California State University

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1. Introduction and General
Requirements
This section describes the circumstances leading to the CSU’s
development and promulgation of this Telecommunications
Infrastructure Planning Standards (TIP Standards or TIPS)
document.

1.1 The TIP Standards Concept

1.1.1 Intent
The California State University system has committed itself in recent years to
a very large investment in technology infrastructure, hardware and software
to serve perceived system-wide mission-critical needs. Prudent management
of that investment of public resources requires that all possible strategies be
adopted to assure its long-term viability. Among those strategies, a principal
focus is, and will continue to be, assurance that the products and services
being acquired are of the highest possible quality. This TIPS document is only
one of numerous specific statements of the University’s commitment to that
goal.

It must be emphasized that the technical material inorporated in this

document should be regarded by the planning and design personnel
considering them as minimum standards governing the development of
technology resources across the CSU system. At the same time, it is also
recognized that that system incorporates more than a score of campuses of
varied sizes, widely differing physical and climatic environments, and quite
diverse academic objectives. Given that situation, it may sometimes be
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necessary for local planning and design personnel to depart from strict
adherence to these TIP Standards—but no departure from the implicit
minimum level of quality is expected. Further, absolutely nothing in this
document is intended to relieve design consultants of their basic professional
and contractual obligations for careful project analysis, strict adherence to
sound design principles and best practices, and responsible oversight of
construction and installation activities.

1.1.2 Purpose of the TIPS Document

As was true of its several predecessor documents, TIPS continues to
incorporate input from a diverse group of CSU system and campus staff,
engineering consultants, and product vendors. Its primary purpose is to
provide a standardized approach to developing intra- and inter-building
campus telecommunications infrastructure physical plant systems essential to
achieving mission-critical CSU goals: facilitating teaching and learning,
improving productivity and efficiency, enhancing research and scholarship,
and increasing the efficiency of institutional management. A further pupose
of the TIP Standards is to ensure the necessary development of intra-campus
infrastructures adequate to support high-speed linkages with other CSU sites,
with various telecommunications providers, and with the Internet. TIPS is not
intended to be the sole source of CSU technology physical plant planning and
design information; it is, rather, a tool for defining and explicating the
specific telecommunications-related infrastructure requirements common to
CSU facilities.

This document provides direction for information technology managers,

facility planners, architects, and other design professionals in the design and
technical integration of telecommunications media, pathways, and spaces.
The objectives of the TIP Standards are to:

1. Provide a universal framework for inter/intra-building infrastructure

design, development, and deployment in the CSU;

2. Define minimum standards for the spaces, pathways, and

telecommunicaions-related infrastructure that must be programmed into
either new building construction or retrofit projects;

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3. Outline specific media selection and design criteria;

4. Highlight technical issues that must be incorporated into a campus design

and procurement process; and

5. Delineate methods and procedures for installing, testing, and

documenting cable and related infrastructure.

This TIP Standards document is not intended to provide all the answers to
information technology-related infrastructure design issues encountered
within the CSU. The document’s nature is such that, while providing topical
information regarding certain specific solutions or design methods, it also
serves to identify the range of components and issues covered by the
telecommunications distribution requirements in a typical University building
construction or renovation project. Most of the TIP Standards content is
based upon various national standards and guidelines for telecommunications
systems, such as those developed by the Electronic Industry Association (EIA),
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and Building Industry Consulting Services
International (BICSI). Great emphasis is placed herein on the idea that taking
guidance from such sources is generally more desirable than using specific
manufacturer's proprietary designs which may quickly become outdated or
may be incompatible with other needed equipment.

1.2 Foundations of the TIP Standards

1.2.1 History
In the past sixteen years the California State University (CSU) has prepared a
variety of planning documents, position papers, sample specifications, and
guidelines to assist campus managers and design professionals in developing
a standards-based approach to the deployment of a flexible and cost-
effective telecommunication infrastructure.

In 1987, the CSU published the Systemwide Cable Plan to establish a

guideline for planning, installing, and maintaining telecommunications wire
and cable in a uniform manner across its campuses. In 1993, the document

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was revised and expanded to include information on telecommunication

support infrastructure and became the first version of the
Telecommunications Infrastructure Planning (TIP) Guidelines. Since that time
the TIP Guidelines have been updated, sample specifications prepared, and
new funding and planning guidelines developed.

While previous TIP documents were certainly successful at addressing

portions of the telecommunications infrastructure issue, some provisions
must almost continually be revised to encompass changes in technology and
in CSU system strategies currently being implemented. These updates reflect
the introduction of new alternatives, changes in the cost-effectiveness of
others, a greater emphasis on “standard” models within the CSU system, and
the evolution of true national standards. This edition of TIP is intended to
move further toward the replacement of earlier “recommended” guidelines
with a true CSU standards document which establishes the minimum
requirements for telecommunications infrastructure within the CSU system.

