Catie Straut '07

The Academy will now require each new student to purchase a standard laptop beginning in September, 2005.

Each student will receive a laptop in September and be required to pay a yearly technology fee of $625. This fee will apply to every year the student is at Deerfield with no differentiation between one, two, three, or four year students. During the transition period there will be different fee structures for new and returning students.

The yearly fee will be separate from the current "Book/Technology Fee" (soon to be the "Textbook and Academic Services Fee" to avoid confusion). However, this yearly fee will allow students and parents to pay for new laptops in small installments.

"What makes our program special is that financial aid will be provided in support of this initiative," said Wendy Shepard, chairman of the information technology services department. The financial aid office will evaluate technology fee waivers on a case by case basis. In addition, day students and employees' children will both be assessed this new technology fee.

The main benefit of the proposal is that every new student will have equal access to all technological opportunities available. Those students who currently do not have the standard laptop computer are at a disadvantage, especially because they cannot get support from Deerfield technicians. Those with the standard laptop can always be helped at ITS and have complete access to the ITS loaner laptops.

Another important advantage of the new proposal is that teachers will be able to require computers for classes and can ask students to bring in their laptops without worrying about compliance problems. This freedom can broaden the technological educational aspect of the classroom.

The administration and information technology staff are enthusiastic in their support of the proposal, and believe it will be seen as an attractive benefit for prospective students.