by Wendy J. Allyn

Two resolutions concerning the Undergraduate Student Government’s proposed computer upgrades, which have been an item of debate for some USG Senators, will be presented at tonight’s senate meeting.

The resolutions encourage both getting USG office computers on-line and implementing a local area network which would link the computers for the purpose of sharing information.

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According to the on-line resolution, written by USG Sen. Jemal Powell, the current USG computer system is slow and inefficient. Powell said it can take up to several hours to dial into the Campus-Wide Information System from the USG office.

In the resolution requesting the implementation of the local area network, Powell and Sen. Paul Mitchell cited benefits of the network as the ability to access any USG information from all of the five USG computers, the use of scanners, printers and fax modems from any computer and electronic file storage for a more efficient office and organization.

The most expensive proposal for the network is $5,756. 31, according to reports by USG computer systems analyst Mark Collins. With this plan, USG would obtain a new data server which would feed information to each of its existing computers.

Collins said USG could also choose to upgrade one of the computers it has now as a server workstation for $3,367.31. Under the lower cost, however, Collins said the system will be slower and more difficult to upgrade later.

USG President Duane Sherman said technology upgrades are necessary. If USG does not implement technological upgrades now, a future USG administration will do it, he said.

Mark is going to offer training sessions now, and next year’s administration can really run with it, Sherman said. If it doesn’t happen this year, it will be very soon. It’s inevitable.

Some senators have expressed concern that the benefits to members of USG will not be worth the cost. When the Graduate and Professional Student Council was asked to contribute funds for shared access to the network, the council voted against participation for the same reason.

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Also on the senate agenda tonight, Powell drafted a mandate regarding the United States Student Association, a national lobbying group for students.

The student body voted in April for SIUC to become a member of USSA. Since then, senators have raised questions about the organization and the contract that has been proposed. A task force was established at a former meeting to examine the issue for 30 days.

The mandate calls for Sherman to sign the contract between USG and USSA and ask the SIUC Board of Trustees to recognize student support of direct membership in USSA.