone or cable company." 5

The TAS began with the question of the basic minimum requirement-is there a campus network?

Following the determination of a basic "in place" network, an assessment was made about local service

providers. The TAS objective was to have an assessment of the infrastructure capabilities of the

telecommunications and ISPs for located in urban and rural areas. While access to broadband width may

be available in many urban areas, the study, Advanced Telecommunications in Rural America, reports

"rural areas are currently lagging far behind urban areas in broadband availability." (U.S. Dept. of

Commerce/U.S.Dept of Agriculture, 2000.) The TAS team wanted to assess how the lag in access to

broadband technology affected rural HBCUs. 

5 Definition from TechEncyclopedia, www.techweb.com, 2000
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To facilitate evaluation of the data about the bandwidth and accessibility resources of HBCUs, the TAS

team decided to establish an internal standard or baseline of minimal connectivity for the study. The team

considered variables such as current market options, speed rate of connections, and the range of costs for

connecting to networks by 56kbps, T-1, T-3, DSL, satellite, etc. After reviewing the options, the team

decided that for the purpose of the TAS the minimum standard of access would be T-1 capability. In the

view of the TAS team anything less than T-1 would indicate severe limitations for an institution to gain

access to an Internet world and its resources. The internal standard for connectivity was based on notion

that the more bandwidth capacity at HBCUs-the more possibilities. 

Information was requested about student access to computing resources. These responses were compared

with findings in the Campus Computing Study to gain a relative perspective about student access to

computers at other institutions outside of the HBCU community (Green, 1999). TAS also obtained general

data regarding the types of connections that are used by individual departments at HBCUs, and what the

approximate overall institutional costs are for IT services. This information helps to provide a benchmark

about the capabilities and resources of individual departments. For example, are engineering departments

able to provide enough bandwidth for scientific work or are new uses of technology being visualized by

departments of humanities or language arts?

3.5 Campus Backbone

For the purpose of the TAS, the "campus backbone" is defined as, "the part of the network that handles the

major traffic and employs the high-speed transmission paths in the network..."6 The TAS sought to gather

information about campus network infrastructures. This area was important since the delivery of

computing services to institutions is dependent on the computing backbone. Computing backbones affect

the quality of the tools and pathways for connecting to the Internet, the computing resources and

productivity and ultimately the capacity, output, and expandability of a campus network. Design of the

architecture for virtual private networks and/or inter-campus connectivity are based on the capacity of

campus backbones. 

In order to assess the location of highly technical capacities on campuses, TAS inquired into the location

of specialized workstations. For the purpose of TAS, specialized workstations are considered to be those

workstations that are optimized in terms of hardware and software configuration to meet very specific

demands such as modeling, statistical analysis, graphic arts, remedial learning, etc. Knowing what kinds

of systems are distributed across campuses provides a perspective of whether high end computing power

is being used at the departmental and academic levels or by the administrative functions. If workstations

are used by technical or liberal arts programs, this data may show whether HBCUs are using technology

to address specific problems that require high levels of support services and capital investment.

In this era of proliferating computer viruses that violate network security, the ability of all major

institutions, including HBCUs, to secure their systems is a priority. The issue of network security was

included in the study since decisions regarding the architecture of network security must be made

simultaneously with decisions about which applications and data will be made available on the campus

networks. Poor planning or the lack of understanding of the importance of network security may slow full

utilization of investment in computing technology at HBCUs, particularly as Government and industry

6 TechEncyclopedia, www.techweb.com
become more security conscious. The capacity of HBCUs to ensure network security could affect their

capacity to participate in various types of grants, contracts, and partnerships. 

3.6 Organization, Access, and Connectivity Environment 

Data was obtained to assess the applications, access, and effectiveness of the campus networks with

emphasis being paid to the usage priorities of the institutions, such as use of technology in the classroom,

advanced research, professional collaboration, etc. This data would offer insight into whether HBCUs are

aware of and emphasizing the collaborative, global, and resource aspects of the Internet world or if the

campus networks are closed institutional islands, cut off from the larger educational community.

3.7 Multimedia and Distance Learning 

TAS also asked about the use of media, instructional technology, and distance learning in order to

determine what types of audio-visual, video, audio, and videoconferencing equipment are available. This

section also sought to determine whether institutions are currently involved with distance learning and

what their future plans may be regarding distance learning degree programs.

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4.0 TAS FINDINGS

T

he results of the TAS are summarized in this section with an emphasis on overall trends within the

HBCU community. No effort is made to provide a narrative or analysis of every question asked by

the TAS instrument. Rather, this section attempts to reveal insights into the overall computing

capacity of HBCUs and the scope of their networks.

No specific data are available regarding the networking and connectivity of the 38 institutions that did not

respond to the TAS. However, anecdotal evidence indicates that non-responding institutions may have

been: (1) overwhelmed with requests for computing information from state governments, non-profit

organizations, and commercial companies; (2) short of the staff capacity to respond to technical questions

about networking and connectivity; or (3) in-active members of NAFEO. 

The results in this section are based on the 80 HBCUs who responded to either the entire TAS Assessment

Instrument or the TAS Core Questions Instrument. The information in this section is organized under the

following headings: 

■ Characteristics of Reporting Institutions

■ Institutional Planning and Expectations 

■ Student/Computer Ratios and Access to Computing Resources 

■ Connectivity, Capacity, and Facilities

■ Campus Backbone

■ Web-based Services, Distance Learning, and Multimedia

■ Administrative and Management Concerns

4.1 Demographics of Reporting Institutions

Of those 80 institutions participating in TAS, 74 are HBCUs and six are EOEIs. (See Appendix B for

Participating HBCUs.) Forty-five, or 56 percent of the participating HBCUs, are located in urban or

suburban centers, and 35 of the institutions, or 43 percent, are located in small town or rural settings. Of

the reporting institutions, 40 HBCUs are public institutions, and 40 are private. Eleven of the participating

HBCUs are two-year institutions, 68 are four-year institutions, and one is a graduate institution. 
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The urban and rural definitions used in the TAS were derived from Peterson's College Guide for Four-Year

Institutions and Peterson's College Guide for Two-Year Institutions. The information from the college

guides, together with the demographic data from the NAFEO annual report and responses to the TAS

instrument, provided the TAS Report with sufficient data to demonstrate an overall "snap shot" of the

computing resources of all reporting institutions, and to draw out meaningful comparisons of urban

institutions with rural, public institutions with private, and large institutions with smaller ones. (See

Charts 1a and 1b.)

4.1.1 Significance of Demographic Characteristics

From an overall perspective, the data from reporting institutions revealed clear trends among all of the

HBCUs regarding networking and connectivity access, connectivity speed rate, types of vendors, student

access to computing resources, etc. However, when certain factors are considered, such as the campus

population of HBCUs, whether they are public or private, or whether they are located in urban or rural

areas, differences begin to emerge. For example, most of the public HBCUs located in urban centers are
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the larger schools with 2,500+ students, while the private, rural HBCUs tend to serve fewer than 999

students. Public HBCUs have more access to public resources from local or state government networking

systems while private institutions may not have access to those resources. Urban HBCUs have more

options for access to technology than rural ones.

