Buena Vista University is giving every student a laptop computer, but ISU officials said a similar program is not likely at Iowa State.

Buena Vista University in Storm Lake initiated a program to provide the school’s 1,250 undergraduates and about 100 faculty and staff with Gateway wireless computers.

To do this, tuition was increased by about $1,000 per student, but financial aid increased to account for the change, said Ken Clipperton, managing director of university information services at BVU.

The program has been “very, very well-received by students,” he said. “We put in a campus-wide wireless network, so they have access all the time.”

The university elected to provide each student with his or her own computer instead of purchasing more communal desktop computers to conserve space, Clipperton said.

Currently, one program in the ISU College of Education gives students a similar opportunity.

TechCo, a technology grant focused on the integration of technology in the classroom, offered Macintosh iBook computers at half-price to a small group of elementary education students, said Chris Milner, master teacher at the Center for Technology, Learning and Teaching.

“Buena Vista University attached the cost to student fees, while our students just pay up front,” she said. Milner said 21 of the 28 students chose to purchase the computers.

The students use the computers while teaching at North Polk Elementary School as well as in their regular ISU classes.

“We encourage our students to use the computers with the elementary school students,” Milner said. “Presently, the students are in the field having their first experience in an elementary school setting. Right now they’re using the computers to journal, record their observations and reflections.”

The grant exists for the purpose of exploring the capabilities of the computers, Milner said.

“[Students] are basically an experimental group, helping us to find ways to use computers more efficiently,” she said.

Unlike Buena Vista University, Iowa State is not fully wired to accommodate the computers.

“Parts of Lagomarcino [Hall] are wired, and there is a port in the Center for Technology and Learning and Teaching lab,” Milner said. “Just this week we’ve been putting more ports in. Eventually, they will even be able to sit in the courtyard at Lagomarcino and use the computers.”

Education students said they are happy with the program.

“It’s great to be able to take my computer into the classroom,” said Samantha Pasdiora, sophomore in elementary education. “It has all the technology I need, and it’s convenient.”

Currently, the education department is the only program offering laptops to students, although other departments have considered the idea.

Members of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Mass Communication considered requiring students to have laptops, but they decided against it.

“Our impression is that most of our students have computers already, and they seem to be succeeding pretty well with what they’re using now,” said John Eighmey, professor and chairman of the Greenlee School.

Instead of purchasing laptops for students, the Greenlee School purchased 18 dual-processor Macintoshes for one of the computer labs, Eighmey said. About one-third of the journalism classes are taught in the computer labs, he said. Most labs have 18 computers, which he said is a “good size for skills classes, such as reporting.”

Eighmey said the computer issue comes up around the university on occasion. “We have talked about it from time to time as faculty,” he said. “We want to make sure we have good computer resources available to our students, but it would be difficult to require students to use one specific model. We don’t want to be too restricting.”