The June, 2006 Department of the Month is Information Technology Services Network Services.
We all take for granted our network access. When the network is down and we have no access to email or SAP or SIS, few of us can perform our jobs. Fortunately, seldom is the network down. This is due to the commitment to excellence of the ITS networking staff. They are responsible for network access on the campus and Internet access to and from the campus as well as the wired and wireless infrastructures in buildings and between buildings. They plan the network infrastructure for new construction on campus. They manage millions of dollars in equipment, keep hardware operational, and software upgraded. They are on call 24/7 to address network problems.
Networking staff work with many individual students to support on-line games and other applications important to students’ educational experience but often difficult to configure on a network with firewalls and other security devices.
In the past two years, they planned and deployed network upgrades to support Voice over IP and to support secure communication for a new ID card system. They provided invaluable support to Frontier as Frontier learns the networking side of VoIP. They designed and deployed a centrally-managed wireless that will soon cover all academic buildings on campus. Already, West Center, Thomas Hall, and Founders Hall are wireless with the College of Education Building, Cushing, and the Health and Sports Center soon to follow.
They work collaboratively with the other campuses to support the University of Nebraska network and Network Nebraska, which delivers Internet access through UNK to public schools in central Nebraska.
For their commitment to the campus and their exemplary service, the UNK Staff Senate is proud to recognize the ITS networking staff as the June 2006 UNK Department of the Month.
Thank you to Department of the Month sponsors UNK Athletics and UNK Staff Senate.