New Mexico Business Weekly

NMSU upgrades on-campus technology for students

When New Mexico State University students return to classes this fall, they’ll find some cool new technology to make campus living easier and more enjoyable.

Students living in on-campus housing will have access to state-of-the-art washers and dryers that include an online laundry alert system to allow students to check equipment availability before they go to the laundry room. The system also shows the amount of time left before a machine becomes available, and students can receive an e-mail or a text message reminding them to go get their laundry.

The service is free for students living in dormitories and in student family housing on campus, said Julie Weber, director of housing and residential life, in a news release.

“We specifically asked for the efficient washing machines and dryers when buying the new equipment,” Weber said. “The dryers will save $30,000 a year in utilities, while the washers will save about one million gallons of water a year.”

Meanwhile, NMSU students now can legally download music for free using the music downloading service Ruckus. Students can access more than three million music tracks by using their NMSU e-mail address to create an account at the Ruckus Web site and then download the Ruckus player.

“The goal of this was to offer students the same service offered at many larger universities,” Weber said. “We also wanted to offer students a legal way to download music, to help prevent potential legal action resulting from illegal downloading.”