Massive state infrastructure needs dominated the 1997 Utah State Legislature.   Consequently, the Higher Education Technology Initiative (HETI) was reduced substantially in the resulting appropriations.  WSU's share of the small one-time pool is only $59,811 which is designated as student support systems funds.  The USHE-administered on-going pool remained the same, providing WSU with $111,500 in institutional infrastructure/equipment maintenance funds.  The following are the proposed HETI expenditures for 1997-98 in keeping with Utah State System of Higher Education technology objectives and the long-term goals of the WSU Information Technology Plan:

1. Student Support Systems (6-38370 - $59,811; institutional match = $299,055). According to the USHE Technology & Distance Education Long Range Plan, "In order to achieve the goals of access, excellence and accountability, student support systems and services must be accessible to students regardless of time and location. Equally important, the quality of the services should be comparable to the services provided to students on each campus."
   
   A key area of need in 1997-98 will be for hardware upgrades designed to improve the reliability and accessibility of student systems.  Approximately $10,000 of the allocated funds will be used for this purpose.  Another critical need is for an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for the university's main computer systems.  At the beginning of the 1997-98 academic year, the university's mainframe computers and network backbone equipment was "protected" by a fifteen-year-old motor generator that filters the electrical power to computer operations.  This outdated equipment provides protection from power spikes and surges, but provides no backup power in the event of a general failure.  In just a few years, the number of network servers has grown to more that 25 machines in the computer operations area.  Many of these provide services which are expected to be available to students 24 hours-a-day.  Backup power is a critical component of the kind of network environment required to support continuous student access.  Approximately $40,000 will be spent in 1997-98 for a UPS.  The remaining approximate $10,000 will be used to provide additional training for student systems support staff to improve accessibility to systems.
   
   
2. Institutional Infrastructure/Equipment Maintenance (6-38371; institutional match = $557,500). WSU remains committed to enhancing and maintaining the University’s technological infrastructure (including necessary support personnel) to support the development of technology-enhanced education, improve the quality of instruction in general, and to allow students to take full advantage of technology-facilitated distance education programs.
   
   A key priority for WSU during 1997-98 will be the continued development of WSU Online, the university's Internet-based on-line course and program offerings.  Hardware and software upgrades will total approximately $25,000.  Web application development and support personnel costs will consume approximately $75,000.  The remaining $11,500 will be used for ongoing maintenance of high-tech classroom equipment and other related hardware and software needs.