The categories of public and urban appear to track similar data while private and rural schools have similar

findings. The size of the school and its location are relevant since these characteristics may affect the

distribution of computing resources available to different institutions.

4.2 Institutional Planning and Expectations

4.2.1 Computer Competency Requirements 

An important indicator of institutional readiness for technology is the expectation of institutions regarding

computer training and computer usage by their students. Of the 80 reporting institutions, 55 percent

indicated that they have a computer competency requirement, which is usually an introductory course in

computer usage. Of that number, 47 percent of the public HBCUs require computer competency while a

higher percentage, or 62.5 percent of the private institutions, require it. Sixty-five percent of the urban

institutions require computer competency while 45 percent of the rural HBCUs have the requirement. 

In the 1999 Campus Computing Study (Green, 1999), 39.3 percent of all colleges and universities

nationwide had a computer competency requirement. It is interesting to note that as of spring 2000, 55

percent of HBCUs required some level of student computer competency, a number higher than Green's

1999 finding that 39 percent of all U.S. colleges and universities required student computer competency.

4.2.2 Policies Regarding Computer Ownership

None of the HBCUs reported policies that require student computer ownership and 15 percent of the

HBCUs reporting indicate that they recommend student computer ownership. Among the urban and rural

HBCUs, 17 percent of the urban institutions recommend that students own their own computers and 11

percent of the rural HBCUs have such recommendations. Even among larger HBCUs, less than 15 percent

of HBCUs with enrollments of 2,500+ recommend computer ownership. When asked if they recommend

computer ownership for individual units or academic programs (e.g., computer science, physics, etc.), only

eight institutions, or 10 percent, indicated that their institutions make recommendations by discipline. The

TAS finds that NONE of the 80 responding HBCUs require undergraduate students to own computers

and only 15 percent recommend student computer ownership-both policies may affect on-demand

student access to networks. (See Charts 2a and 2b on next page.) 
Regarding ownership policies, these findings are not that different from results of the campus computing

study, which indicates that out of 530 institutions of higher education surveyed, only 2.7 percent have

policies requiring student ownership of computers (Green 1999). However, the campus computing study

indicates that 30.5 percent of the institutions surveyed do recommend student ownership of computers. Only

15 percent of HBCUs recommend that students own their own computers, compared to 30.5 percent of

all institutions of higher education, which recommend that students own their own computers.

4.2.3 Financial Aid for Computer Purchase 

To determine whether financial aid is available to assist students with computer ownership, TAS asked

whether institutions currently provide any form of assistance to students to purchase computers. Of the 80

responding institutions, only two institutions, or 3 percent, indicated that financial aid was available

from their institutions to assist with the purchase of computers. These institutions went on to indicate

that the form of financial aid was a discounted price from computer manufacturers.7 (See Chart 3a.)

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7 Due to a February 2000 agreement signed between NAFEO and Gateway Computers, discounted computers are now available to all HBCUs and their students.
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If financial aid is not available, why do not students use their own funds to purchase computers and bring

them to campus? According to the report Money Matters: The Impact of Race/Ethnicity and Gender on

How Students Pay for College, more than 36 percent of African-American students have income and assets

that are so limited that the government does not expect them to make any contribution to their college

education. Another 25 percent of African-American students are expected to contribute only $2,500

annually. And among HBCU students paying their own way through college, almost 64 percent have

annual incomes of less than $20,000, and 39 percent have incomes less than $10,000 (American Council

on Education 1999). In response to this data the TAS Team concludes, the limited financial status of

African-American students makes it difficult for HBCU students to have the financial resources to

purchase their own computers.

4.2.4 Institutional Computer Use Fees

TAS inquired whether institutions are imposing computer usage fees on students for access to computing.

Among the 80 responding HBCUs, 43 percent report charging students a user fee with the fees ranging

from $10 - $237 annually. Fifty percent of the urban institutions report imposing a user fee while 40

percent of the rural institutions impose user fees. (See Charts 4a and 4b on the next page.)
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According to the Campus Computing Study, (Green, 1999) the average technology fee among all reporting

institutions was $125, with private universities charging the most at $186 and public universities charging

$137. Among HBCUs, the average computer usage fee is about $79. Rural institutions charge slightly

lower fees than urban ones. 

4.3 Student Access to Computing and Networking Resources

4.3.1 Student Ownership of Computers

A key to ensuring networking and connectivity for students is to provide them with full and ready access

to computing resources. According to a 1996 strategic plan prepared for University of California at Los

Angeles, providing students access to information technology services "...generally requires access to a
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networked desktop computer, appropriate software and adequate support so that equipment and software

can be effectively used." (UCLA Technology Strategic Plan, 1996.)

To determine student ownership of computing resources, TAS inquired into what percentage of students

bring their own computers to campus. Of the 80 HBCUs participating in TAS, 76 percent estimate that

fewer than 25 percent, or only 1 out of every 4 HBCU, students personally own computers. (See Charts

5a and 5b.) This finding is consistent across HBCUs whether they are urban, rural, public, private, large,

or small. 

Nine percent of urban HBCUs indicated that 25-49 percent of their students have their own computers,

while only 5 percent of the rural institutions indicated student ownership in the 25-49 percent range. Seven

percent of the respondents indicated that they could not estimate student ownership. This finding

regarding student ownership of computers contrasts with the 1999 Campus Computing Study, which

reports that among all institutions of higher education, 49 percent, or about one out of every two

students personally own their own desktop or notebook computers (Green 1999).
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4.3.2 Institutional Ownership of Computers

An important feature of determining access to networks is to determine who owns computing resources.

TAS findings indicate that approximately 80 percent of the computers on HBCUs campuses are owned by
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the institution itself. Administrators and faculty are in the second category of ownership while students, as

indicated earlier in the report, own the fewest computers. HBCUs appear to be using few options other

than direct ownership to obtain computers for their campuses. Given the need for students to obtain

universal access to computers, other options could be considered such as leasing, using corporate-owned

computers, government-owned computers, or computers loaned from sources in the community. (See

Charts 6a, 6b.)

While it is essential that the institutions own computers to fill in obvious gaps in the capacity of students

to own computers those institutional resources may impact students in a number of ways. By relying on

institutionally owned computing resources, student access is dependent upon institutional funds,

schedules, staffing, and availability. One technology professor at a four-year, rural, public HBCU

observed, "We have a number of computer labs at our University that are open seven days a week, 24-

hours a day. One of our labs has 60 computers and it is packed all day every day." Approximately 75

percent of students attending HBCUs do not own their own computers and must rely on institutional

resources to connect to the Internet, World Wide Web, or other networks....a digital divide issue! 

4.4 Connectivity, Capacity, and Facilities

4.4.1 Updated Wiring of Buildings

Key to installing campus networks is updating the wiring at buildings. Many HBCUs have old buildings

and the TAS Team was interested to learn about the status of updating those buildings. Note: This

information has not been verified by firsthand observation. 

