College Campuses Get Social

Sept. 11, 2006 — -- The college campus of the future will offer students a way to know what's happening across their school in real time at any time.

From finding out about canceled classes and updated homework assignments, to pinpointing a friend's location on campus, students will know what's happening -- and not happening -- where and when.

With 15 colleges and universities in the United States offering their students a new service that achieves all of those goals and more, the future is now.

Rave Wireless is a company that's created a number of cell phone applications that connect students to their campuses, their teachers, their fellow students, and even campus security through the phenomenon of social networking and the ubiquity of cell phones.

"The idea that you could use the phones to reach the students with assignment changes, to conduct online chats, get higher levels of communication -- it tested very well," said Ed Chapel, associate vice president for information technology at New Jersey's Montclair State University, one of the participating schools.

"The faculty, students, staff and parents alike are very enthusiastic about all of the features that the program offers," Chapel said.

For a generation that has grown up communicating via e-mail, instant message, cell phone texting, and through Web sites like Facebook and MySpace, the service and others like it are a natural fit.

For many college freshmen, their first year at school signals their first time away from home.

Stepping out of high school and into college life can be overwhelming for some, but the people behind Rave say they have a way to make that transition a bit easier.

"Rave puts the campus on the phone," said Rodger Desai, CEO of Rave Wireless. "Today, it's all about having access to information. If you don't know what's going on, no one's going to tell you."

Desai says that the service reinforces a sense of community among students.

Big party Saturday night? Let everyone on campus know by sending out an invitation to the whole school.