UMR offers students legal access to 1.7 million song titles
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Beginning this semester, the University of Missouri-Rolla is offering its students legal access to 1.7 million song titles.
Through a partnership with Cdigix, a leading provider of legal digital music, UMR students may subscribe to the service beginning in September for a monthly fee of $3. The students will have access to the music any time they have access to a computer, on campus or elsewhere.
“This does help eliminate some piracy worries associated with downloading music,” says Brian Buege, director of networks and computing systems at UMR. “But the main reason we’re offering digital music is to provide more entertainment options for our students.”
In a recent survey, 94 percent of incoming UMR freshmen said they plan to bring a computer to campus. Sixty percent said they’ll bring their own laptop; and 87 percent indicated they spend at least an hour on the Internet – in most cases many hours – each week.
Known as Missouri’s premier technological university, UMR has an enrollment of about 5,500 students.
“The students we have coming in are 21st century students,” Buege says. “The information technology department wants to improve the virtual campus and expand recreational offerings that are electronic. Much like a landscaper improves the physical aesthetic of the campus, we are focused on improving the electronic aesthetic.”
The music provided by Cdigix is distributed over a local area network, yielding a fast and secure way for students to access legal content that doesn’t slow the university’s Internet connection. But students will still be able to access the information through the UMR website.
UMR faculty, staff and graduates may all take advantage of the music offering through Cdigix by subscribing at a monthly rate of $5.99. Individual songs can be purchased and retained for life by members for an additional fee of 89 cents each.