HBCUs report that over 50 percent of their buildings including dormitories have had their wiring updated.

Libraries, laboratories, and administration buildings have the most updated wiring while classrooms and

dormitories have the least. (Charts 7a on this page and 7b on next page)
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4.4.2 Campus Networks

Ninety-five percent of HBCUs indicate that they have campus networks composed of voice, data and

voice, and/or data only. This indicates that most HBCUs institutions have some level of connectivity and

offers a positive indication that HBCUs have made the initial investment required to begin laying the

groundwork for providing networking and connectivity for the campus community. Not one HBCU reports

distributing video over campus networks, although in Section 4.6 of the TAS it shows that 63 percent of

HBCUs have basic videoconferencing capabilities. (See Charts 9a and 9b on page 27.)

4.4.3 Networking Campus Buildings

HBCUs network their buildings in a variety of ways. Fifty-one percent reported that they support voice

and data on a single campus network for some, if not all, of their buildings. Fifteen percent reported single

buildings being wired separately for voice and data. About 12.5 percent are wired for voice and data by

geographic cluster on campus, and 12.5 percent reported being wired by functional cluster. Forty-one

percent of the respondents indicated that all of their faculty offices are wired for both voice and data. 

Since the TAS team was unable to inspect HBCU networks firsthand, it is surmised that a small number

of the institutions may be reporting the existence of networks that are not yet functional. It is not possible

to determine how many institutions may fall into that category; however, anecdotal information indicates

that in the case of a few small, rural institutions, the backbone and infrastructure are in place but the

connections have yet to be complete. For example, one campus official at a small, private, rural institution

commented, "We have laid the cables and wired our buildings and this fall we intend to have a fundraising

campaign to pay for connecting computers to the campus backbone."
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4.4.4 TAS Standard Of Connectivity

Based on TAS data, 88 percent of HBCUs have access to T-1 lines from their local ISPs and operating

companies and connect to their networks using single or multiple T-1 lines. In addition to T-1 connections

available to the majority of HBCUs, other Internet connection options such as T-3, Fractional T-1, DSL,

Frame Relay and ISDN are also available to over 30 percent of the reporting institutions. Given the broad

availability of T-1 access in the marketplace, the TAS team determined that a minimum standard of

connection for HBCUs to national networks was T-1 connectivity. The study did not have the resources

to determine the actual use of T-1 on a campus by campus basis, but it is reasonable to assume that a single

T-1 is not sufficient to provide a large campus with effective bandwidth for 21st Century connectivity.

Although for a small campus a single T-1 may be very adequate, it is safe to say that the more bandwidth

capacity an HBCU has the more possibilities that institution may have for participation in advanced

projects such as Internet2. While limited bandwidth may not be the only reason, the fact that only one

HBCU is listed on the official Internet2 Web site as an Internet2 member may be partially explained by

HBCUs who have access to high-speed lines not using that access. 

4.4.5 Comparison of Availability and Use of Services

T-I bandwidth provides a specific speed rate and capacity suitable for basic functions, such as supporting

limited numbers of classrooms for videoconferencing and providing Internet and World Wide Web

connectivity. Larger bandwidth technologies such as T-3 or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switches

can provide more access for more users at a faster rate and can support different applications. The TAS

results indicate that HBCU usage diminishes quickly for higher bandwidth lines and other technologies

providing advanced computing capacity. 

Results show that most HBCUs are connected at the T-1 level with the second most prevalent method of

connectivity being ISDN lines. As reported earlier, 85 percent of the HBCUs report having T-1 lines

available in their areas. Among these schools the majority of them are using the T-1 connections. Fifty

percent of reporting institutions have T-3 connectivity available in their area while only 7.5 percent report

using these high-speed lines. This low use of wide bandwidth may explain why only one HBCU is

presently a part of Internet2. 

ATM switching is available for 43 percent of institutions, and of those 43 percent having access, 45 percent

indicate that they use the technology. Fractional T-1 services are available to 49 percent of HBCUs while

only 15 percent use Fractional T-1. Regarding access to DSL, 52 percent of urban HBCUs have access to

DSL, and 29 percent report using it and among rural institutions, 11 percent have access to DSL and 25

percent of those having access to DSL use it. Twenty-nine percent of HBCUs report having access to

wireless and 43 percent of those with access are using it. Note: Responses to the wireless question may

actually refer to use of wireless cellular services and not necessarily wireless connections to the Internet

and World Wide Web. (See Chart 8 on next page)
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One question that emerges from this data is WHY are HBCUs, particularly private, rural institutions only

using T-1 or ISDN when the marketplace has expanded to offer other options for high speed connectivity?

This question is relevant in light of continuously expanding market demand for Web-based applications

such as distance learning, telephony and Internet based videoconferencing, as well as the emerging

projects such as Internet2. 

Looking at Table 8, it is clear that the majority of HBCUs are not using high-speed connections even if

those connections are available in their communities. This raises the question as to whether or not HBCUs

have the funds or technical staff to make full use of modern networks available to them. There is no

indication in the TAS results that helps assess the reasons why the majority of reporting HBCUs do not go

to the next stage in network design and use. However, the TAS team speculates that that the answers may

lie in the areas of finance, lack of strategic planning, faculty motivation, and training. Expanded access to

funding, further upgrades, and professional training may be needed to have fully functioning networks that

take full advantage of available opportunities and resources and operate maximally. The opinion of the

TAS Team after review of this data is...Lack of connectivity beyond the T-1 level may be one of the key

areas that hold back HBCUs from making the digital leap into the 21st Century!

HBCU responses show a reasonable use of the network for administrative services and of other basic

interconnection activities such as e-mail, voice mail, and help desk. However, responses also show that

there is not much use of groupware software, which suggests that there is limited use of intranets,

professional meetings, and professional collaboration over the Internet. Table 9 shows the use of particular

applications at HBCUs: (See Charts 9a and 9b on next page.)
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4.4.6 Global and National Networks

Among HBCUs, extensive connectivity to a global community appears to be underutilized. While

baseline capabilities for connectivity exist within HBCUs, anecdotal evidence indicates that connectivity

beyond the campus borders only extends to regional and/or statewide networks, or in some instances to the

Federal Government. Out of 80 HBCUs only 31 percent indicate that they network with state college

systems, 13 percent network with K-12 school districts, 20 percent with the Federal Government-a

potential major source of funding and 5 percent with commercial vendors. Thirty-five percent network

with libraries and 27 percent with other colleges and universities. International connectivity is virtually

non-existent with only 2 percent indicating participation in international networks. (See Charts 10a, 10b)
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An HBCU professor at a public urban institution believes that HBCUs would benefit from a national or

global private network that connects all HBCUs, "At our college, we specialize in African languages," the

professor comments "If we had a private network among HBCUs nationwide, we could benefit from

professional exchange. We could share our African language expertise with other HBCUs...in exchange

we would have access to the expertise of other institutions...such a network could extend to the Caribbean

and Africa."

