Sept. 23, 2002

Rensselaer Mobile Computing Program a Topic at EDUCAUSE Conference

	Gary Gold

Barely a month after Rensselaer's four-year plan to equip all undergrads with laptops was officially completed, the director of academic and research computing has already been invited to discuss the program at EDUCAUSE, a well-known conference for information technology professionals in higher education.

Sharon Roy will explore the ins and outs of the Mobile Computing Program at IBM's booth at EDUCAUSE's 2002 gathering in Atlanta Oct. 1-4. She will give a brief overview of Rensselaer, describe the university's relationship with IBM (the corporate partner in the program), and discuss some of the logistical issues that come with mandating portable PC use on a college campus.

Michael Smedlen, of IBM Education's PC division, said he asked Roy to speak because he believed that "Rensselaer has firmly established itself as a leader in mobile computing in higher education" and that the booth presentation "is an excellent opportunity to showcase Rensselaer and its commitment to technology."

"I think we have an important story to tell here," agreed Roy, explaining that other universities have implemented their own laptop policies, but that Rensselaer is one of the first technological schools to do so.

"The fact that laptops are integrated into the curriculum, the fact that more than half of our classrooms are wired, the fact that students aren't required to buy our computers but most do because of the attractive packages we put together with IBM, and the fact that we've done this with support and help of the faculty, the Office of the Provost, Enrollment Management, Residence Life, and Financial Aid-these are all things that people want to hear about, and I'm happy to talk about it," Roy said.