College of Business Laptop Initiative

The future is upon us! From fall semester 2009 onward, students enrolled in mos= t I S courses must provide a laptop for all in-class computer use (because repe= ated funding reductions make it impossible for the College of Business to contin= ue to provide in-class computers). Here is the Col= lege of Business computing recommendation, with two example systems:<= /a>

Component=	CoB Recommendation<= span style=3D'mso-bookmark:_MailEndCompose'>	= Lenovo G550 - Grey - 29586SU=	= Dell Inspiron 15 (1545)
Processor	Dual Core 2.50 GHz	Intel Pentium T4400 2.2 GHz	Intel Pentium Dual Core T4400 2.2 GHz
Operating System	Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit or higher	Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit	Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
Software	MS Office 2007 or 2010	Avail via UWEC/LTS/WISC (~$75)	Avail via UWEC/LTS/WISC (~$75)
RAM	3 GB or more	4 GB	3 GB
Hard Drive	160 GB or more	320 GB	250 GB
Multimedia Drive	CD/DVD Burner (could be external)	CD/DVD recordable	CD/DVD recordable
Network Interface	1Gbps Ethernet	1Gbps Ethernet	1Gbps Ethernet
Wireless Capability	802.11 B/G/N	802.11 B/G	802.11 B/G/N
Battery	6-cell req., 9-cell pref., spare rec’d	6-cell	6-cell
PRICE		$579	$449

Note 1:	= Lenovo are two of many reputable bra= nds; they are shown above only as examples of what’s available. <= /span>Gateway, Toshiba, =
Note 2:	UW-Eau Claire has negotiated special prices on Dell and Apple computers. Click here to= see the website describing them
Note 3:	Adequate used laptops in good condition are available = via
Note 4:	Prices seem to vary almost by the day, so the ones sho= wn here aren’t guaranteed.
Note 5:	Purchase software through the Wisconsin Integrated Software Catalog (often called WI= SC). Software such as the Windows Operating System (7, XP, Vista, etc.) and the Microsoft Office software s= uite (Word, Excel, etc.) is generally much less expensive through WISC. For example, Dell charges about $350 for Microsoft Office 2007 Professional, = but UW System students can purchase it for $72 through WISC.

A number of student surveys indicate that IS students fall into four categori= es with regard to personal laptop access for in-class use:

Catego= ry	Commen= t
1.	~60% - “No problem. I already have one.”	Your l= aptop need not entirely meet the College of Business computer recommendation; for example, all software required in the IS program runs (slowly) on a PC with a 1.2 GHz single-core CPU, 1 GB of RAM, and a 60 GB hard drive.=
2.	~15% - “No problem. I was going to get one anyway.”	Adequa= te laptops currently start at ~$400. The Financial Aid Office tells me vario= us types of loans are available to help most students cover the extra expense of t= hese laptops, depending on each student’s FAFSA financial need, amount already borrowed and, (in some cases) credit score. (Note that these loan= s do take a few weeks to approve/process.)
3.	~20% - “Small problem, but… I’ll get one via parents, financial aid, etc.”<= /b>
4.	~5% - “Big problem. I have no way to get one.”	Uh-oh.=

We IS faculty highly value all our students! We want every one of you to succe= ed. Therefore, the IS Department is pleased to offer a “Laptop Relief Scholarship” for our students in category 4 above. While we cannot guarantee a laptop to all students who see themselves in category 4, we will very willingly do what we can.

If you see yourself in category 4, apply for a laptop relief scholarship. Here= are the details:

Scholarship Title:	· IS Laptop Relief Scholarship
Award: multiple laptops awarded per scholarship	· &nbs= p; $700 for a laptop PC that meets = the College of Business computer recommendation · &nbs= p; No on-campus maintenance is included; factory maintenance agreements apply. · &nbs= p; The award is assumed to be permanent; only recipients who leave the IS major before graduation must return the scholarship to the IS Department.
Eligibility Criteria:	· &nbs= p; IS major · &nbs= p; Demonstrate financial need<= /o:p>
Award Criteria:	· &nbs= p; Extent of financial need · &nbs= p; GPA · &nbs= p; Honors earned<= /p> · &nbs= p; Work experience · &nbs= p; Extracurricular activities<= /o:p> · &nbs= p; Leadership · &nbs= p; Character
Application Procedure:	· Applications accepted once a yea= r, early each spring semester · Submit a letter of application, a current unofficial UW Eau-Claire transcript, your current résumé and a biographical essay (500-1,500 words). In the f= irst section of the essay explain your financial need. In subsequent sections discuss honors received, work experience, and extracurricular activities; in all sections emphasize your leadership and character. Email your application to the IS Scholarship Committee chair at = ISscholarships@UWEC.edu.
Application Deadline:	~ First Friday in March
Award Notification:	~Third Friday in March
Award Receipt:	Paid into recipient’s UW-Eau Clai= re account; check mailed ~second week of fall semester

Let’s do this!

Updated 1/28/2010