By using greater access to worldwide resources, institutions can avail themselves of significant new

applications of technology in the marketplace such as first employment interviews, multi-national and

cross cultural distance learning, academic exchanges, research collaboration, distance learning. HBCUs

should consider the need to "Act locally...think globally."

4.4.7 Vendors and Access to Networking Services

Thirty-six percent of responding HBCUs indicated that they use their state or local government as their

vendors for access to the Internet, rather than small independent Internet service providers, Bell operating

companies or various cellular, wireless or other service providers. Of the 36 percent using state or local

government vendors, 50 percent of the public HBCUs and 22 percent of private HBCUs utilized this form

of service. From this data, it appears that there is a significant distinction between public and private

schools in their access and use of state and local systems. Also, there is also a difference in use by size of

student enrollment, with smaller schools being less likely to employ such services.

Small, private, rural institutions may want to seek increased collaborative opportunities with either urban

or other rural "wired" HBCUs in order to increase their access to networks and connectivity, and hopefully

to enhance their overall networking and connectivity capacity.

While use of state or local government services may be a benefit to public and private urban HBCUs in

terms of cost and access, it may also mean that these same institutions are more subject to political issues

regarding their budgets and choices for technology. One HBCU technology professor from a public, rural

institution comments, "Next year the state is going to cut our budget. This will impact our ability to

increase our number of classrooms with access to high-speed computing connections."

Conversely, institutions that either do not have access to state or local government systems, or do not use

them, may have an advantage in the ability to access change and innovation in the wider computing world.

For example, some private institutions in higher education are choosing to bypass the expense of wiring

of buildings and dormitories to connect students to the Internet, World Wide Web, and other campus

networks by using high-speed wireless networks instead. Mount St. Mary's, a small, private, non-HBCU

college in Newburgh, NY, found that the cost of installing a wireless network system to cover its campus,

including parking lots and dormitories was $10,000 - $15,000, compared with the $150,000 estimated to

wire just its classrooms and dormitories (New York Times, April 20, 2000). HBCUs that are dependent on

local or state government vendors may not have the option to use wireless networks or to take immediate

advantage of innovation. 
4.5 Campus Backbone, Baseline, Capacity, and Facilities

The importance of the campus backbone is most meaningful to the overall mission and objectives of the

institution. For institutions seeking to conduct advanced research, the type of hardware and software they

install, plus the capacity of the campus backbone to support advanced computer modeling, high-speed

connectivity, Web-based videoconferencing etc, may affect the type and size of Federal, state, local and/or

private sector funding they can attract. Increasingly, Federal agencies are requiring all institutions to apply

for contracts and grants online, and the ability to do that requires specific types of software and connection

speeds. In addition, participation by HBCUs in advanced research projects may require certain types of

imaging capacity and high-speed connectivity. 

4.5.1 Description of Campus Backbone

Ethernet is "a shared media LAN (Local Area Network) where all stations on the segment share the total

bandwidth."8 HBCUs indicate that they have basic connection topographies and operating systems in

place with 72 percent of all of the institutions reporting using Ethernet; 55 percent fast Ethernet; 89 percent

using Windows NT; and 67 percent TCP/IP. Fifty-seven percent of the urban institutions report using

Novell Netware Operating Systems and 51 percent of the rural institutions report using Novell Netware.

Ninety percent of the urban institutions and 89 percent of the rural institutions are using Windows NT.

Seventy percent of public HBCUs use Ethernet and 79 percent of the private institutions use it as a part of

their campus backbone. For four-year public and private urban and rural institutions, the top two

technologies for campus backbone are Ethernet and Fast Ethernet. It is important to note that both

protocols are industry standards. 

Most of the HBCUs have the necessary protocol to support Internet applications with 93 percent of the

urban HBCUs reporting that their networks support TCP/IP and 80 percent of the rural ones report the

same. Among public institutions, 96 percent indicated that their networks support TCP/IP while 93 percent

of private institutions reported that their networks support TCP/IP.

As we look at the data, we find that HBCUs appear to be invested in a solid foundation for their campus

networks based on industry standards, but there may be some question as to whether these backbones can

handle high-end video and other bandwidth intensive applications. The networks appear to be suitable for

administrative and business functions but, as noted earlier may fall short if HBCUs choose to move into

Internet2 and research projects that require high speed capacity. Also, expansion of distance learning over

the Internet will probably result in ever increasing demands for high-end video and the capacity to

exchange elaborate files and images. 

Regarding use of newer technology, 76 percent of the public institutions use Fast Ethernet in their campus

backbones, while 50 percent of the private institutions use it. These differences may result in public

institutions having campus backbones that are capable of providing faster connectivity as a result of their

use of Fast Ethernet technology. HBCUs report very little use of FDDI, SONET, or Fiber Channel

applications that can be used to support video. 

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8 Tech Net Encyclopedia, July 2000
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4.5.2 Access to The Campus Backbone

HBCU administration buildings and functions have greater access to the campus backbone while academic

departments, instructional areas, and student-centered facilities such as dormitories, have less access, with

the most notable exception being campus libraries. TAS data indicates that as long as students are

accessing the campus network and the Internet from computer labs or libraries, their access is maintained.

However, as they move outside of those locations their access diminishes substantially. While 88 percent

of central administration offices have access to the campus backbone only 45 percent of the common areas

of the dorms have access. While, admittedly, students can gain access to campus networks by connecting

through phone lines, plug-in outlets in individual dorm rooms are preferable. Anecdotal evidence indicates

that most dorm rooms do not provide plug-in access. 

To take a closer look, public institutions report that 93 percent have central administration buildings

connected to the campus backbone while 53 percent of the dormitory common areas are connected.

Among private HBCUs, 92 percent of the central administration buildings are connected to the backbone

while 48 percent of the dorms are connected. From the urban/rural perspective, 90 percent of the urban

HBCUs have central administration buildings connected to the campus backbone and only 42 percent of

the common dorm areas. Among rural schools, 85 percent of central administration is connected to the

backbone while 52 percent of the dormitory common areas are connected. It would appear that most

HBCU computing resources are invested in insuring that administration functions have connectivity while

student access, at least from the location of campus dormitories, is a lower priority. 

To contrast HBCU findings, the TAS looked at two other reports. First, the Campus Computing Study

(Green 1999) reported that among all institutions of higher education, 62 percent of dormitory beds have

network connections thereby providing students who own their own computers with direct access on

demand. In the America's 100 Most Wired Colleges survey, it is reported that only 35 percent of all

universities and colleges provide public computer equipment in labs or in dormitories. (YAHOO Internet

Life, May 2000) However, although only 35 percent of the public dormitory areas of the YAHOO

institutions are connected to networks, this number should be considered in light of the Campus

Computing Study's finding that 62 percent of all individual dorm beds provide connectivity. 

