Key Program Details

Student Outside

Beginning in the fall of 2005, DePauw University instituted a mandatory laptop requirement for all incoming students.  That year, all first- and second-year students were required to purchase a laptop computer for use in course and campus activities.   In subsequent years, all entering students will be required to purchase a system designated by the University.

This new initiative represents the next step with DePauw's pioneering 361° Initiatives , which were launched in the spring of 2001 to establish DePauw as the preeminent liberal arts college in the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning and to prepare students for professional success after graduation. Students, faculty members, and employers have pointed to a laptop program as the next key initiative in transforming liberal arts education to equip students to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the digital age. We know that ninety-five percent of our students already bring computers to campus, with more than seventy percent of the current first year class bringing laptops. We also know that students nationally spend on average $1,800 to $2,400 on computers for their first year and that eighty percent of students bring computers to campus that were purchased as presents during their senior year in high school. Our laptop initiative will allow us to leverage these investments that parents and students are already making to improve the learning experience while reducing technology costs for the average DePauw family. The initiative will also help the University to sustain its technology resources and leadership position in a more cost-effective and sustainable manner.

  • Beginning in the fall of 2005, all entering and second-year students were required to purchase one of the the DePauw designated "Program Laptops" from Dell or Apple.  Subsequent to the fall semester of 2005, all students entering the University will be required to purchase one of the designated systems.

  • Students enrolled on campus prior to fall of 2004 will have the option of purchasing new computers under the special program pricing, but they will not be required to purchase the new program models.

  • The University will not eliminate all public computer labs or printing facilities. A number of specific departmental and public computer labs will still be maintained for high-end course applications and special purposes.

  • By fall 2005, a campus-wide wireless network will be in place and students will be able to link to the library, course, and University resources.

  • Dedicated on-campus service and support is provided for program laptops to assure that students can count on them in and outside of class.