Duke Considers Mandatory Computer Program

Duke News Service representative Geoffrey Mock said school administrators are looking into the possibility of requiring all students to purchase computers.

Under the proposal, all undergraduate students would have to own a computer by fall 2002. Mock said this exploration is part of the school's Five-Year Plan, which seeks to address the technological needs of the campus. "(The Five-Year Plan) is an overall review of technological issues on campus," he said.

But Mock said the program is in its early stage. He said the school has issues to examine before any decisions are finalized.

Duke Provost Peter Lange, along with officials in the Office of Information Technology, plan to spend the next 18 months looking into problems with the plan.

These issues include the costs associated with mandating all students to own computers and the need for a technical support team.

Duke Student Body President Jordan Bazinsky said requiring students to purchase laptops is a start in making modern technology a bigger part of the students' education.

But Bazinsky cautioned that many issues still need to be worked through. "(Requiring students to buy computers) is a good step toward working on a push toward integrating technology into the classrooms," he said.

Bazinsky said students have different needs and might not require the same laptop model.

Duke is not alone in its plans to require students to purchase computers.

Nearly 10 percent of the nation's colleges and universities require incoming students to purchase computers.

Institutions with similar programs include the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University.

But programs requiring students to purchase laptops are not without criticism. Complaints about the program at UNC have included insufficient training for faculty on how to incorporate the computers into the classroom.

Marian Moore, UNC vice chancellor for information technology, said logistical problems often prove to be the biggest challenge to overcome.

She said UNC's program required extensive planning. Moore said one problem encountered was coordinating the purchase of laptops for an extremely large freshman class.

She said Duke is less likely to encounter this problem because its freshman class is much smaller.

But Moore said computing initiative programs are successful. "(School officials should) pilot everything they possibly can," she said. "They must be flexible."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.