Since fewer than 25 percent of the majority of HBCU students own their own computers, HBCU students

cannot access campus networks from their dorms, even through a telephone line, since they do not own

the necessary equipment. Students must rely on common resources provided by their institutions, and there

may be a number of factors that limit those institutional resources. One professor at a public, rural

institution noted, "Since male and female dorms are on opposite ends of the campus, our computer labs

must be located with gender equity considerations for males and females. Even though our labs are open

seven days a week, 24-hours a day, there is always a waiting list. Maintaining security for students

walking from dormitories to computer labs during the middle of the night is quite a security problem."

Therefore, a finding of the TAS is...at approximately 50 percent of HBCUs campuses, "on-demand"

student access to computing resources is not available at a critical location-the campus dormitory.

4.5.3 Computers and Servers

Public and private institutions report using the same types of computing resources, including computers

and servers. Public institutions report using PCs 94 percent of the time and private institutions report their

PC usage as 97 percent. Regarding their use of servers, 42, or 78 percent, indicate that they are using
"Intel-based" servers to power network applications. This compares to 37 percent and 44 percent using

mainframe and midrange systems respectively for powering their networks.

These findings are consistent with the telecommunications industry in general, which is adapting to the

newer "Intel-based" technology for their networks and are not relying on older legacy systems. This is

important because it indicates schools are upgrading their networks and implementing the latest network

techniques. As one way of measuring use of new technologies, TAS inquired into the use of the net

computer, an inexpensive PC-like device that uses the network for applications and computing power.

Twenty-four percent of the urban institutions reported using net computers; however, of that number, only

11 percent of the rural institutions reported using the newer, more innovative technology. 

Regarding basic server applications such as file/print, e-mail and Web servers, the majority of the public and

private HBCUs use these technologies for administrative and academic purposes. One hundred percent of

the public and private institutions reported using file/print servers, over 90 of the public and private HBCUs

use e-mail servers, and 97 percent of public and 82 percent of private institutions indicated using Web

servers. There is no appreciable difference between the urban and rural institutions in this category.

In the area of specialized servers such as e-commerce, voice and/or video servers there is some limited use

at HBCUs. Regarding the popular e-commerce applications, fewer than 20 percent of HBCUs report using

e-commerce, whether viewed from the public, private, urban, or rural perspectives. Regarding voice

servers, 30-40 percent reported using voice servers and 31 percent of those users are rural institutions.

Twenty-two percent of HBCUs use video servers although of that 22 percent only 11 percent of those are

rural HBCUs. Reviewing the use of specialized servers may provide an indication of some of the trends

among HBCUs to integrate technology into the operations of the university and the educational process.

For example, e-commerce may be applied to support online registration or video servers can be used to

distribute educational content over the campus network. It appears from the data that these applications

have begun in the HBCU community, but are not yet used extensively. 

4.5.4 Location of Workstations 

Specialized workstations are located in both administrative areas and academic departments at all HBCUs,

with a slight edge given to workstations in administrative offices. Nineteen percent of urban HBCUs

indicated that they have workstations in central administration while a surprising 40 percent of rural

institutions have workstations in central administration. As would be expected, HBCUs reported that 60

percent of their computer science departments have specialized workstations, while 38 percent of their

biological and science departments have them. Twenty percent of the HBCUs reported locating

workstations in humanities and social science departments. Foreign language departments have the fewest

workstations at nine percent. (See Chart 11a, 11a continued, 11b, 11b continued. Note: Due to the

amount of data two charts were required for 11a and 11b.)

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4.5.5 Cost of Connectivity

Forty-seven percent of urban HBCUs and 45 percent of the rural institutions, report spending $1,000-

$5,000 per month to obtain connectivity and Internet services and eight 

percent did not know. From the public and private perspective it doesn't change much with 39 percent of

the public institutions spending $1,000-$5,000 per month for connectivity services and 46 percent of the

private HBCUs spending a similar amount. Six percent of public institutions report spending between

$5,000-$9,999 monthly and about 3 percent of private, and another 3 percent of public, report spending

more than $10,000 per month.

Since a majority of the HBCUs report using T-1 lines, it can be assumed that much of the expense reported

is to obtain use of those lines. Options for less expensive forms of connectivity may include DSL services

available in urban areas, while HBCUs in rural areas without access to DSL may consider investigating

options for wireless connectivity. 

4.5.6 Network Security

Concerns about network security are becoming a major issue in the private and government sectors.

Therefore, TAS included a few questions regarding login and password validation for access to all

networks, applications, and data. Seventy-two percent of institutions indicated that they do require

password validations. 

When asked if the institutions were confident that their computers and networks are sufficiently secure,

55.6 percent of respondents were confident that their campus networks are secure. Seventy-five percent of

private institutions indicated confidence in their computer security, while only 46 percent of the public

institutions indicated such confidence. Since public institutions are also the larger ones, these findings may

indicate that smaller, private institutions with fewer students, less hardware, and smaller campus networks

have fewer areas of concern about network security. 

While network security may be a more obvious concern for larger, public institutions, smaller private

institutions would do well to monitor their network security as well since breaches in security, such as

hackers, etc., can wreak havoc with institutional operations. In the future, insecure network operations may

also have an impact on the capacity of HBCUs to participate in Federal or industry online programs that

involve grants, contracts, and partnerships. 

4.6 Web-based Services, Distance Learning, and Multimedia

4.6.1 Distance Learning and Multimedia

More than 50 percent of all HBCUs report that they have standard multimedia equipment, such as cameras,

VCRs, projectors, and monitor installations used to support multimedia classrooms. Sixty-three percent

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report that they have videoconferencing capability and 36 percent have audio teleconferencing. These

technologies are used to support the HBCUs that participate in distance learning programs. Of the

reporting HBCUs, 69 percent of them report having distance learning capabilities. Of the 69 percent who

report having distance learning capabilities, 59 percent of them are urban institutions and 40 percent are

rural, and 1 percent did not know. 

Fifty-six percent of HBCUs use two-way video/audio to support distance learning, 32 percent use satellite

receivers, while 15 percent percent indicate that they use specialized Internet-based distance learning. Use

of Internet-based distance learning technologies may increase as institutions invest in higher band width. 

Fifty-eight percent of HBCUs indicate that they participate in distance learning. However, only 13 percent

of them report that they currently offer degree programs by distance learning, 85 percent report that they

do not offer degree programs, and 1 percent did not know. Of the 13 percent of HBCUs who report that

they offer degree programs by distance learning, 33 percent are urban and 66 percent are rural. Larger

HBCUs with enrollments of 2,500+ offer more degree programs by distance learning than smaller ones.

(See Charts 12a and 12b.)

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Fifty-five percent of HBCUs participating in distance learning programs indicate that they do so primarily

at the local level. While the TAS team did not precisely define "local level" means, anecdotal information

indicates that videoconferencing is used by a number of HBCUs to support learning at extension locations

in outlying communities within their home States. 

