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The Dean's office is pleased to announce the fourth and final round of
funding for faculty computer upgrades, made possible by a generous gift from
Judy and Russell Carson '65. Eligible faculty (i.e., all A&S assistant,
associate, and full professors hired in rank before July 1, 2003) may use the
program to purchase computer equipment to help support teaching and research.
For this round, faculty must make their purchase between July 1, 2005 and June
30, 2008. The faculty have two options to consider: select one of the
laptop configurations described on the Computer Sales and Service Web site,
or take a $1,600 credit toward a purchase of your choice
As computing technology evolves, laptops are becoming more useful as their
capabilities come close to standard desktop computers, but offer the advantages
of portability. Adding a wireless card enables you to use a laptop to connect
to the network from any point on campus. In addition, laptops offer a good
alternative for use in smart classrooms. Every smart classroom has video and
networking ports to accommodate the use of laptop computers. If you use a
laptop in the classroom, you will always know where your files are and how to
launch your programs. Note, too, that Computing Services has begun to place
Windows computers in some of the smart classrooms. This reflects the growing
use of the Windows operating system on campus. In the near future, as many as
half of the smart classrooms may have Windows computers installed in them.
Faculty should take note of this; one of the best ways to ensure you get the
system you want while using a smart classroom is to bring your own laptop.
If you have questions or want to discuss the pros and cons of laptops in
detail, we urge you to contact your division's computing consultant (Humanities
- Susan Bibeau or Tom Garbelotti; Anthropology,
Economics, Government, History, Sociology, AAAS, LACS, LATS, Mathematics and
Social Sciences, Native American Studies, and Rockefeller - Barbara Mellert; Biology,
Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Environmental Studies - Nicole Hamilton; and PBS,
Education, Geography, Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science - Kevin Grady). Questions
concerning the use of computers in smart classrooms should be directed to Andrew Faunce.
This round of the Carson grant is scheduled to last three years. During this
period, computers will evolve and change a great deal. Information on the
current
laptop configurations are available on the Web.
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