WE THINK of this school as a modern university. Even with all of its traditions, we're still confident that history is a foundation that we can continually build upon. We're sure that in doing so, we can keep up with any other university in the country.
As the first academic year of the 21st century begins, it's time to act like it. The University should acknowledge the most central trend in the past decade -- the growth of computer use -- and require every student to own a personal computer.
The computer explosion has changed society more profoundly than anything since the television. It has changed the lives of everyone from businessmen to politicians to housewives, and it has transformed education. Computers have provided new ways of presenting information to students in lectures and new ways of reinforcing information outside of class, particularly through the use of graphical and multimedia software. E-mail has revolutionized communication among students and faculty.
Computers' contributions to education make their necessity hard to ignore. The University needs to stop pretending that getting an education at a top national university doesn't require a computer, which is its current message. The lack of a computer requirement tells students, "A computer is nice to have, and we hope you'll get one, but it really isn't necessary." That's difficult to accept in a time in which more and more professors hand out materials only over the Web, communicate only over e-mail, and frequently require students to turn in assignments electronically. It's time to accept that computer use has become an integral part of getting a top-quality education.
According to ITC, 93 percent of last year's incoming students owned a personal computer when they arrived at school. There are several reasons to make computer ownership mandatory even though the vast majority of students already own computers.
Perhaps most importantly, mandatory computer ownership forces financial aid institutions to recognize an education expense that most families already bear: 93 percent of students already pay for a computer just like they pay for books. But because computers are not required, they can't be considered a mandatory expense the same way that books and tuition are. Requiring students to own computers would recognize this necessary expense and allow it to be factored into the financial aid process.
It's likely that the 7 percent of students without computers don't have one because they can't afford it. The University is taking a first step to fill this need by loaning 108 laptops to students with financial need this year. This change would further those efforts and help make it possible for every student to afford a computer.
Some may contend that ITC lab computers are just fine for those 7 percent of students. But using a lab computer just isn't the same as owning one. Sure, in theory, students could use the lab computers just as much as they could use a computer at home. But that doesn't actually happen.
Many of the labs aren't open 24 hours. Many of them frequently have lines to use a computer. None of them are located in your room. There are always times when a student might use a computer if it was right in front of him. But he may not get dressed and walk in the rain to a computer lab at 1 a.m. to do the same. He'll have missed out on something that would have contributed to his education simply because he doesn't own a computer.
Borrowing a roommate or neighbor's computer may be an option if they're not using it. But that's unreliable, and it's silly to make students mooch off their friends. Professors wouldn't make students share a textbook. Why should they have to share a computer?
Universal computer ownership opens doors that 80 or 90 or even 99 percent ownership does not. When everyone has a computer, professors can make computer-based assignments mandatory instead of merely optional. Lots of textbooks come with multimedia CD-ROMs. As it stands now, professors can't substitute that material for traditional lectures or readings because they can't count on everyone to have access to them. Few students have the time to do extra work on top of everything else, so the programs are largely ignored. If everyone had a computer, those CDs could be substituted for traditional materials and put to good use.
A number of the University's peer institutions have required students to own computers for several years. They've recognized that computers are not a luxury, they're a fundamental part of a good education. It's time for the University to do the same.
(Bryan Maxwell is a Cavalier Daily associate editor.)
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