1.2.2 Strategic Approach

1.2.2.1 The Integrated Technology Strategy

Learning in today’s environment is based to a considerable degree upon
access to various information resources. Students expect information
technology to support both the instructor’s need to communicate and their
own need to gather, store, and disseminate ideas. To meet this expectation,
the technology must support links at all levels of the campus, system, nation,
and world in a wide variety of formats. In response to this demand, the CSU
has developed an Integrated Technology Strategy (ITS). This system-wide
plan outlines methods and goals for the development and distribution of
technology within the framework of the CSU's mission. That mission is built
on three basic goals:

• Provide quality programs;

• Provide access to an expanding number of learners; and

• Ensure affordability to those learners.

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For the last several years the CSU has been successfully implementing specific
initiatives in support of the ITS. These initiatives are based upon a pyramid
(building block) model that encompasses the need for a strong, flexible, and
cost-efficient infrastructure on which the technology can be constructed.

The ITS pyramid represents the framework process, benefits, and

outcomes that have been designed into the Integrated Technology
Strategy – “Building the Future for Learners.”

Figure 1 – 1
The ITS Pyramid

The CSU is committed to the continued deployment of instructional

technology at all levels within the system. This includes student, faculty and
staff computing resources; state-of-the-art display and delivery systems; and
easy access to remote information sources at any time and from any place.

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1.2.2.2 The CSU’s Commitment to Technology

Infrastructure:

The foundation layer of the ITS pyramid is physical infrastructure (media,

pathways, spaces and electronics). Reflecting the importance such
infrastructure has on all aspects of the University’s mission, a system-wide
program of major telecommunications infrastructure retrofit projects valued
in the many millions of dollars is currently being implemented at CSU
campuses. Because of the extreme size and complexity of that retrofit
initiative (commonly referred to in the CSU as the Telecommunications
Infrastructure Initiative, or TII), estimated to cost nearly $300 million, it has
been implemented as a multi-phase, dual-stage program extending over
nearly a decade from conception to completion. During that period, the
campuses have been grouped into three successive annual phases of six to
eight sites each for purposes of design and construction, and the work at
each site has been planned in two identifiable stages.

Stage 1 of the infrastructure upgrade initiative has involved major

improvements to the campus telecommunications physical plant (pathways,
spaces and cabling) through individual projects primarily funded from State
capital outlay resources and managed by local facilities personnel; and Stage
2 has focused on the acquisition and installation of network electronics
equipment and related management systems through a University-wide
systems integration contract. The product at each campus is a sophisticated,
high-performance LAN designed to meet local needs but meeting stringent
CSU standards for quality, performance, dependability and security. As of
January 2007, a majority of the University’s institutions have fully completed
the retrofit process, with entire completion of the TII program expected
during the calendar year.

However, the CSU’s system-wide focus on providing campuses with high-

quality technology infrastructures will not end with TII program completion,
as telecommunications networks must be regarded as “living” entities, subject
to degradation unless solidly maintained, intelligently operated and cyclically
refreshed. The large investment in physical resources represented by TII
implementation clearly must be so protected. For the University, these needs
will be met in large part through the centrally-managed and funded
Infrastructure Terminal Resources Project II (ITRP 2). ITRP 2 is essentially the

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first refresh cycle for the network infrastructure installed as a part of Stage 2
of the technology infrastructure build-out project. The program is intended
to enable campus networks to stay current with network technology and
address evolving requirements—further, it is expected that such efforts will
be ongoing through projected future refresh cycles.

ITRP 2 will include four technology areas of focus:

1. Routing and switching (providing network connectivity and data transfer);

2. Wireless networking (providing users with connectivity without having to

“plug in” to a jack);

3. Network security (preventing unauthorized network access); and

4. Network management systems (allowing monitoring of network

performance).

To provide a vehicle for system-wide technical consultation with campus

personnel, the Network and Technology Alliance (NTA) was formed in 2001 as
an advisory body to the Information Technology Services - Technology
Infrastructure Services (ITS-TIS) section of the Chancellor’s Office. The NTA’s
principal focus is on the development and improvement of campus network
infrastructure and services. NTA provides technical expertise and input in
support of TIS staff activities and the activities of the Information Technology
Advisory Council (ITAC), which is comprised of campus Chief Information
Officers. The organization's contributions have been invaluable in pursuing
ITRP network provisioning during the TII program, and NTA working groups
are already addressing the technology areas defined for ITRP 2.

It is important to note that, while the material presented in this document is

primarily oriented toward CSU campus LANS, those local networks are linked
across the University and to the electronic world in general by a more than
robust WAN. By virtue of its membership in the Corporation for Education
Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), the CSU utilizes the services provided
by CENIC’s California Research & Education Network (CalREN). The TIS section
of the Chancellor’s Office serves as the liaison to CENIC, representing the
Chancellor’s Office and the campuses on system-wide initiatives pertaining to

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video, internet, and WAN services. The Campus Access Infrastructure (CAI)
project now in progress under the aegis of TIS will further enhance
connectivity between the CSU campuses and the CalREN backbone.

