Technology is central to the mission of education at Drew. At most other universities, instructional computing needs are met by hundreds of computers in computer labs that students are often required to use, even if they have their own computers. At Drew, the computing lab is every student’s laptop. Drew supplies a standard notebook computer for an additional charge on the term bill. Many courses require the use of the computer both in and out of class, and almost all courses rely on the student’s access to a standard computer at any time. The Drew network is designed with special features to support academic courses, including shared space that is automatically reserved for the faculty and students in each course. With ubiquitous computing, students have 24 hour access to a fully managed computing environment, customized for the student’s needs and coursework, and fully supported by the technology organization. Drew instituted a ubiquitous computing strategy for instructional technology in 1984. Drew was the first liberal arts college in the US to provide computers to students, and has been awarded a Pioneer Award by the national organization EDUCAUSE for its student computer program. You can learn more at the Computer Initiative Museum.

The Drew computer comes pre-configured with a standard software package, a three or four year warranty (Mac or PC) and accidental damage coverage (PC only), fully supported through the CNS Helpdesk and an on-campus repair shop. Because of the University’s academic and volume discounts, the purchase price is well below list price, and the University offers a financing option that allows the cost to be spread over four semesters.
Students who entered the College of Liberal Arts in 2010 had the choice of the Lenovo ThinkPad L412 notebook computer, or an upgrade model, the ThinkPad T410.

Drew University Computer Initiative Benefits

Meets Curricular Requirements

  • Required notebooks create anytime, anywhere, 1-to-1 computing environment
  • Required for in-class use in many courses
  • Fully configured for Drew network
  • Network access to software
  • Wireless access to Drew network

On-Campus Technical Support

  • Warranty repair shop
  • Helpdesk supports both standard computer and standard software
  • Re-imaging service available when needed
  • Loaners available during extended repair
  • Software updates
  • Virus protection updates
  • Security patches deployed through network
  • Computer training for all incoming students

Industry Standard Software

  • Microsoft Office Campus Agreement (allows you to receive upgrades while you are at Drew and to have a perpetual license after graduation)
  • Novell GroupWise email client
  • Virus protection
  • Academic software on network including
    • Mathematica
    • SPSS
    • Mathcad
    • EViews

Drew Computing Community

  • Faculty—Know what computers students have and plan courses to leverage standard technology
  • Students—Have the same computer, fostering common knowledge base about its use and features, and can share components
  • Drew Technical Staff–Have expertise in configuration and repair of this computer
  • Drew Technical Staff–Test new applications for the next four years to ensure compatibility with this computer, and provide regular software updates