Of the 85 percent of the institutions that report that they are not offering distance learning degrees

programs at the present time, 48 percent of them indicate that they do plan to offer distance learning degree

programs within the next three years, 20 percent of HBCUs indicate that they have no plans to offer

distance learning degree programs within the next three years, and 30 percent did not know. The number

of respondents reporting that they did not know their institutions' plans regarding distance learning may

be an indication of weakness in the institutional strategic planning. As distance learning grows as an option

for providing higher education and academic degrees the question of how HBCUs should participate

further in the world of distance learning becomes an important administrative, strategic, and academic

issue for colleges to evaluate. The TAS finds that of the reporting HBCUS, the majority of them are

participating in distance learning programs, but 85 percent of them are not yet offering academic

degrees through distance learning.

4.6.2 Integration of Technology into Teaching

When asked whether faculty and academic units are effective at using the Internet and World Wide Web

as a resource for curriculum and instruction, the average response was "somewhat effective." Predictably,

HBCUs suggested that the library, computer science, and technology units were most effective while the

foreign language, humanities, and fine arts departments were least effective. However, none of the

respondents indicated that any of their academic or faculty units were "extremely effective" with use of

the Internet in the classroom. TAS results indicate that HBCUs recognize that the use of Web-based

applications opens up new possibilities for academic enhancement; however, TAS results also indicate that

at the present time limited use is made of innovative Web-based applications. While results indicate

primary HBCU use of technology to reach local student populations, extending the reach to global student

populations coupled with market demands and interest stimulated by distance learning may afford great

possibilities for all HBCUs. 

4.7 Strategic Planning and Management Issues

Critical to the successful utilization of computing technology is an institution's development of plans and

policies about hardware, software, wiring, academic, and administrative uses; student usage; and a wide

variety of other factors. In order to develop some idea of the activities taken by our institutions in this

regard, respondents were questioned about studies assessing their institutions' technology needs and

strategic planning related to information technology.

The development of strategic plans, which could include needs assessments, may encourage institutions to

focus upon systemic relationships and to examine the utilization of information technology as a part of

those relationships. It is encouraging to note that of the HBCUs responding to the TAS report, 52

percent indicated that they have a strategic plan and 42 percent reported that they are in the process of

developing such a plan. 
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However, of those responding, only 65 percent have a process for measuring progress and updating their

plans. The review and updating capacity is an important component of the effectiveness of strategic

planning. Without this activity, institutions will not be able to adjust to unexpected changes in the

implementation of their plans and to changing internal and external environmental conditions. In response

to a TAS request for copies of those strategic plans, only three were provided. 

The quality of the strategic planning process and of the adequacy of the plans cannot be determined in this

study, but some recognition of their quality and of the assistance the institutions receive in developing their

plans should be of critical importance for the future consideration and understanding of the capacity of

HBCUs to provide students and faculty with competitive opportunities. (See Charts 13a and 13b.)
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4.7.1 Institutional Expectations

When asked to identify the most important technology issues for their institutions over the next five years,

the vast majority of HBCUs identified seven items as extremely important issues: (1) providing universal

access to the Internet, (2) providing adequate user support, (3) assisting faculty with integrating technology

into instruction, (4) financing the replacement of aging hardware/software, (5) expanding/enhancing the

campus network, (6) using IT effectively in distance education, and (7) enhancing library access to data

bases and other institutions, etc. 

These responses address not only issues of increased access but also items of enhancing how technology

can be better used in teaching and learning. When the data are looked at from a public and private

institutional perspective we find significant differences. 

Overall, the private schools rate the seven issues identified above as more important than the public

schools. Noting that the private schools are small and many are located in rural areas, this may suggest that

the small rural institutions are more aware of the need to reach out for more computing resources that can

enhance their capacity to offer and manage networks. 

Also rated as very important to the HBCUs was linking libraries to a wide range of resources; improving

overall speed/response time of network services such as e-mail and Web-access; linking PCs to larger

computing systems; regularly updating hardware and software; linking dormitories to the campus

network; and connecting desktop systems to share department or workgroup files. In reviewing these

responses, based on characteristics of enrollment, we find minor differences between urban, rural, public,

and private institutions.

Issues that were rated as lower priorities for the majority of the HBCUs include: creating plug and play

networks for notebook computer users and digital image libraries. HBCUs should review these priorities

since plug and play networks for laptop or notebook computers can provide students with flexibility to

access networks. Scattering plug and play connections throughout campus and dorm rooms could increase

access for those students who own their own computers. By not offering plug and play options, students

must rely on access at campus labs, classrooms. and regular telephone lines. 

The low prioritization of digital image libraries is another indication of the low use of wide bandwidth

needed to support advanced digital images. This may be a refection of the fact that HBCUs are not using

high-speed connectivity beyond the T-1 level that would be required to support certain types of research

requiring them to use connections such as DSL, T-3, satellite, or wireless. As more HBCUs compete to

participate in Internet2 and join in partnerships with government and industry, high-speed connectivity

will probably become a more critical area of focus for strategic planning. 

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5.0 TAS CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, in spite of difficulties that face many public HBCUs dependent on legislatures for public

support or private HBCUs dependent on private sources to finance expensive technology, the TAS finds

that the majority of HBCUs report the existence of some type of campus network that provides

connectivity to the Internet and World Wide Web. Having these networks available to students attending

HBCUs ensures that the predominately African-American student populations attending these historic

institutions have access to technology that prepares them for the technology based workforce. 

While campus networks are available at public, private, large, and small HBCU campuses located in urban

centers and/or rural communities, the networks are unevenly distributed across campuses. Most of the

computing and connectivity resources are focused at administrative buildings, but are not distributed

equally to classrooms and dormitories. HBCUs may report campuses as "wired" and providing

connectivity to the Internet and World Wide Web, but data indicates that all campus buildings do not

provide connectivity to networks and the Internet, but provide it on a building by building basis. 

HBCUs do own significant computing resources primarily located in computer labs, administrative and

academic buildings, and libraries. These facilities provide students with access to the Internet, World Wide

Web and other statewide and campus networks. However, individual student "on-demand" access to

campus networks is seriously deficient due to either lack of student ownership of computers, lack of access

from campus dormitories, or concentration of resources in selected locations. Computer ownership affects

access to networks since students attending HBCUs only own computers at a rate of approximately one

out of four, while approximately one out of two students attending non-HBCU institutions of higher

education own computing technology. And, the TAS found that there is virtually no financial assistance in

the form of loans or grants available to help students with limited financial resources to purchase

computers and close this "computer ownership gap." 

For the approximately 25 percent of the HBCU students who do own computers, they can access the

Internet and World Wide Web from various locations on campus and from common areas in those

dormitories that do provide connectivity. However, even the access of those students is impacted because

fewer than 50 percent of the HBCUs report that their dorms provide connectivity. While it may be possible

for students to access the Internet and campus networks through dorm room phone lines, it would be

preferable for access to be provided by plug-in access in individual dorm rooms. For those students who

do not own their own computers, access to networks requires reliance on institutional resources that may

involve waiting for computer availability at computer labs and other facilities. In the view of the TAS

Team, a digital divide issue is that a majority of HBCU students do not have universal access to campus

networks and computing resources. 

