The University of South Carolina has announced new goals for OneCarolina, an update to its network systems first designed in the 1970s and 1980s.
That’s great. Here are a few we want to see accomplished:
We’re hoping, under this new system, our personal information, including our social security numbers and permanent addresses, might actually be secure. We’re hoping students might be able to find the answer to their financial aid or housing questions without visiting four or five different websites.
Instead of some students having to drive to campus from their off-campus apartments to sign up for advisement, we hope we’ll all be able to sign up online.
Instead of ever having to go to Parking Services in the Pendleton Garage to pay a ticket, we hope we might be able to pay for our tickets online.
Instead of getting paper updates from university departments, we’d like to receive these important updates in our personal email accounts.
How about combining Blackboard and VIP into one efficient site?
The university receives thousands of dollars each year in technology fees, and students deserve the best, most up-to-date network systems our money can buy.
USC estimates that this project will cost $75 million and take several years to implement. Of course we’re always a little worried when the university says it plans to spend millions of dollars on anything, but this is a project worthy of our support. Not only will it help improve the quality of life for students at USC, it has the potential to save the university money in the long-term as processes are streamlined and made more efficient.
Students should join us in supporting the OneCarolina project and the forward thinking nature of our university officials that this project represents. And, as always, USC, we look forward to seeing results.