Connectivity they can count on: Claflin University’s tech revolution

For most students attending college, a reliable internet connection is something they can count on. For students attending Claflin University, a small Historically Black College and University (HBCU) located in rural Orangeburg, South Carolina, reliable broadband access was more than a challenge, it was impacting the university's ability to deliver a high-quality education, and residents in surrounding communities didn't have reliable access to important online services such as education and healthcare.

Broadband challenges in rural South Carolina

Orangeburg has a population of around 13,300 residents. 21.9% of households are without Internet access, 14% of residents lack a smartphone, computer, or tablet, and more than 34% of Orangeburg's residents live below the poverty line. For students attending the university, they found connectivity was intermittent at best and often non-existent in dormitories or on the yard. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted these issues, revealing a myriad of challenges the school faced in educating its students remotely.

"When I first arrived at Claflin, we were in the middle of what you would call a broadband desert", said Dr. Arthur Doctor, dean of students at Claflin University. "Our students were struggling to have access to academic resources, but also, just being able to be a connected campus community, there were some struggles."

Born and raised in South Carolina, Dr. Doctor knows firsthand the connectivity challenges facing the region, and as a life-long educator he knew the impact the lack of broadband was having on his students' ability to attain a quality educational experience and access opportunities such as internships and jobs.

A model partnership

When the opportunity to work with Cisco and its ecosystem of partners to include Student Freedom Initiative to deploy 5G/LTE services on the campus and in the surrounding community, Dr. Doctor knew it would be transformational for the Claflin University Campus, its immediate neighbor South Carolina State University and nearby residents.

"We partnered with Cisco to launch an ambitious pilot program that will allow us to really connect our campus community in ways we've never been connected before, not only impacting our students and our administrators, but a nearby HBCU. And most importantly, the Orangeburg community that we've been entrenched in since 1869." said, Doctor. "Bridging the divide is more about people. It's about being able to connect them and Wi-Fi is at the core of that. As a society that's geared by technology, being able to have Claflin connected with the Orangeburg community through this partnership is transformative."

The pilot program, supported by Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration program funded a private 5G network for Claflin University, with the intent of addressing the connectivity divide for both the campus and the surrounding residential community that lacked high-speed internet access, many of which couldn't afford the service.

In addition to deploying 5G/LTE, Cisco conducted a NIST assessment to ensure the school was eligible to receive critical Title IV funding and donated $1.7 million in equipment and services as part of its IT modernization program. Cisco is also providing training to the school's IT staff, plans to offer upskilling through its Networking Academy and implemented a student help desk to provide community support. Claflin hosted the inaugural Cisco Cyber Security Resilience workshop on their campus designed to train students for jobs in the cyber security field.

Securing a brighter future

Dr. Doctor talking with Claflin students in a stairwell

The partnership between Claflin and Cisco has become a model for HBCUs across the country. For Claflin students, the future is bright. They now have access to more academic opportunities than ever before and can reliably connect to home and other support systems. Instructors and administrators can provide necessary resources to students, both in person and remotely and connectivity to the local community and neighboring institutions will be greatly improved. This sustainable model will support the university and community well into the future.

"I see myself each and every day in our students. And it really has allowed me to be passionate about the work that I'm able to do. When I'm here late at night or on the weekends, it really just makes me smile to see that they're having an experience that they can look back on as one that's been positive and impacted them in a tremendous way."

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