Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 12/15/99
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   33

NOTE: Reporters covering Y2K on Jan. 1 may reach a Southeastern spokesman after 12
p.m. in McClimans Hall (corner Western Ave. and North Oak Streets) Room 107 or by
calling 504-549-2222, 504-350-7142 (pager) or 504-549-3643.

SIDEBAR on Y2K tips for business owners accompanies release.
______________________________________________________________________________
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY READY FOR Y2K
     HAMMOND -- After more than three years of preparation, Southeastern Louisiana
University will batten down its technology hatches on Dec. 31, confident that the university is
ready to weather the Y2K storms.
     The university will shut down its administrative computing systems, web site and Internet
access at noon on 1999's last day. The next morning, more than a dozen Office of Technology
staffers will boot the system back up, while maintenance staff and police officers check campus
buildings to see if all is well. 
     "By noon, we should know our status," said Office of Technology Business Manager
Rosalyn Chauvin. "We feel like we're very well prepared on campus and we have tested all
interfaces to other agencies." 
     Southeastern began preparing for Y2K in July 1996. The campus-wide voice mail system
and individual energy system in the Garrett College of Business Building and the industrial
technology department's Anzalone Hall were upgraded. More than 2,500 PCs and computer
controlled equipment from stoves to athletic scoreboards were checked or fixed for Y2K
compliance. 
     Through newsletters, web sites and e-mail, faculty and staff were told how to ensure that 
                             (MORE)
SLU AND Y2K   Add One
specialized equipment and software wouldn't be bit by the Y2K bug and the campus' Y2K
committee hosted a clinic for faculty and staff who wanted their home computers tested for
compliance. Students who remain on campus during the holidays have been moved temporarily
from residence halls to the university's new Southeastern Oaks student apartment complex.
     Even Campus Security's computerized ticket-writing software was brought up to new
millennium standards.
     With the campus scheduled to close for the holidays on Dec. 18, faculty and staff were
directed to back up data on hard drives and to leave their computers and equipment unplugged
until doors re-open on Jan. 3. That first day back to work has been designated as a "no-
transaction" day while campus offices check to see that all systems are working properly for
spring semester registration, financial aid transactions and fee payment, and freshmen
orientation, all scheduled during the first two weeks of the new year.
     "Like everyone else, we'll be tracking Y2K events around the world," Chauvin said.
While no agency is immune to a domino affect from global Y2K problems, "We've worked very
hard at Southeastern to be as prepared for Y2K as we can be," she said.

                             -SLU-
     This press release is available on the World Wide Web:
       www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsf99.htm