The colleges of Carleton and St. Olaf request support in the form of hardware, software, and communication services to connect their campus networks to the Minnesota Regional Network (MRNET). Direct connection to MRNET, which has a line to NSFNET, will provide researchers with improved access to national networks such as CSNET, Bitnet, and USENET. Improvement is sought in reliability, speed, turn-around, flexibility, and functions such as file transfer, remote login, and teleconferencing. By linking to MRNET (and thus to NSFNET), Carleton and St. Olaf propose to set an example for other private colleges in Minnestota and maintain leadership in professional productivity and technological innovation. The link, once in place, will greatly facilitate research by students and faculty, and will provide a valuable resource to supplement course work.***
