Your Statewide Contract + RUCKUS Solutions = Happy Students on Campus

At a basic level, Wi-Fi is all about using your school-supplied devices as well as Bring Your Own Device (phone, tablet, laptop etc.), regardless of the manufacturer, to access on-campus networks and resources that enhance student life and student experiences.

Always-on Wi-Fi matters to students

While Wi-Fi may not be the primary deciding factor for most students, it is definitely a consideration, especially for those who value connectivity, digital resources, and flexibility. Schools with strong Wi-Fi infrastructure are often viewed more favorably, as reliable internet access is a vital part of student life in today's digital age. Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 

Students, more than ever before, consider many factors beyond traditional academics and the classroom as they consider which school or schools they apply to and ultimately attend. Campus life outside of the classroom matters to students and includes housing, social and cultural organizations, sports, and of course, Information Technology.  Gone are the days of simply syncing your laptop to the library to download journal articles and research materials.  The modern student is native to a world with robust access to information, IT-driven social interactions, and the ability to stream just about everything.

Connectivity is integral to the college experience

In Fall 2024, total college enrollment increased by 2.9% compared to Fall 2023, reaching approximately 19.1 million students. BestColleges.com 

Let’s focus for a minute on just the network because that is the backbone and connective tissue to many of the other factors students expect. But if you are like me, you immigrated to this IT world from a land of playing outside until dark, riding endless miles on your bike and drinking water from the garden hose ( I smile at those memories).  

So when you hear terms like Wi-Fi 4, Access Points, edge gear, hosted environments and Cloud, it is easy to get a bit tense. Not to worry, I am here to help; let’s narrow the conversation to Wi-Fi 4 through the most modern Wi-Fi 7 solutions. Below is a brief, plain language, high-level description of the various solutions.

See, it is not quite as bewildering now that you have a foundational understanding of what Wi-Fi really is and how the various generations have been improved and adapted to modern life and evolving student expectations. Recently, we have observed some trends across campuses globally that are worthy of serious thought and consideration. Large, top-tier colleges, universities, and research campuses are trending towards expanding the student populations on campus. Smaller colleges and regional universities are trending towards stagnant or even reduced student populations on campus.

While there are many explanations for these trends, one of the primary factors is the on-campus student quality of life, and the campus Wi-Fi experience has a huge influence, perceptively and in real life. Networks that are five years or older, which underperform, cannot support ever-increasing bandwidth, or continuously give you in-progress circles that do not meet your or your students' expectations. Large and growing on-campus student populations stress the network and drive expansion requirements. On regional campuses, this may be the critical factor that motivates students to seek alternative schools.

More than ever, campus Wi-Fi is a necessity

Modern, robust and reliable Wi-Fi networks are well beyond luxury items; In fact, they are now table stakes. In order to recruit, retain and matriculate students through undergraduate and graduate level pipelines, a durable, expandable and vibrant Wi-Fi network is essential. Not only is it essential, when properly designed and deployed, it is also financially sensible because it is not a factor driving a negative perception of the campus.

A quick way to evaluate your current network is to consider if it is ever a topic of conversation by students, faculty or staff.  If the answer is yes, it may be time to consider a modernization effort. The ultimate compliment for a network administrator is to never make them the center of attention! Want to be more informed on how a resilient Wi-Fi network = your students’ success? Go to our solutions page and then schedule a meeting. We’re here to help.