A strategy for extranet development for professional programs

The Extranet Infrastructure Project (EIP) described in this paper can enable a professional program to employ the latest technology advances toward improving the educational experience of students while lowering per unit academic costs. For presentation purposes an extranet for a school of business administration (SBA) is presented. The implementation of an extranet by an SBA will accommodate the informational needs of students, faculty and administration by utilizing an easy‐to‐use WWW‐based interface with instantly available and up‐datable information. Faculty will be able to publish course material online with little or no programming experience. Students will be able to communicate with faculty and other students and retrieve updated class notes, syllabi, research resources, tutorials and tests, all from their WWW browser at home or at school. In addition to the pedagogical advantages, students will become proficient in the use of technology that is widely used in the commercial world.