It'll be a familiar song and dance for administrators Friday when the Undergraduate Budget Priorities Committee presents its four recommendations: wireless Internet on campus, extended library hours, a Saturday downtown Chicago shuttle and renovations to Norris University Center's ground floor.
The committee will showcase its old favorites by comparing its services to those offered by comparable institutions, such as Stanford and Duke universities.
"I would at least like to see commitment on the part of the administration to look into the issues and keep that on the radar," said UBPC chairwoman Jessica Wash, a Weinberg senior.
The four recommendations emerged after the committee posted a poll on NU Link in December. Students then rated the four recommendations in a more recent poll posted in early February. The poll garnered more than 800 responses, which committee members will use to rank the recommendations. Results will not be released until Friday.
When the committee presents its recommendations Friday, it will discuss the proposals by comparing Northwestern to its peer universities. They compared three services: wireless Internet in dorms, student center facilities and the availability of 24-hour study spaces.
Of the 19 Consortium on Financing Higher Education's member institutions comparable to NU's size and status, such as Yale University, 11 have full wireless coverage in their dormitories.
NU is like the other eight institutions without wireless Internet in its residences, said Anna Xu, academic vice president of the Associated Student Government.
The McCormick senior, who heads the academic committee, has been collaborating with UBPC to provide research about NU's peer institutions.
The academic committee will present a bill to the ASG Senate on Wednesday asking the university to commit to establishing a deadline for dorm-wide wireless.
The service has been on the UBPC's list since 2001, Wash said. In 2002, the first Virtual Private Network was set up.
2008 Woodie Awards
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