WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Sept. 25, 2020 — West Liberty University is joining the state of West Virginia’s initiative to support virtual learning for all students by adding a Wi-Fi hotspot to its campus.
“We are pleased to be a part of the Kids Connect project and have added a new hotspot in the parking lot near Beta Hall for students who may not have a good connection at their home. These students and parents are welcome to visit our campus and connect for homework and class projects,” explained Joe Rodella, chief information officer.
The Kids Connect Initiative is designed to support the learning needs of children during time outside of school hours. By installing the necessary equipment, public schools, higher education institutions, libraries and state parks with existing connectivity will be turned into Wi-Fi hotspots, according to the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) website.
The equipment was provided by the state and the initiative was announced by the WVDE on Sept. 7. It is installed on the side of Beta Hall so that access is available in the parking lot.
Signals will be broadcast into parking lots and locations in close proximity allowing students to visit these areas and access the Internet to complete school assignments, stated the release.
The WVDE sees this as a temporary solution during a time of increased use of virtual learning due to the pandemic.
WLU’s Department of Information Technology Services is housed in Main Hall and serves students and employees. Its mission is to provide superior technology services to its professional and student customers, and educational technology leadership to the University community.