Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Archives 291
Washington Higher Education Telecommunication System Records
1971-1995
3 Linear feet of shelf space
6 boxes
The original purpose of the Washington Higher Education Telecommunication System was to develop an interactive video communications system that would benefit technology firms in Eastern Washington by allowing both graduate level and continuing education classes in high technology fields to be taught remotely. The collection contains administrative and technical documents pertaining to the establishment and management of WHETS.
Collection materials are inEnglish
On January 13, 1984, the Washington State University Board of Regents approved the establishment of the Washington Education Telecommunications System (WETS) and the system went active in the fall of 1985. An early idea for this system was described in 1973 in “A Multipurpose Communication Network Prototype” (see Folders 29-34 of this collection). The original purpose of WETS was to develop an interactive video communications system that would benefit technology firms in Eastern Washington by allowing both graduate level and continuing education classes in high technology fields to be taught remotely. With the establishment of WSU’s branch campuses in Spokane, Vancouver, and Tri-Cities in 1989, WHETS became a central part of class delivery to those campuses. The name of the system was changed in 1986 to Washington Higher Education Telecommunications System (WHETS), and then to Academic Media Services (AMS) in 2006.
The collection is organized into two series. The first series deals with the administrative side of WHETS, and is broken into three chronologically-ordered subseries: board meeting minutes and memoranda and enrollment statistics, and other miscellaneous administrative documents including the WHETS 1995 Task Force report and operational budgets and expansion. The second series contains technical aspects of WHETS such as building plans, equipment used, and information for different campus building plans such as WSU – Tri-Cities. This second series in maintained in its original order.
This collection is open and available for research use.
[Item Description]
WHETS Records, 1971-1995 (Archives 291)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections,
Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
The administrative and technical papers of the Washington Higher Education Telecommunication System (WHETS) were given to the Washington State Libraries in two separate accessions on January 31, 2006 (UA2006-01), June 5, 2009 (UA2009-08), and Noember 3, 2016 (UA2016-05).
This collection was processed by graduate library science student Katrina Burch with aid from University Archivist Mark O’English in June of 2010. The small amount of material received in November 2016 was interfiled at that time.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Washington State University
Washington Higher Education Telecommunication System.
Washington State University
Telecommunication in higher education -- Washington (State)
Distance education -- Washington (State)
Universities and colleges -- Washington (State) -- Communication systems.
Educational broadcasting -- Washington (State)
Telecommunication systems -- Washington (State)
Technology
Colleges and Universities
Washington (State)
Series 1: Administrative documents, 1971-1995
Subseries 1.1: Board of Directors and enrollment statistics, 1984-1992
1
1
By-laws of the Board of Directors 1984
1
2
WHETS Board of Directors meetings Sept. 11, 1984 -- Agenda, minutes, memoranda.
1
3
WHETS Board of Directors Meeting Feb. 1, 1985 -- Agenda, proposal, memoranda.
1
4
Education committee of the Technology Coordinating Board meeting Sept. 10, 1985 -- minutes , memoranda, maps, by laws, reports.
1
5
WHETS Board Meeting Sept. 10, 1985 -- minutes and memoranda
1
6
WHETS Board Meeting Oct. 7, 1985 -- minutes and memoranda
1
7
Washington High Technology Coordinating Board Evaluation of WETS -- Nov. 1985
1
8
Washington High Technology Coordinating Boards Revised WETS Evaluation -- Nov. 21, 1985
1
9
WHETS Board Meeting Jan. 9, 1986 -- memoranda and agenda
1
10
WHETS name change Jan. 24, 1986
1
11
WHETS Board Meeting June 17, 1986 -- minutes, misc. papers, and memoranda
1
12
WHETS Board Meeting Oct. 17, 1986 -- memoranda, reports
1
13
WHETS Board Meeting Preliminary agenda Nov. 5, 1987
1
14
Feasibility study: Expansion and Enhancement of WHETS (WHETS, Phase I) Aug. 15, 1988
1
15
Enrollment statistics extended academic programs 1987-1988
1
16
WSU Enrollment stats for off-campus courses 1982-1989
1
17
WHETS/ITFS Student Enrollment 1985-1990
1
18
Higher Education Enrollment Report, on campus student by age, sex, and class standing. HEER Draft materials 1987-1990
1
19
Courses via WHETS fall 1985 -- Spring 1991
1
20
Enrollment Summary by semester: fall 1985 -- Spring 1992
1
21
ITFS Enrollment Totals by Industry Fall 1986 -- Spring 1992
1
22
Average # of WHETS classes, enrollment and FTEs by site Fall 1985 -- Spring 1992
Subseries 1.2: Reports and projections, 1971-1995
2
23-24
WHETS Enrollment Reports Statistics and projections 1985 -1992
2
24.5
Student Evaluations and Evaluation Summaries 1985-1990
2
25-28
WHETS Task Force Report 1995
2
28.5
A Study of a Proposed Multi-Purpose Communication System 1971
3
29-34
A Multipurpose Communication Network Prototype 1973
Subseries 1.3: Miscellaneous administration, 1984-1989
3
35
Misc. Papers relating to WHETS: memos, teaching instruction, map, and future system development papers 1984, 1990.
3
36
WHETS Supplemental Budget Request -- Nov. 17, 1985
3
37-38
WHETS Operating Budget Request -- Aug. 12, 1988
3
39
Higher Education Coordinating Board: “Educational telecommunications plan for Higher Education” and supplementary studies -- Jan. 1989
3
40
Statewide Telecommunicating System 1985-1987 Biennial Budget Report
4
41- 44
Proposal for WHETS Expansion -- December 1989
4
45
Microwave Path worksheet, summary, and graph (undated)
Series 2: Papers relating to technology, 1984-1994
4
46
WSU Radio TV Services and Engineering projects. 1989-1990
4
47
Telecommunications issues - Symposium on Plant Biotechnology by WSU and Max-Planck Institute -- dealing with telecommunications. Aug. 18, 1990
4
48
WSU Broadcast Microwave System. 1984
4
49
Agreement between Washington State University and Washington State Patrol for emergency communication system. 1994
4
50
Outfitting the Murrow Communications Building for Telecommunications. 1990
4
51
Telecommunications equipment and various communications towers. Photographs. Undated.
5
52
Yakima FM Tower. 1989
5
53
Prosser Hill Lower PowerTV Translator. 1990-1993
5
54
Ellensburg FM Tower. 1988-1990
5
55
Agreements between King Tower and Clark College. 1990
5
56
PTFP application, draft model for the Department of Commerce, NTIA. 1990
5
57
Installing routing switcher in Richland, Washington. 1989-1990
5
58
Renovation and building plans for WSU - Tri-Cities (Richland, Washington). 1989-1990
5
59
Facilities plans for WSU - Tri-Cities. 1990
6
60
Request for selection of microwave analog switch equipment and network management system drafts and technical reports (RFP). 1990-1991
6
61
Checklist and Final RFP. 1991
6
62
Request for the selection of digital microwave radios, antennas, multiplexers (muldems) and ancillary equipment technical aspects (RFP). 1991
6
63
Checklist and evaluation process. 1991
6
64
Final Draft. 1990-1991
6
65
Request for the selection of video signal encoder/decoder (codec) equipment (RFP). Final Draft. February 1991