Laptop Loan Program for Students Takes Off
September 16, 2021
Nearly 100 students have taken advantage of a new laptop loan program on campus this fall.
Ninety-four Chromebooks are currently on loan to students from the college’s Marvin Library. Additional laptops are on loan to students whose academic programs require more specialized technology or software.
“For some students, access to a laptop computer can be the key to academic success and to continuing their path toward a degree. We want every student who may be in need of a laptop to take advantage of this opportunity,” said President Roger Ramsammy.
“This service is a wonderful example of an innovative campus partnership,” said Library Director Brenda Hazard. “The library has a long record of success with lending and providing access to information and technology, too. ITS has a history of building the technical infrastructure of the campus. The laptop lending service combines both of our strengths to meet students’ technology needs at a time when those needs are acute.”
The laptop lending service grew out of a program developed last spring when the college moved to remote learning due to COVID-19. With the purchase of more than 400 new laptops and the acquisition of 300 more from SUNY, the college was able to support students and faculty who didn’t have access to the technology they needed to teach and learn remotely. ITS successfully oversaw that loan program but with the college returning to in-person instruction this fall, the library took over the reins as the hub for the lending service.
Currently-enrolled students may borrow a Chromebook for a full-semester from the library’s first floor service desk on a walk-in basis. Students with specialized computing needs are asked to first check with their faculty members or academic department chair to inquire about the laptop program.
Equipment is due back on December 15, 2021. Loans will be renewed on a semester-by-semester basis for eligible students.
Technical support for those who take advantage of the loan program is available from the Computer Learning Center Help Desk on the lower level of the Marvin Library Learning Commons.