[committee] Internet Access at ECU

[Alex Dawson]

Ms Wilson,

I am a Graduate (2000) from ECU's Security Science BSc Program (with minor in Comp Sci). Since leaving ECU, I've worked as an IT Manager at The University of Western Australia, including serving on their Technical Advisory Group, and now at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver as a Senior Systems Architect, however, to be clear, I write this as an Alumni of ECU.

I have been made aware by a number of current students that ECU now heavily restricts Internet access in terms of content, and I'm don't mean adult material. I hear your students can't even access some IT news sites because they contain "hacking" resources? And that some social media services are also blocked, as well as blocks on outbound traffic such as SSH. 

Blocking access to the internet discourages students from spending time on campus, which decreases their experience of student life. Providing them with restrictive Internet access says ECU doesn't think they're responsible adults, it says ECU doesn't value what they want out of their University experience. I would even go as far as to say it could increase the longevity of repressive overseas regimes by keeping the blinders on their students while overseas at ECU.

Many times in IT, people get tunnel vision - they do things because things have always been done this way. Internet access is now as common as telephone access, this isn't something ECU is providing out of the kindness of their heart - and students expect something better than they get at home - not something far worse. I understand some students just bring 3G wireless dongles/use iPhone tethering for their laptops. While this solves their problem, it doesn't really provide a great experience for them.

In my time at UWA I did a lot of work on reforming student Internet access, including access on campus and student housing - I fully understand the historic reasoning for restricting Internet access in Australia (I know costs in the early 2000s were very high, and there were few protections against malicious web-sites installing viruses), but they're not there any more. I suggest a look at what UWA provides might be of interest - http://www.is.uwa.edu.au/it-help/access/student-internet-network/quota-policy - UBC doesn't have such a page, as our access is unrestricted.

I understand you have already been in correspondence with members of the Computer and Security Science Association, but that you stand by the current proxied/whitelist arrangement for Internet access at ECU, where everything that is not expressly allowed is blocked. I applaud your engagement with the student body at ECU, however I urge your department to consider the competitive and social implications of providing an Internet access environment more suited to a high school, inside a tertiary educational institution. 

Having been made aware of how ECU has failed to address changes in technology and how it impacts the student experience, at this point I couldn't recommend anyone study Computer Science (or Security) at ECU.

Thank you for consideration of the need for change.

cc: 
	Kerry Cox, Vice Chancellor
	A/P Ken Fowle, Head of School, Computer and Security Science
	ECU Computer and Security Student Association