A network that would link every educational institution in the state may someday allow SIUC students to take classes at home, Illinois administrators say.

The Higher Education Technology Task Force comprised of higher education, state agency and public school leaders, earmarked a $405 million capital investment in November to create a network that would link every educational institution in the state. The network would include everything from kindergarten to graduate school as well as public libraries, hospitals, government agencies, corporations, small businesses and individual citizens.

The $405 million will be spent over a five-year period, beginning as early as fiscal year 1999. Gov. Jim Edgar and the General Assembly must approve the proposal, and a report on the proposal will be presented at the Governor’s Budget Address Feb. 18.

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John Swalec, president of Waubonsee Community College and co-chair of the task force, said that students are looking for the best way to further their education at their own leisure, and Illinois is ready to take action for them.

People are requiring that education be available at times that are comfortable for them, Swalec said. Illinois has the potential to become an importer of knowledge.

Students will have access to courses, services, programs and faculty in ways that overcome the barriers of place and time.

Swalec said there is a possibility for students to take classes at home, but the traditional ways of attending class in person and working with a professor one-on-one will not change simply because of the new technology.

This doesn’t mean that the traditional university will change, he said. It’s an initiative to make all of our universities hooked up together.

John Haller, vice president for Academic Services and SIUC liaison to the IBHE, said that although there is a steep price tag for this project, the Illinois Century Network will help bring SIUC students into the 21st Century.

In terms of this campus, while we have used our dollars to improve our knowledge of technology, we still have a long way to go, Haller said. While there’s a big price tag, it’s attempting to bring technology up to date for the students.

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The task force recommends spending the $405 million to create the backbone of the system as well as campus connections for all public and private colleges and universities. It will also pay for on-campus network costs and campus hardware such as computers and servers.

The task force estimated that operating costs associated with a technical support staff and training at public institutions would total $14.5 million for the first year, rise to $29.5 million by the third year of the project and then remain stable.

Swalec said states such as Alabama, Maine, Iowa and various Western states have similar programs.

Other states have taken major initiatives many years ago that provided additional technology for students. . . it’s working in other states, he said.

Al Allen, acting director of Information Technology, said that it is too early to know how SIUC will be affected if this plan is approved.

At this point there hasn’t been enough information for us to act upon anything, Allen said.

Haller said that although this plan may bring more information at the students’ fingertips, he stressed the importance of learning how to access the new information if and when it becomes available.

We are almost at overload with the information we have these days, he said, you could end up with a junkyard mind if you don’t know how to access it.