There seems little doubt that the general quality of the technology network
fabric available to CSU campuses is presently superior to that of most systems
of higher education across the United States. The University’s concern now is
to maintain that quality and to assure that the equipment and applications
that depend upon the basic network facility for their functionality are
judiciously selected and managed to support the academic missions of its
campuses. Such technology not only must be made ubiquitously available to
all users on each campus, but also must facilitate services extending between
campuses and even into the communities those institutions are designed to
serve. This Telecommunications Infrastructure Planning Standards (TIP
Standards or TIPS) document constitutes an important tool in achieving such
goals, inasmuch as it continues to define the CSU’s minimum standards for
technology physical plant retrofitting and new construction.

1.3 Design Implications

Although architectural planning must be based on defined needs, the
cumulative impact of changes in instructional technology and of the
increasing use of information technology services must be viewed as a rapidly
moving target. It is not reasonable to assume that anyone can predict, with
absolute certainty, the specific systems that will be installed in a building
three to four years in the future. However, by taking a long-term view of the
structure and focusing on the provision of a comprehensive system of
pathways and spaces for telecommunications technologies, the facility
planner can limit the number of modifications that must be made during or
shortly after construction.

The following sub-sections review the evolving circumstances in a number of

the spaces in the university environment that have been impacted by the
expansion of information technology services.

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1.3.1 Classrooms
All classrooms must now be equipped with voice, data, and video services in a
wide variety of configurations. Increased use of multimedia-generated
displays requires new techniques for providing technical interconnection
(power and signal) between the instructor's location and room displays and
beyond. Significantly improved methods of lighting, acoustical treatment,
and heating and cooling must be adopted to permit the successful integration
of technology into the traditional classroom learning environment.

1.3.2 Laboratories
In addition to "standard" classroom technology services, many laboratory
spaces now require conditioned power and communications to every student
workstation. This is especially important in those spaces with built-in
counters and free-standing laboratory benches. If adequate pathways are not
provided for these components during initial construction, the addition of
future information technology improvements could well prove prohibitively
expensive. In particular, computer laboratorys must obviously be designed to
support the constant evolution of technology, equipment, and student
stations. In some cases these facilities must provide dedicated space to
house stand-alone computing and network equipment, with an associated
increase in electrical, cooling, and security services.

1.3.3 Libraries
Library facilities play a central role in the use and application of electronic
information, and are now often referred to as “information centers.”
Extensive support for both technology users and equipment is required at all
levels, including public electronic access areas, image and other multimedia
access points, and group research and study areas. In addition, library
buildings frequently act as centers for: instructional media production,
television headends, and distribution services; centralized and distributed
computing; specialized computing and/or training labs; and teleconferencing
resources.

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1.3.4 Common Areas

Common areas throughout the university (such as lobbies, student unions,
large hallways, and registration areas) must now be equipped to provide
expansive voice, data, and video services. Wall phones for internal use within
the university may be at least as important as coin telephones and should be
just as accessible; however, as cellular phones and wireless data access
become ever more pervasive, the utility of wired instruments in general has
become subject to question. Wired phones still do often provide emergency
communications, links to the campus voice mail system, or access to
automated systems such as registration. Video monitors may be used to
display the status of class registration, campus news or event
announcements, or items of local or national interest. Information kiosks and
electronic card access points may be required throughout a campus to
support on-going information, security, and purchase applications. However,
the increasing use of wireless technologies and remote on-line services is
currently producing major shifts in the nature and configuration of such
devices.

1.3.5 Conference Rooms

All conference rooms should now have the capability to be utilized as
teleconference or videoconference facilities and should be connected to the
campus network. The increased use of voice and data communications for a
variety of meetings suggests that conference rooms must support all forms of
communications from multiple sources. For rooms likely to be designated as
specific teleconferencing locations, particular attention must be paid to
lighting, sound, room design, and HVAC parameters in order to establish an
environment suitable to effective use of technology.

1.3.6 Office Spaces

Office spaces must be designed to support multiple technology
configurations and provide multiple media and communications outlets. The
technology infrastructure concept must focus on workspace support rather
than simply “how many jacks are located in each room.” If the basic
infrastructure makes it costly or difficult for an office occupant to operate a

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new type of information device shortly after that infrastructure is installed,

the design obviously did not reflect adequate planning for the use of
technology.

1.4 Document Overview

The remainder of this document is divided into sections embracing related
topics of interest to facil;ities planners and designers. The CSU expects that
design consultants retained by the University will give careful cognizance to
the requirements, guidelines and practices presented in those sections.

Section 2. - Facilities Planning and Programming, defines the types of

technology and information system-related spaces and distribution services
that are in use or must be planned for in CSU construction projects (new or
retrofit). The focus of this section is on the information required by architects
and space and facility planners.

Section 3. - Infrastructure & Pathway Design, identifies specific design and

construction requirements that must be followed as the minimum acceptable
level of CSU building infrastructure support. This section provides details on
sizing of rooms and pathways, the electrical and mechanical services
required, and other building construction (as opposed to technology-specific)
materials and considerations.

Section 4. - Media Systems Design, outlines specific media (i.e., copper,

fiber optic, and coaxial cable) configurations and hardware support systems
requirements intended to satisfy the current and future distribution
technology needs of the University.

Appendix A – Reference Materials, identifies a range of resource materials

and documents which may impact upon the design of CSU technology
infrastructures, either as accepted technical standards or as related industry
publications.

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