Technology Campus
Mobile devices, tablets, personal computers, and other technologies have greatly influenced the lifestyle of persons everywhere, especially those of twenty-first century Duhawks. In 2001, Loras College declared itself to be a “Laptop Campus”. This meant, every student and faculty member would receive their own personal computer and wireless internet would be accessible campus-wide. While it may be hard for current Duhawks to imagine a life without these resources, the transition to being a technology driven campus brought a great number of obstacles and challenges for both students and faculty alike.
In 2001, one of the top songs on the pop culture charts was “What a Girl Wants” by Christina Aguilera. If the lyrics of this song could have been changed to, “What a Duhawk Wants”, the answer to this question, at the start of the new millennium, most likely would have been a new personal computer. Unfortunately, not all Duhawks shared in this excitement and desire to transition from paper to screens. While few students had trouble adapting, older professors and faculty members were not as accustomed to using computers as a resource. A great deal of teaching and encouragement occurred over the years following the change, helping persons utilize the technologies in ways which would overall benefit students. The College realized that the new millennium was bringing much technological advancement and growth, and making these changes would ultimately benefit the student body.
The change eliminated the need for computer labs and meant each student would be given a brand new Lenovo laptop. Becoming a laptop campus allowed more interaction to take place amongst students and faculty outside the classroom. Faculty were able to access e-mail at all hours of the day and students could email their professors for help at any time. Students were also able to start doing homework at all times of the day instead of being restricted by the limited hours available to get to the computer lab. In this same year Loras College was adding the Center for Experiential Learning and the Academic Resource Center to campus. The technical changes significantly shaped both the community and identity of Duhawks over the next decade.
Loras College also used the laptops to create a new requirement for students. An electronic portfolio was required of each student for graduation. This portfolio was a collaboration of artifacts and papers that reflected the Loras College dispositions and was used to create a tangible source of the liberal arts education they received. Making the portfolios electronic kept student’s work polished because each student could store information on the web, giving them access to it at all times without the mess of paper.
Loras alum Brian Kallback (’02) played baseball at Loras and was a large advocate of the athletic teams at Loras. He discussed how the laptops changed the classroom and the culture at Loras. “At first, laptops were a bother to many teachers and some would ask students to not even bring the devices to class. Many teachers were not ready for the change and felt as if the personal computers were quite distracting to students in their class.” Personally, Brian said that he enjoyed getting a laptop for papers and projects. He also agreed that they became a more useful tool as they became a part of Loras College everyday life. Social networking, email, and instant messaging became part of the college student identity as Duhawks used their laptops to interact, network, express themselves, and more. (Kallback, 2014)
Loras also introduced Inside Loras, a campus wide home page, at this time. The page linked Duhawks to everything Loras College. Students and faculty could see announcements and press releases instantaneously. Additionally, they could search for just about anything related to the college by accessing the page. Links to courses offered and descriptions, information about study aboard, campus ministry updates, café hours, campus security, campus billing information, and a link to elearn the campus wide classroom tool in which teachers post class information and students can upload assignments to and post in classroom message boards. Many teachers love the features of elearn and some do not use paper at all in their classes as a result. Students enjoy uploading assignments this way instead because they do not have to frantically run to print before class. Now, bills can be paid online and registration for classes can be done by a few clicks of the mouse.
Becoming a laptop campus also required the college to thoroughly examine existing security policies. Policies became specific to laptops and other mobile technologies. Mobile devices, for example, raised concern among security officers for their potentially damaging effects on the college’s network. Information technology officers continuously viewed network and data security as the single most important issue confronting the institution over the next two to three years. The laptops also required a more robust and comprehensive wireless network compared to the wired infrastructure already in place on campus.
Many teachers were not happy about all of these changes. Adapting courses to fit new technology functions was a large concern as many elderly teachers were unwilling to do this. Even today there are still professors that do not want to unitize online databases or email. Teachers were worried the technology would be a distraction in the classroom. In addition they believed the creation of E-learn or online calendars would give students more of a reason to skip class and become less involved in classroom discussion.
In 2012, Loras College tried something completely new. In an effort to get students’ opinions, the college allowed students to vote on the next edition of the laptop to be brought to campus. The newest laptop introduced was the Lenovo ThinkPad 410 or more cleverly titled the “Twist”. It was enabled with Windows 8 touch screen capability and could be used as either a tablet or a laptop. Students were intrigued by the new sleek design of the twist and it was the clear cut winner of the vote. According to a press release on the Inside Loras webpage, “Loras has been a laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad) campus for the past fourteen years and will be the first higher education institution in Iowa to commit to the Lenovo Twist. Students can take their laptops everywhere, on-or off-campus, studying abroad, service trips, or home for breaks.” Overall students were satisfied with the change, but some complained about the sensitivity of the touch screen and the lack of CD and DVD drive.
Loras College is also stepping into a new social realm through the use of technology. Today, almost every Loras College club, organization and sports team has its own Facebook and Twitter account. Even President Collins has a twitter account and will frequently post about the positive events and changes at Loras. Students post about Loras College on a daily basis and stay informed about many things on campus through email and social media. Students involved in Dance Marathon can receive online donations and post about events and fundraisers to increase involvement. Alumni also have created pages to connect with current student to find internships and jobs after graduation. Loras College is not only becoming a new social microcosm but bringing pop culture as well through the social media. The popular twitter lingo and hashtags have been adopted into the college culture such as the phrases #Lyeah, #duhawkssupportingduhawks, and #duwhat. These catchy phrases have drawn in more school spirit and made students feel connected directly with the world of Loras College in a new and exciting way.
