Note: This policy was approved by the IT Steering Committee in 2001. It is also referenced in UMBC’s “Policy on Technology Fluency” maintained by the Provost’s Office.
UMBC’s learning environment requires that students have ready access to a computer and the Internet by Fall 2001. To ensure this, students will want to explore outright ownership, leasing and use of on-campus public computing facilities. The choice will naturally depend on individual circumstances, but to aid you in understanding what this initiative is about we have answered a number of common questions below.
Why?
Discussion on this initiative began in the spring of 1998 and was an initiative that had its beginning in discussions among faculty over how to best prepare students to live and work in a world shaped by technology. At that time a number of universities had announced programs to require all students to own a laptop and UMBC was interested in making sure our students were prepared to compete in this world. This initiative is the result of numerous discussions with students, staff and especially faculty. The fundamental goals of this initiative are:
- provide assurance to faculty that students in their course have adequate access to computing to insure that work assigned using the computer can be completed;
- provide faculty and staff with a campus infrastructure that will support their use of technology for teaching and service;
- provide students with a campus infrastructure and services that make owning a computer both beneficial and cost-effective
Why not require a laptop computer?
We strongly recommend a laptop. Approximately 60% of freshman entering in 2006 came with laptops and we believe the convenience afforded by a laptop is worth the extra cost. We project that over 75% of the incoming freshman will bring laptops. Saying that, only the Visual Arts and Mechanical Engineering programs require students purchase a laptop but this is something all students should strongly consider. UMBC has entered into arrangements with Apple and Dell for computer systems. DoIT also maintains FAQs on recommended computing standards for students and faculty/staff.
I can’t afford to purchase a computer, what will I do?
UMBC has tried to make ownership very affordable and has subsidized the cost of the software licenses through site license agreements with vendors. Utilizing different payment options we expect that all students can afford to purchase a computer. UMBC has made a commitment to continue to provide public access computer labs. We have approximately 500 publicly available machines in a variety of buildings that students can use. Many of these labs are open round-the-clock during the school week. If you do not own a computer, or your computer is not working, you must be prepared to allocate significant time for working in campus computer labs. Alternately, many of the standard lab software programs are also available through our virtual desktop initiative (VDI), also known as DeskTone.