Students

College of Fine Arts Laptop Initiative

Laptop Initiative Purposes and Benefits

In this increasingly digital era, the ubiquitous use of personal computers has created possibilities for new learning environments. The College of Fine Arts recognizes that many of our majors have specific demands for the use of computers and the Laptop Initiative has been adopted to create the optimal teaching and learning environment. As an Apple College, we have worked closely with Apple’s Higher Education Specialists to provide the best machines at the best prices available. The prices arranged for the College of Fine Arts are reduced even more than the generous education discount available to all students.

The purpose of the College of Fine Arts laptop initiative is to increase the quality of the student experience by providing personal workstation availability and better access to network resources and online learning opportunities. Students will be equipped with more effective tools to learn, communicate, organize, and complete assignments. In addition to greatly reduced pricing for the laptops, expenses will be reduced over the long term as students have more access to less costly learning materials. By incorporating the laptop initiative into the College educational experience, students will be better prepared for lifelong learning and employment in the information age.

Why a Mac?

All classes in the College using digital tools are taught on Apple computers. Class assignments and projects are all based on Mac applications and in Mac based file formats. Apple computers were created from the beginning with the creative person in mind and are the perfect solution for digital creation and manipulation of sound, image, and video.

Key benefits

Improve student learning. The initiative will allow for improved class preparation, research, homework, and study; facilitate better organization, planning, and scheduling; enhance collaboration and group learning; and provide 24-hour access to a personal workstation. Additionally, a student's proficiency and quality of work will be increased while preparing them for the workforce.

Incorporate technology into the curriculum. Many of the courses in the College of Fine Arts have an emphasis on the use of technology and digital resources. The Laptop Initiative allows a more effective delivery of these curricula and provides students with a richer learning experience both in and out of the classroom.

Broaden access and increase flexibility. When every student brings a laptop to class, any classroom can become a laptop lab. Instructors will no longer be tied to the limited availability of computer labs on campus.

Encourage internally developed course materials, reference libraries, and resources. Faculty will be increasingly encouraged to publish digital resources to supplement and facilitate learning. In some cases, these resources, along with e-textbooks, may entirely or partially replace the need for printed textbooks in some courses.

Laptop Requirement

All College of Fine Arts students are strongly encouraged to have an Apple laptop. Instructors may invite students to bring their laptops to class for hands on instruction and the completion of assignments. The acquisition of a laptop is strongly recommended for all students in the College and is required for many programs in the College beginning with the Fall 2009 semester. Please check with your department/school to see which majors require a laptop. The University Campus Store will also have information for specific requirements of individual majors in the College. They will be happy to help coordinate your purchase. A lease plan is also available through the Bookstore to allow students to spread out the payments over four (4) semesters – visit the University Campus Store for more details.

Students are encouraged to purchase College recommended laptops and Apple Care through the University Campus Store. Agreements with vendors provide the best price, technology, and technical support. The negotiated prices on specific models listed through the Bookstore are lower than students can obtain by ordering directly through Apple.

Students can acquire their laptop from other sources as long as the laptop meets the minimum requirement for entry-level machines as specified by the College of Fine Arts.

Financial Aid

The University does not have a specific program to fund laptops for students. However, the cost of a laptop may be factored into the Cost of Attendance for financial aid purposes. This may allow students to maximize financial aid eligibility. Students will need to complete the FAFSA application to be considered for federal and university need-based aid. Instructions on how to complete the application is provided on the Student Financial Aid website.