Stillman College awarded $2.7 million grant to improve campus technology
Stillman College will use $2.7 million in federal funding to improve its broadband infrastructure, enhance the student experience and support the growing demands of the Tuscaloosa institution.
The grant, awarded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will help upgrade Stillman's fiber optic infrastructure and its wireless network, which in turn will improve the campus' internet access, capacity and performance.
“This project is transformational – it’s really going to move Stillman forward,” said Stillman President Cynthia Warrick. “Additionally, these upgrades will provide the much-needed support for our new cybersecurity and IT training center, dual-enrollment programs and online programs, as well as our library and student initiatives.”
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The grant is part of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, a $268 million initiative for historically Black colleges and minority-serving institutions. The program focuses on the installation of broadband internet, improving internet service and equipment, and training IT personnel.
Stillman will use its grant funding to overhaul technology that was installed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, said Abe Harper, chief information officer for the college.
Stillman said its current fiber and wireless network infrastructure can't support the demands of a modern campus, which include web meetings, virtual instruction, research, streaming and more. Nor can the networks support the increasing number of users or surges in usage, Harper said.
The upgrades are expected to provide Stillman a more robust infrastructure that will support both instructional uses and student activities, like streaming and e-sports for the entire campus, and benefit some in the adjacent community. The new network infrastructure will also be more resilient to severe weather and be easier to repair.
Upgrades will begin in the summer and most are expected to be finished by this fall, while the wireless network overhaul is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
"While the true impact of the upgrades won’t be realized until all upgrades are finished, the campus community will notice improvements in speed and connectivity over the next 60 days, as the college will increase its bandwidth through Comcast and AT&T," Harper said.
"A gross improvement of our wireless network can be expected once we have the new fiber installed... But we will have 10 gigs of internet on campus before we break in May," he said.
The timeframe for completion of the upgrades is expected to align with the renovation schedule for the new cybersecurity and information technology training center, which will be in the school's Geneva Hall. Stillman was awarded $2.7 million by the United States Economic Development Administration to develop the center.
The center will support the college’s cybersecurity degree program and will serve as a training and development hub for people in Tuscaloosa and West Alabama. Residents will have access to the center’s courses and other resources, which will allow them to earn certificates in IT, cloud computing, and other areas.
“Not only will our fiber and wireless upgrades fix issues of today, but it will change Stillman’s IT capacity for the future,” said Kevin Harris, chair of the Department of Computational and Informational Sciences in the Stillman College School of Business and principal investigator for the grant.
“It’s exciting for Stillman to be able to grow and expand what our students, faculty and staff can do day to day,” Harris said.
The NTIA grant will also fund the purchase of up to 150 laptop computers for campus and community use at Sheppard Library and the new cyber security training center. The grant also provides funding to increase faculty positions to expand technology offerings.
Harper said the upgrades and developments like the cybersecurity and IT training center will help modernize the institution.
“Stillman will become a 21st century, smart campus," Harper said.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Stillman College awarded $2.7 million grant to boost broadband network
