Guest Column: High-Speed Connectivity Positions NWOSU for Success in Ever-Evolving Demands of Higher Education
By Dr. Bo Hannaford, President
Our collaboration with OneNet dates back to 1992, shortly after the organization’s inception, when we began using distance-learning technologies to expand access to education across our rural community.
In those early days, distance learning and interactive television (ITV) became game-changers for our students, faculty and community. ITV allowed us to offer a variety of courses and degree programs to students at our branch campuses, who otherwise might not have had access to higher education. As enrollment in these programs grew, it became increasingly clear that reliable and high-speed internet access would be crucial for our success in the coming decades. Thanks to OneNet, we secured a high-speed internet connection in 1996, positioning Northwestern Oklahoma State University as a leader in our rural setting, which still largely relied on dial-up connections. This was a significant step forward for us, enabling the kind of modern educational experiences that would ultimately become the standard in the future.
The importance of a strong internet infrastructure became even more apparent as we continued to expand our educational offerings and grow our student base. In 2017, OneNet’s managed firewall service helped protect our digital infrastructure, building upon our IT’s available resources and enhancing the level of security of the university overall. Knowing that OneNet’s security experts were overseeing our systems gave us peace of mind that our sensitive data was being handled with the utmost care.
Further deepening our collaboration, OneNet provided additional services that saved us time and resources. From 2017 to 2021, they hosted and managed our Blackboard system, which powers our online learning environment.
Since 2018, OneNet has also been hosting our Colleague ERP system, keeping the operating system up-to-date and ensuring that our university’s critical administrative systems run smoothly. This service has allowed us to focus on what we do best—providing a quality education—while OneNet handles the technical complexities of system maintenance.
Looking ahead to 2025, Northwestern will be part of a new and exciting chapter in our partnership with OneNet, through their OneOklahoma Friction Free Network (OFFN). The OFFN is a dedicated, multi-institutional and research-driven pathway for moving data and expanding access to resources, such as supercomputing and file-sharing. OneNet will soon connect a total of 30 campus locations to the network. Researchers utilize the OFFN network to support a wide variety of scientific investigations, including high-energy physics, weather prediction, bioinformatics, biology, physics, pharmaceuticals, genomics, seismic imaging, agriculture, cybersecurity, big data analytics and STEM teaching.
Our long-standing relationship with OneNet has been pivotal in ensuring that Northwestern remains competitive, secure, and capable of meeting the ever-evolving demands of higher education. In a rural community like ours, the ability to provide high-speed internet, reliable security, and top-tier technical services has truly been a key factor in positioning us for success. I look forward to continuing this partnership and all the possibilities it will bring for our university, students and the community we serve.
Photos courtesy of Northwestern Oklahoma State University