In 2001, Loras took a risk by becoming a laptop campus, but it resulted in making the school one of the most cutting edge, up-to-date technology campuses in Iowa. Technology is shrinking the campus but it is also growing the identity of the Duhawk each and every day.
In 2001, one of the top songs on the pop culture charts was “What a Girl Wants” by Christina Aguilera. If the lyrics of this song could have been changed to, “What a Duhawk Wants”, the answer to this question, at the start of the new millennium, most likely would have been a new personal computer. Unfortunately, not all Duhawks shared in this excitement and desire to transition from paper to screens. While few students had trouble adapting, older professors and faculty members were not as accustomed to using computers as a resource. A great deal of teaching and encouragement occurred over the years following the change, helping persons utilize the technologies in ways which would overall benefit students. The College realized that the new millennium was bringing much technological advancement and growth, and making these changes would ultimately benefit the student body.
The change eliminated the need for computer labs and meant each student would be given a brand new Lenovo laptop. Becoming a laptop campus allowed more interaction to take place amongst students and faculty outside the classroom. Faculty were able to access e-mail at all hours of the day and students could email their professors for help at any time. Students were also able to start doing homework at all times of the day instead of being restricted by the limited hours available to get to the computer lab. In this same year Loras College was adding the Center for Experiential Learning and the Academic Resource Center to campus. The technical changes significantly shaped both the community and identity of Duhawks over the next decade.
Loras College also used the laptops to create a new requirement for students. An electronic portfolio was required of each student for graduation. This portfolio was a collaboration of artifacts and papers that reflected the Loras College dispositions and was used to create a tangible source of the liberal arts education they received. Making the portfolios electronic kept student’s work polished because each student could store information on the web, giving them access to it at all times without the mess of paper.
Loras alum Brian Kallback (’02) played baseball at Loras and was a large advocate of the athletic teams at Loras. He discussed how the laptops changed the classroom and the culture at Loras. “At first, laptops were a bother to many teachers and some would ask students to not even bring the devices to class. Many teachers were not ready for the change and felt as if the personal computers were quite distracting to students in their class.” Personally, Brian said that he enjoyed getting a laptop for papers and projects. He also agreed that they became a more useful tool as they became a part of Loras College everyday life. Social networking, email, and instant messaging became part of the college student identity as Duhawks used their laptops to interact, network, express themselves, and more. (Kallback, 2014)
Loras also introduced Inside Loras, a campus wide home page, at this time. The page linked Duhawks to everything Loras College. Students and faculty could see announcements and press releases instantaneously. Additionally, they could search for just about anything related to the college by accessing the page. Links to courses offered and descriptions, information about study aboard, campus ministry updates, café hours, campus security, campus billing information, and a link to elearn the campus wide classroom tool in which teachers post class information and students can upload assignments to and post in classroom message boards. Many teachers love the features of elearn and some do not use paper at all in their classes as a result. Students enjoy uploading assignments this way instead because they do not have to frantically run to print before class. Now, bills can be paid online and registration for classes can be done by a few clicks of the mouse.
Becoming a laptop campus also required the college to thoroughly examine existing security policies. Policies became specific to laptops and other mobile technologies. Mobile devices, for example, raised concern among security officers for their potentially damaging effects on the college’s network. Information technology officers continuously viewed network and data security as the single most important issue confronting the institution over the next two to three years. The laptops also required a more robust and comprehensive wireless network compared to the wired infrastructure already in place on campus.
Many teachers were not happy about all of these changes. Adapting courses to fit new technology functions was a large concern as many elderly teachers were unwilling to do this. Even today there are still professors that do not want to unitize online databases or email. Teachers were worried the technology would be a distraction in the classroom. In addition they believed the creation of E-learn or online calendars would give students more of a reason to skip class and become less involved in classroom discussion.
In 2012, Loras College tried something completely new. In an effort to get students’ opinions, the college allowed students to vote on the next edition of the laptop to be brought to campus. The newest laptop introduced was the Lenovo ThinkPad 410 or more cleverly titled the “Twist”. It was enabled with Windows 8 touch screen capability and could be used as either a tablet or a laptop. Students were intrigued by the new sleek design of the twist and it was the clear cut winner of the vote. According to a press release on the Inside Loras webpage, “Loras has been a laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad) campus for the past fourteen years and will be the first higher education institution in Iowa to commit to the Lenovo Twist. Students can take their laptops everywhere, on-or off-campus, studying abroad, service trips, or home for breaks.” Overall students were satisfied with the change, but some complained about the sensitivity of the touch screen and the lack of CD and DVD drive.
Loras College is also stepping into a new social realm through the use of technology. Today, almost every Loras College club, organization and sports team has its own Facebook and Twitter account. Even President Collins has a twitter account and will frequently post about the positive events and changes at Loras. Students post about Loras College on a daily basis and stay informed about many things on campus through email and social media. Students involved in Dance Marathon can receive online donations and post about events and fundraisers to increase involvement. Alumni also have created pages to connect with current student to find internships and jobs after graduation. Loras College is not only becoming a new social microcosm but bringing pop culture as well through the social media. The popular twitter lingo and hashtags have been adopted into the college culture such as the phrases #Lyeah, #duhawkssupportingduhawks, and #duwhat. These catchy phrases have drawn in more school spirit and made students feel connected directly with the world of Loras College in a new and exciting way.
In 2001, Loras took a risk by becoming a laptop campus, but it resulted in making the school one of the most cutting edge, up-to-date technology campuses in Iowa. Technology is shrinking the campus but it is also growing the identity of the Duhawk each and every day.