Regardless of a student's discipline or major, UC Davis is recognizing that computing will play an increasingly important role in higher education. From using email to enhancing student-faculty communications to conducting academic research, computers allow students to accomplish a broad range of educational activities. And when they graduate, this basic computer literacy will increase their marketability.

Acknowledging the importance of student computing on campus -- and with input from the Academic Senate -- the Academic Computing Coordinating Council (AC4) last year developed a statement of expectation for student computer ownership. Adopted by UC Davis this past spring, the statement announces that beginning in Fall 2001 "every entering undergraduate student will be expected to own a computer that meets certain minimum performance standards and that can connect effectively to the Internet."

This statement does not represent a revolutionary leap for UC Davis, but rather an evolutionary step that simply affirms what undergraduate students themselves already seem to know -- that computer ownership and literacy play an acute role in a university education. In the last four years, student computer ownership has risen dramatically on campus. During the 1996/97 academic year, slightly fewer than 65 percent of incoming students opening new computer accounts indicated they had a computer for their personal use. The same question asked of incoming students opening new computer accounts this fall indicates that almost 94 percent already have a computer for their personal use this year. Additionally, a random sample survey conducted in March 2000 indicated that 85 percent of all UC Davis computer room users own a computer.

UC Davis is not alone in its drive to formally associate ubiquitous access to computing equipment with academic success. For example:

• Since 1990, Dartmouth (less than 6,000 students) has required incoming students to own a PC.
• Since 1997, Georgia Tech, (approximately 14,000 students) has required new first-year students to own a computer.

But the issue is not being driven only by schools with smaller student populations. Other universities across the country with larger student populations are also beginning to implement some form of computer recommendation or requirement. For example:

• Penn State, (nearly 80,000 students) is "strongly recommending" that first-year students own a computer beginning this fall.
• The University of Florida, (44,000 students) in 1998 began expecting each of its students to "acquire computer hardware and software appropriate to his or her degree program."
• Beginning this fall, UNC-Chapel Hill (24,000 students) requires undergraduate students to own laptops that meet university specifications.

Across the ten University of California campuses, only Berkeley -- and now Davis (25,000 students) -- has some form of student computer ownership recommendation, although several other campuses are exploring the issue. For example, UCLA has undertaken a detailed analysis of strategies available to provide universal ownership of computing resources for all students.

After the recommendation to adopt the Student Computer Ownership Expectation Statement, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Robert Grey charged Vice Provost for Information and Educational Technology John Bruno with leading the effort to communicate and support the expectation. This will be no small task as a record pool of more than 25,000 new applications were processed in order to enroll a freshman class of about 4,300 this fall.

Vice Provost Bruno, in consultation with Vice Chancellors Janet Hamilton and Carol Wall, created a workgroup of professionals from the IT organization, Student Affairs, and the Office of Administration. The workgroup has been charged with the following goals:

• Develop a communication plan.
• Determine special departmental computing needs.
• Contract with one or more vendors to supply the recommended hardware and software at competitive prices.
• Pursue additional sources of financial support for students with exceptional needs, including exploring what vendors can do to lower costs of hardware and software.
• Update the Recommended Solution for hardware and software.
• Develop a support plan for implementing the Fall 2001 Statement of Expectation.

The workgroup is working on this charge and expects to report its progress to Vice Provost Bruno by November 10.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for the workgroup, contact Pat Kava, the workgroup chair at: mpkava@ucdavis.edu