University students have concerns about the Student Senate’s Computing Mobile Initiative.
Allen Richey, Student Government president, said the concerns and apprehension of many students is understandable.
He said feasibility and necessity of the program are concerns that should be researched during the next semester.
Erin Henderson, an elementary education junior, said she does not think it is necessary for freshman students to have laptops.
Henderson said she does not see the need for every student to have their own mobile computer.
As long as there is computer access on campus, it is not necessary, she said.
Richey said necessity depends on whether or not professors will be able to enhance the learning experience of students.
“I think that if we were to [have] laptops and not use them in the classroom, absolutely, it is not necessary,” he said.
Richey said there needs to be an investigation into the feasibility of funding for students, professors, infrastructure and a support staff.
The laptops have served their purpose if a tangible impact and difference has been made, he said.
Michael Busada, Senate Speaker, said he wants students to understand that their concerns were once concerns of his.
He said the research done for the initiative will enable the University to produce a computing program that is greater than the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Our study found that this initiative is a feasible and realistic project that would be of great advantage to LSU and its students,” Busada said in an e-mail.
He said UNC students showed an overwhelming support for the program at their school, and many suggested the program be brought back to LSU.
“I guess it is a good idea,” Henderson said. “But you have to think about students who don’t have the funding to get laptops.”
She said she thinks having a Computer Mobile Initiative will not singularly contribute to the betterment of Louisiana’s economy.
The problem with the state’s economy goes deeper than having a Computing Mobile Initiative at one state university, Henderson said.
Richey said the program will contribute to the University producing a more educated workforce.
But, the initiative is only a small and important solution to a big problem, he said.
“We have to take this step. And if we don’t, we’re not going to fix this problem,” Busada said.
His e-mail said this would ensure that every student — regardless of economic opportunity — will be able to participate in a technologically driven economy.
Busada said the program will change the curriculum of college and revolutionize the way students are taught in the classroom.
The classrooms University students are used to having will be changed to enhance their educational experience, he said.
Busada said not only will the curriculum change, but said the way information is distributed and how faculty members interact with students also will change.
An e-mail sent by Nicole Smith, a mass communication instructor, said she supports the University embracing technology, but she thinks requiring students to have a laptop is not a key to academic success.
“It also seems to me that the money could be put to other uses, such as allowing students to print for free in university computer labs,” the e-mail said.
Stacy Terrico, an accounting junior, said requiring all work to be done on laptops would be problematic for teachers to put everything online.
She said she has a laptop, but still relies on the CEBA computer lab to do things she cannot do on her own computer.
Busada, who is a member of the Senate’s tech fee review council, said many University faculty members are willing to move forward in technology.
They are looking for more ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, he said.
Technology is coming and it is happening, Busada said. University students and faculty members need to decide whether they want to be leaders in technology, or lag at the bottom of the list like the state normally does, he added.
“If we do this, we will be the leading university in the nation for technological advancement,” Busada said.
Students also have concerns about the cost of the program aside from necessity.
Mandy Alleman, a 22-year-old medical technology freshman, said she could not afford to pay for college when she graduated from high school. She currently works at Wal-Mart and uses student loans to pay for tuition.
“It sucks if you’re poor,” Alleman said.
She said she does not have someone to help her pay for the additional costs of getting a mobile computer.
Richey said there will be research to investigate and look at payment options for students. Grant programs also will be available.
Dayton Womack, an accounting junior, said he feels the University should buy laptops for all students if they are going to be required.
“If they are going to require you to have it, then they should help you with it,” Womack said.
He said he would not be able to keep up with his classes if he were not eligible for the grants and loans supplied to students through the Computing Mobile Initiative.
Womack said he already has loans for school, and would not take out another loan if he did not need it.
Josh Barnett, an undecided freshman, said he knows people who are having a lot of problems with their laptop computers.
“I have a desktop computer and I don’t know if laptops are reliable enough,” Barnett said.
Their arguments can be used to support the Computing Mobile Initiative, Richey said.
He said people who have grown up without a lot of exposure to technology can get the experience in the classroom.
Busada said there will be computer repair stations on campus for students who need them.
UNC students can turn in their laptops for repair and get them back in two hours, he said. He anticipates the LSU repair program to work in a similar fashion.