7.0131 Rs: Computing Resources--Liberal Arts Colleges (4/154)
Elaine Brennan (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Mon, 23 Aug 1993 16:25:50 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 7, No. 0131. Monday, 23 Aug 1993.
(1) Date: Fri, 20 Aug 93 12:04:07 EDT (16 lines)
From: Peter Graham <psgraham@gandalf.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Re: 7.0129 Computing Resources at Liberal Arts Colleges
(2) Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 11:09:41 -0600 (14 lines)
From: David Bantz <D-Bantz@uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: 7.0129 Computing Resources at Liberal Arts Colleges
(3) Date: 20 Aug 93 14:07:24 EDT (80 lines)
From: "David A. Hoekema" <DHOEKEMA@legacy.Calvin.EDU>
Subject: Re: 7.0129 Computing Resources at Liberal Arts Colleges
(4) Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1993 07:50:20 -0500 (CDT) (44 lines)
From: Eric Johnson <johnsone@dsuvax.dsu.edu>
Subject: computing resources
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 93 12:04:07 EDT
From: Peter Graham <psgraham@gandalf.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Re: 7.0129 Computing Resources at Liberal Arts Colleges (1/21)
From: Peter Graham, Rutgers University Libraries
Willard McCarty, you might usefully get in touch with the Center for
Scholarly Technology at the University of Southern California. With EDUCOM,
they do annual surveys on just the topic of "current state of college (and
university) computing". The phone number in their 10/91 brochure (I seem to
have misplaced last year's survey) is (213) 740-2325; oddly, no email address
is given. 100 Doheny Mem. Lib., LA Calif. 90089-0182. Hope this helps your
survey. --pg
Peter Graham psgraham@gandalf.rutgers.edu Rutgers University Libraries
169 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 (908)932-5908 Fax:(908)932-5888
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------27----
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 11:09:41 -0600
From: David Bantz <D-Bantz@uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: 7.0129 Computing Resources at Liberal Arts Colleges
At 11:54 AM 20o08o93 -0400, W. McCarty wrote:
>I need to know the current state of computing resources, support, and
>curricula at liberal arts colleges in the United States.
Do you mean this in the sense usually used, namely, excluding research and
comprehensive universitites, technical schools, and less-than-4-year
schools?
David Bantz
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------95----
Date: 20 Aug 93 14:07:24 EDT
From: "David A. Hoekema" <DHOEKEMA@legacy.Calvin.EDU>
Subject: Re: 7.0129 Computing Resources at Liberal Arts Colleges (
This will be a quick and cursory reply, but I will cc the director of the
computer center so that she can supplement if she wishes and time permits.
At Calvin College (undergrad liberal arts college with professional programs
in engineering, nursing, and education; very small Master's program in
education; affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church; woefully
underfunded like everyone else but distinguished from other liberal arts
colleges in having only begun to construct an endowment; tuition for 93/4
just under $10K) we have neither required nor particularly recommended that
students have computers in their rooms; I don't know what percentage do. We
have several labs placed around the campus, some dedicated to one purpose
(e.g. a new Mac lab to support an innovative calculus curriculum we are
introducing this year, with the machines running only Mathematica; a room
with machines suitable for CAD/CAM use by engineers; computers to support
lab equipment in chemistry and physics), others available to all. We have
three computer classrooms--one IBM clones, one Mac, one Sun workstations--
which are used by students when classes don't need them. A student coming
here can, I think, reasonably expect to be able to get at a computer in one
of the labs, perhaps after a short wait (some accept reservations). All of
these machines (except the new math lab) are connected to nearby printers
and to the campus network.
Do all students have computers--not even all our faculty have computers yet!
But we are working on it.
As of this fall the campus bookstore will be selling the same machine that
the college has decided on as the new IBM standard (a reasonably fast 486
with a good display), which--unless plans have changed since I was last
updated--will be purchased in pieces and assembled on campus.
Some faculty and staff continue to use mainframe systems, even for word
processing; I believe the cost of replacing terminals with PC's is the main
reason these remain in place. A mainframe (or maybe a mini or super-PC?)
with registration and administrative data is readily available via the
campus network.
Hope this is of some help to you.
--David Hoekema, Academic Dean, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
(this system will insist on attaching a second signature block at the bottom)
|| David Hoekema, Academic Dean, Calvin College (Grand Rapids MI 49546) ||
|| tel. 616 957-6442 || fax 616 957-8551 || <dhoekema@calvin.edu> ||
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------62----
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1993 07:50:20 -0500 (CDT)
From: Eric Johnson <johnsone@dsuvax.dsu.edu>
Subject: computing resources
The following is a reply to Willard McCarty's request for
information about campus computing resources.
At Dakota State University (about 1600 students) in Madison,
South Dakota, we use computers throughout the curriculum. Art
courses include computer graphics. Music majors learn to use
computers to arrange and analyze music. English students learn
to write with word processing, of course, and they use
conferencing and communication programs; they employ computers
for the analysis of literature. In addition, English majors are
required to learn to program: they complete courses in at least
two programming languages. Students in Education, History,
Geography, Mathematics, and Science use appropriate computer
packages. There is a required class for Health and Physical
Education majors to learn to write programs for their applications.
Students in every discipline are expected to use computers.
Several hundred networked 386 and 486 PCs are located in
classroom buildings, the library, and dorms. There is also a
Macintosh lab. The campus has a ratio of about eight students
per PC. Also, as of this fall, all dorm rooms are wired for
network access: students may connect their own computers or they
may rent computers from the bookstore.
The computer support staff has nine F.T.E. in addition to
student labor. In the College of Liberal Arts, several faculty
have become on-site specialists in maintaining computer hardware
and software: for example, one faculty member is knowledgeable
about the installation and (minor) repair of printers, another is
knowledgeable about Windows and desktop publishing software, and
so on.
-- Eric Johnson
JohnsonE@columbia.dsu.edu
johnsone@dsuvax.dsu.edu