When I first entered college, there were clay tablets phones in the hallway throughout our dorm, one for each hallway segment, usually shared among five or six rooms. While some folks paid special to have a phone line run directly to their room, it was by far the exception. Most people made use of the hall phone — or, should they need to chat outside the local phone system, a pay phone.
It was a simpler time …
When I visited campus a dozen-plus years later, things had changed. Phone lines were in all the dorm rooms now. Which was certainly a convenience for the students, though it also, I felt, took something away — the social life of the hallways seemed greatly reduced, for one thing.
Now, as the 21st Century rolls around, CU is taking an additional step.
Dormitories at the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus could be without landline phone service as early as 2008. Housing leaders are considering alternatives, including installing internet phone service or providing cell phones to incoming freshmen.
CU spends about $800,000 a year on landline phone service in dormitories.
Going with VOIP services is an interesting idea, though it’s a bit more cutting edge. The idea of offering cell phones to all freshment is another way to go, though I suspect they’d be best off with some sort of voucher system in addition for those folks who already have a cell phone.
Time marches on …