TAS also concludes that if HBCUs are to be competitive in the area of providing network technology

supporting basic research, advanced research, e-commerce, imaging distance learning, and video

applications, the institutions should dramatically increase their connectivity speed rates beyond the T-1 level. 
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Half of the HBCUs lack completed technology plans with strategies for updating those plans. This lack of

a systematic and methodical approach to technology planning may result in campus networks not being

reviewed, evaluated, and updated. This may impact future opportunities for HBCUs in taking advantage

of funding, innovations, and increased competitiveness in the field of higher education. 

One other concern of the TAS team is the finding that most HBCUs are connected to campus networks

at the T-1 level. While T-1 connectivity provides basic access to the Internet, World Wide Web, and other

networks, it is a first level of connectivity beyond dial-up modems. The question that rises from this

finding is "WHY are HBCUs limiting themselves at that level?" This is an important question because

it affects the capacity of HBCUs to participate in Internet2 and other research efforts that require highspeed connectivity. There is nothing definitive in the TAS results that helps assess why the majority of

reporting HBCUs do not go to the next stage in network design and use. Lack of connectivity beyond

the T-1 level may be one of the key areas that restrict HBCUs from making the digital leap into the

21st Century!

5.1 Public vs Private Issues and Urban vs Rural

One issue that emerges from the TAS data is differences faced by the private versus the public institutions

and urban vs rural as they deal with the digital divide. While factors related to these differences are not

clear, they can be found in the areas of hardware, access, utilization, and expectations within the

institutions. Some of the differences might be attributed to the fact that private HBCUs are predominately

smaller than the public ones, while other differences may be due to the characteristics of public or private

HBCUs or whether they are located in urban or rural areas. For example, small, private, rural HBCUs,

and/or larger public, rural HBCUs do not have the same access to newer, less expensive technologies such

as DSL due to local availability of such technologies. Also, private, rural institutions do not have the same

access to state systems and networks as public rural or, urban institutions. However, while public, urban

institutions may have greater access to state systems they also may have a higher degree of control over

their budgets by state legislatures. This control may stifle flexibility of public institutions to introduce

innovation or to experiment with different forms of connectivity. 

For smaller institutions, technology could impact some disparities correlated to size differences. For

example, economies of scale could be achieved by cooperation among HBCUs in purchasing materials,

giving classes online, developing major courses of study through professional collaborative software,

training staff and faculty collaboratively in the utilization of technology, and sharing the use of data bases

for research and teaching, etc. 

Institutional mentoring could be another area where smaller, rural, public and/or private HBCUs could

benefit from the expanded connectivity of larger urban HBCUs. While frequently such cooperation occurs

between small HBCUs and larger often non-minority institutions, the potential exists for HBCUs to

increase their collaboration with each other. 

The key to understanding the issues confronting smaller, private, rural institutions is to recognize that in

contrast to prior times, geographical concerns are no longer a barrier in bringing institutions into true

interaction and cooperation. Through networking and connectivity all HBCUs can expand the educational

options for students; increase the level of opportunity for professional development for faculty, and

enhance institutional stature and impact in the communities they serve. These goals can be achieved for

all HBCUs-large, small, urban, rural, public, and private. 
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5.2 Highlights of Findings

Listed below are highlights of the TAS findings: 

■ Ninety-eight percent of HBCUs report some form of voice or data campus network. 

■ Fifty percent of HBCU campuses provide student access to the Internet, World Wide Web, and other

networks at several locations on HBCU campuses, including computer laboratories, libraries,

classrooms, dormitories and/or technology centers. However, among campus options for network

access, dormitories provide the least for connectivity to the Internet and World Wide Web.

■ Over 75 percent of HBCU students rely on institutionally provided computers in order to obtain access

to the Internet and World Wide Web.

■ There is basic equivalency in networking and connectivity services among TAS reporting institutions

in urban areas, whether they are public or private. However, among rural, private institutions, there

appears to be a significant technology gap. 

■ Approximately 25 percent or less of students attending HBCUs bring their own PCs or laptops

to campus.

■ Average HBCU expenditure for connectivity services ranges from $1,000 - $4,900 per month.

■ The vast majority of HBCUs connect to networks and the Internet using T-1 lines while few report

using high-speed capacity beyond the T-1 level. This may limit HBCU participation in Internet2.

■ Over 85 percent of HBCUs do not offer distance learning degree programs at this time. 

■ Thirty-one percent of HBCUs plan to offer distance learning degree programs within the next

three years.

■ Forty-two percent of HBCUs report either partially completed strategic plans or no strategic plans.

■ Seventeen percent of HBCUs report minimal use of collaborative groupware, online registration, ecommerce, and other applications. 

APPENDIX A

U.S. Department of Commerce Press Release Announcing TAS Study

U.S. Department of Commerce - Sec. Daley Announces Contract for Study Aimed at Promoting Internet

Access by Black Colleges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, October 6, 1999 Contact: Morrie Goodman 

202/482-4883 

Ranjit De Silva 

202/482-7002 

Internet: www.ntia.doc.gov 

COMMERCE SECRETARY DALEY ANNOUNCES CONTRACT FOR STUDY AIMED AT 

PROMOTING INTERNET ACCESS BY BLACK COLLEGES

Washington, DC - Commerce Secretary William M. Daley today announced the award of a $90,027

contract for a study on the status of telecommunications capabilities of the nations's 116 historically black

colleges and universities as part of a Clinton-Gore Administration initiative to help develop an information

technology infrastructure that is accessible to all Americans. Daley said the study, to be conducted by the

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, will enable the Commerce Department

to identify the technology and telecommunications needs of black college and university communities and

help determine how the department can better assist them in accessing the Internet. "Access to information

resources is critical to taking courses, researching, finding a job or public information," Daley said. "In a

society that increasingly relies on computers and the Internet to deliver information, it is important to

ensure that all Americans have access to information technology so that they can continue to be a part of

our economic growth and prosperity." 

The study is part of several initiatives the department is undertaking to try to close the "digital divide"--

the gap between those with access to information technology and those without. The department's National

Telecommunications and Information Administration, in a report issued in July, said that while more

Americans than ever were connected to the Internet the gap between the information "haves" and "haves

nots" persists and has widened significantly in the last few years, with minorities among those lacking

access. 

The contract for the study was awarded by the Commerce Department's NTIA. Besides helping NTIA

determine the computer capabilities of the black colleges, the study will, among other things, help promote

telecommunications innovation, research and engineering, foster the institutions' continued growth in the

economy and increase opportunities for their participation in NTIA- supported projects. The NAFEO is

the only membership organization of all 116 historically and predominantly black colleges and universities

in the nation and administers a number of programs that seek to strengthen their institutional capacities. 

