Senators-

As most of you will be living off-campus at some point during your time at
this fine institution, this may effect you. This committee that I am on,
is trying to find a way for UVM to efficiently offer FULL Internet access
to off-campus UVM affiliates. In other words, once this is implemented,
you will be able to run programs such as Netscape, Eudora, and other
typically "on-campus" applications from home.

This committee is currently drafting a RFP (Request for proposal) from
Commercial Service Providers. If you are interested, read on and make
comments if you feel so compelled to the addresses given.

DJT

****Forwarded Message****
_________________________________________________________________

We need your help selecting a provider of off-campus Internet access. We
are about to ask potential Internet access providers for their best
proposals for serving UVM's needs, and we are seeking your comments and
suggestions on our draft Request for Proposals. You'll find the draft RFP
online at:

http://www.uvm.edu/~djw/internet-access/

>From that page, select "UVM Vendor Evaluation Documents."

Please give us your comments via uvm.today (even if you received this
request from another source) or, if you prefer, by e-mail or phone to any
of the task force members. The deadline for comments is Thursday, February
27, 1997.

The UVM "campus" no longer ends with the physical buildings clustered
around the green at the top of the hill in Burlington. Rather, UVM
affiliates live and work throughout Vermont and beyond. More and more, we
need access to information resources on the UVM campus network and on the
Internet for course work and course content, services to students, and for
research. For people with computers on the campus network, access to
information resources is excellent, but beyond the physical Burlington
campus, the speed and richness of access are limited. Character-based
access through UVM's 658-5004 modem pool gives the ability to use
electronic mail, news groups, and the World-Wide Web, but full Internet
access is required to run software such as Eudora, Netscape, and Internet
Explorer.

In November, Computing and Information Technology (CIT) and the Faculty
Senate Technology Committee formed a task force of students and employees
to identify a recommended commercial Internet access provider. We looked
carefully at the considerations for the University providing dial-up
Internet access versus endorsing a commercial provider. We think that the
cost/benefit advantages in student-university relationships and in student
support with UVM-run near-campus Internet access are worthy of
investigation, as the group currently choosing a new telephone system is
doing. State-wide, it's clear that a commercial provider is the best bet.
We have decided, as an immediate solution, to search for a commercial
provider.

Thank you for helping us extend full Internet access beyond the physical
boundaries of the Burlington campus.

The committee members are:

Nicole Chittenden [log in to unmask] Business Administration
Andy Gingras [log in to unmask] Computing & Info. Tech.
Jim Kraushaar [log in to unmask] Business Administration (co-chair)
Greg Marron [log in to unmask] Graduate student (MBA)
Lynne Meeks [log in to unmask] Computing & Info. Tech.
Kim Parker [log in to unmask] Communication & Tech. Resources
Joe Patlak [log in to unmask] Physiology
Paul Philbin [log in to unmask] UVM Libraries
Tim Raymond [log in to unmask] EMBA Computing Facility
David Tepper [log in to unmask] Undergraduate student
Dean Williams [log in to unmask] Computing & Info. Tech. (co-chair)

__________________________________________________________________________
Dean Williams [log in to unmask]
Assistant Director for Client Services 656-1174
Division of Computing and Information Technology