The money will also go toward hybrid classroom technology, as well as “smart dorms,” academic spaces and lounge areas.
“It will actually be nice that faculty, students and everybody on campus will have better internet resources,” said junior communications major Elijon McCullough. “We won’t have to worry about going off campus to find a better connection to finish homework.”
Broadband will also allow the university to improve its online class offerings through its CLIMB program, said Natalie Coles, Wilberforce’s vice president of advancement. The university is also developing a “Wilberforce Virtual Village,” which will allow the university to reach more prospective students nationwide once it’s launched.
Administered by the Department of Commerce, the money is from the Connecting Minority Communities program, which is part of the Biden administration’s Internet for All initiative. That initiative aims to connect everyone in America with affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service, according to the Department of Commerce.
This program specifically directs $268 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 for expanding high-speed Internet access and connectivity to eligible Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and minority-serving institutions (MSIs).
Much of Wilberforce’s campus is brutalist architecture built to withstand tornadoes, Coles said, and crews must run high-powered fibers to get through the concrete walls.
The Historically Black University is also located in a rural community, Coles said, which makes it more difficult to get strong access to broadband, a need that became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are so grateful to the NTIA for recognizing the impact and legacy of Wilberforce University, and for investing in it and the students we serve,” said Coles. “So many community partners rallied behind us to show their support of our proposal and we are grateful.”
The expanded accessibility will also benefit the city of Xenia, officials say, as members of the community will be able to use Wilberforce’s library, computers, and Wi-Fi hotspots when they need to.
“A special thank you to the city of Xenia Mayor, Sarah Mays, for her support. We look forward to offering Xenia residents access to the internet when our project is complete,” Coles said.
Xenia is considered a “broadband desert,” Coles said, though the Greene County Commission is in the process of bringing broadband internet to the eastern part of Greene County. Commissioners last year allocated $9.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to Alta Fiber, formerly Cincinnati Bell, to complete the work.
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