As courses have moved online, the WKU IT department has set up Wi-Fi hotspots at two of WKU’s largest parking lots, Park Street and Creason, which will be available for the rest of the spring semester.

“Internet access can be a challenge as schools and colleges have moved away from face-to-face classes and into online environments,” Greg Hackbarth, WKU’s assistant vice president for Information Technology Services, said in a press release. “By making the Internet available in these large parking lots, we hope members of the community can take advantage of the access while still practicing safe social distancing.”

On March 17, WKU announced it was moving all courses online for the rest of the spring semester. Many faculty members have moved to using Zoom and other online tools to continue course work. School districts in Kentucky have also moved to online courses for at least part of the semester.

The WKU-GUEST hotspots will allow community members to access the internet from their cars, cutting down on face-to-face interaction to help curb the spread of coronavirus, according to the release. Users are advised to stay inside their vehicles while using the hotspots.

Bob Skipper, director of Media Relations, said the hotspots will not come at a cost to WKU or its students. Skipper also said no website would be blocked by the signal.

The release provided steps to join the hotspot. Once joined, simply open a web browser, browse to any site and you will be presented with a page containing information about the network and WKU’s Acceptable Use policy. Guests must agree to the Acceptable Use policy in order to join the network.

WKU students, faculty and staff are encouraged to use the WKU-SECURE network. 

Reporter Jack Dobbs can be reached at 270-745-0655 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @jackrdobbs.