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APPENDIX B

LIST OF PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS 

Alabama A&M University

Albany State University

Arkansas Baptist College

Barber-Scotia College

Benedict College

Bennett College

Bethune-Cookman College

Bishop State Community College

Bluefield State College

Bowie State University

Central State University

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

Chicago State University

Claflin College

Clark Atlanta University

Clinton Junior College

Coahoma Community College

Concordia College

Coppin State College

Delaware State University

Dillard University

Grambling University

J.F. Drake State Technical College

Edward Waters College

Elizabeth City State University

Fayetteville State University

Fisk University

Florida Memorial College

Fort Valley State University

Hampton University

Harris-Stowe State College

Hinds Community College - Utica Campus

Howard University

Interdenominational Theological Center

Jackson State University

Jarvis Christian College

Kennedy-King College

Knoxville College

Lane College

Langston University

LeMoyne-Owen College

Lewis College of Business

Lincoln University

Mary Holmes College

Medgar Evers College

Mississippi Valley State University

Morris College

Norfolk State University

North Carolina A&T State University

Oakwood College

Paine College

Paul Quinn College

Prairie View A&M University

Rust College

Saint Augustine's College

Saint Paul's College

Savannah State University

Selma University

Shaw University

Sojourner Douglass College

South Carolina State University

Southern University and A&M System College

Southern University at Shreveport-Bossier City

Southwestern Christian College

Spelman College

Talladega College

Tennessee State University

Texas College

Tougaloo College

University of the District of Columbia

University of Maryland-Eastern Shore

University of the Virgin Islands

Virginia State University

Voorhees College

West Virginia State College

Wilberforce University

Winston-Salem State University

York College/The City University of New York

*Less than 1 percent of HBCU responses were received after the deadline and are not included in the study. 

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APPENDIX C - REFERENCES

U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Agriculture, April 2000. Advanced

Telecommunications in Rural America: The Challenge of Bringing Broadband Services to All Americans.

Broadband Guide, Design, June 1998, Essentials of Campus Telecommunications Design

Internet Web site.

UC Berkeley Report. Infrastructure, Topology and Media, The Physical Network.

Jacqueline E. King, Money Matters: The Impact of Race/Ethnicity and Gender on How Students Pay for

College, American Council of Education, 1999.

Kenneth C. Green, Campus Computing Study, 1999.

Louisiana State Plan for Educational Technology, 1997, Appendix B, Vision for Technology Infrastructure.

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, A Status Report of the Historically

Black Colleges and Universities and NAFEO's Other Equal Opportunity Educational Institutions,

February 2000.

North Carolina Instructional Technology Plan Guide, Technological Recommendations and Standards.

University of California, Santa Barbara, 1993, Standards for Communications Cabling in UCSB Buildings.

YAHOO, Internet Life, America's 100 Most Wired Colleges, 1998, 1999, 2000.

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APPENDIX D -- ABOUT NAFEO

The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) is the national umbrella

and public policy advocacy organization for 118 of the nation's historically and predominantly black

colleges and universities - public and private, large and small, urban and rural, liberal arts, agricultural,

research, scientific and technological institutions. Its mission is to champion the interests of the executive,

legislative, regulatory, and judicial branches of Federal and State Government - to articulate the need for

a system of higher education where race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and previous educational

attainment levels are not determinants of either the quantity or quality of higher education. 

NAFEO was founded in 1969, at a time when the nation had before it, overwhelming evidence that

educational inequality in higher education remained manifest. The 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown

vs Board of Education, and its progeny, focused national attention on the dual and unequal primary and

secondary education systems nationwide and spurred two decades of litigation and legislation designed to

redress the inequalities. But the initial debate paid little attention to the inequalities in higher education

nor did it focus on the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities as equal opportunity

institutions and, thus, a solution to some of the nation's higher education issues.

The TAS was conducted under the leadership of Henry Ponder, Ph.D., CEO and President, NAFEO, and

former President of Fisk University. Providing contractual liaison and management oversight for TAS was

Mildred Freeman, Director, Health Education/Sponsored Programs. Mrs. Freeman is a former Federal

employee of the Health Resources Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services. Providing statistical support for the TAS was Alicia Vargas, NAFEO statistician, and technical

and computer support was provided by Ashley Bell, staff assistant, NAFEO. 

APPENDIX E: ABOUT THE TAS TEAM

Stephanie Myers, M.A., TAS Principal Investigator, Public Policy Consultant 

Mrs. Myers serves as a senior consultant to the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher

Education (NAFEO). She is vice president of the R.J. Myers Publishing and Consulting Company, a

company specializing in research and electronic information dissemination. Mrs. Myers is a former

Federal official having served as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, and Director of the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, U.S. Department of

Transportation, where she was the senior regulatory official for licensed commercial space launches of

communications satellites. She holds a M.A. in Urban Planning from Occidental College, Glendale,

California and was a Coro Foundation Fellow in Public Affairs. 

Antoinette Hubbard, M.S., M.A., Telecommunications Specialist

For the past 15 years, Antoinette Hubbard has worked at major U.S. corporations, including TRW, Baxter

International, and Sara Lee. Her experience included design and management of major network

installations, new technology planning, and national contract negotiations with suppliers. In 1996 she

received an Eisenhower Foundation Fellowship to teach at Masaryk University in Brno, the Czech

Republic. Ms. Hubbard has an MA in communications management from the Annenberg School,

University of Southern California and an MA in Education and Human Development, Holy Name College.

In her present position as Principal, Leadership by Design, she works with groups in the areas of project

definition, leadership development, and resource optimization. 

Eugene C. Royster, Ph.D., Evaluation Researcher

Dr. Royster's career spans the academic and applied research arenas. He served as professor and

administrator at two HBCUS in Pennsylvania--Lincoln University and Cheyney University, and held

similar positions at the University of Rochester, NY, and Temple University, PA. Dr. Royster conducted

national research and evaluation studies for the Federal Head Start program and the first evaluation of the

magnet schools program of the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to the TAS, his most recent research

project was for the Kellogg Foundation on empowering philanthropy in communities of color. He has been

awarded the Lester F. Ward Award for distinguished lifetime contributions by the Applied Sociology

Association. He is a graduate of Yale University.

William Jordan, B.S., Internet Entrepreneur

William Jordan is Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Product Development Manager for MelaNet,

LC, an Internet consulting company. Mr. Jordan is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC,

with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He has industry experience in digital electronic design, software

development, and embedded systems hardware and software design. He has led projects through the full

development cycle from specifications development to product delivery, and his support and systems

experience includes IBM, SUN, SGI, and HP in Unix and PC operating environments. 

Lisa Hughes, M.A., Telecommunications and Virtual Office Specialist

Lisa Hughes worked for 14 years at AT&T in management positions in sales and training as a facilitator,

consultant, and trainer specializing in professional, team, and organizational development. In 1994 she

began her practice, Worklife Associates, to improve the quality of communication and relationships in a

workplace characterized by changing cultures, structures, and technology. Ms. Hughes is a virtual office

specialist and author of the book, Virtual Office Planning Guide. She holds a M.A. degree in

Organizational Management, a B.A .in American Studies, and has more than 20 years experience helping

people to connect and communicate successfully at work. 

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APPENDIX F: THE TAS INSTRUMENT

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