Grenfell students want their money back after months of spotty campus internet connections

The student union at Memorial University's Grenfell campus is asking administration to reimburse students the $100 fee for on-campus services, saying continuously spotty internet connections mean students haven't gotten their money's worth.

The union's vice-president, Vicky Quao, says Wi-Fi has been down on campus since the start of the winter semester, leading students to spend time, energy and money to secure a reliable connection.

The lack of internet is a result of a cyberattack on the campus network in December. Its aftermath has forced students to leave campus to connect to the internet in cafés or increase their cellular data plans.

Besides the financial burden, there was also an emotional toll, says Quao.

"International students had to go around town trying to connect to the internet so they could reach their families," she said.

"I had a girl tell me how her mom was freaking out because she hadn't heard from her."

Printing was also an issue. The cyberattack jeopardized the network of computers connecting to printers on campus. Currently, she says, only one computer on campus has access to a printer.

The administration has installed cellular hotspots on campus, but Quao says they are weak and easily disconnected from.

"We paid money in order to get these services. So if we're not getting the services, the only right thing to do is to give us our money back. And when you're able to provide the services to us, we can pay for it in the next semester."

Most issues resolved, says administration

Ian Sutherland, the vice-president of the campus, says students and faculty have faced challenges since the cyberattack but most issues have been resolved.

The administration sat with the students' union last week, he said, and they are discussing potential solutions. However, he didn't commit to any outcome.

"Things feel much more normal than they did about eight weeks ago when this all started," he said.

"We've got lots of workarounds and we're functional, but there are still a few things that are certainly not back to the usual level of service that the campus would have."

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