The light hasn't turned green yet, but University officials are poised to continue down the information highway -- an effort that involves more than $20 million from the state, technology companies and internal reallocations.

University President Joab Thomas said telecommunications can have an awesome impact on students' learning capacities, albeit at an awesome cost.

"Although Penn State is making steady progress in this area, it has not taken the giant leap into the future," Thomas said at the University Board of Trustees meeting Friday.

Results from a University study completed last December reaffirmed administrators' determination to improve and expand telecommunications.

"This is another vital part of our dream for Penn State," Thomas said. "Admittedly, this is a dream -- but it is a dream with fulfillment on the horizon."

Already, the University has made substantial progress, providing students with more than 2,100 public computers and winning 13 awards for innovative computer use in the classroom, said Gary Augustson, executive director of computer and information systems.

Eventually, the University plans to wire all buildings to electronic information channels and modernize classrooms while keeping equipment updated.

Some classes teach students how to use E-mail and the other information technologies, a skill Mike Busza (junior-exercise and sport science) sees himself using in the future.

"It's a great idea, because not everybody knows about it," Busza said.

But Busza said he wasn't sure if the University should spend more money on it. "If we have the money -- why not?" he said.

During a five-year period, estimated one-time costs total about $21.2 million, and funds necessary to support staff and update computers increase from about $3 million to $12.9 million, according to the telecommunications study.

Reallocating money from different University areas will play only a small part in paying for the improvements, Augustson said.

"We, too, have a responsibility," he said. Of the $31 million the University hopes to internally reallocate, $5 million or $6 million will go to critical projects. The University Future Committee and Thomas have put improving telecommunications as one of these projects.

Most of the money comes from the state -- $4.5 million in a special line item and $15.8 million from this year's capital budget request.

"That there is the bulk of the money," Augustson said.

Although a line-item request is unusual, the enormous costs of improving telecommunications make it necessary, he added.

The state has not approved any of this money, but Thomas said he does not think the request is unreasonable.

"What we're asking for is really minimal," he said. "We aren't beginning to ask for what we need in that regard."

The University also plans to team up with technology companies to help foot the bill. Since the 1950s, the University has worked with IBM and continues to work with several other companies, Augustson said.

"We, on a continuing basis, have partnerships with technology vendors," Augustson said. Forming alliances with one or more companies is currently being discussed, although nothing has been decided.

The desire to spend more money comes at a time when the University is attempting to cut its budget by $31 million during the next three years, as requested by the University Future Committee.

"Improving and enhancing our capabilities in this area was identified as a very high priority," Thomas said. "Some things will have to disappear and some things will receive less funding."