Members of the Bowdoin Information Technology (IT) Department addressed the Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) on February 9 to detail plans for expanding the technology distribution program. Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Michael Cato spoke to the group about including MacBook computers in addition to iPads for all existing and incoming students.

The program is slated to begin in the fall of 2022 and would apply to all enrolled students at that time. Incoming first year students will receive iPad minis, an Apple pencil and a MacBook, while existing students will keep their school-distributed iPads and receive a MacBook. The same one dollar buyout program will be available for the MacBooks as the iPads.

One of the advantages of school-issued devices is the accessibility of software. Ensuring that all students have laptops from the school, the IT department will have more control over making software easily accessible to all students as well as consistently up-to-date.

The goal of the program expansion is to allow a more equitable technology experience for all students, regardless of field of study.

“We want to make sure that every student has the same level of access to computing resources in establishing a different baseline,” Cato said. “So no matter the classes you are enrolled in, you know for sure that you have the computing resources to be successful in every class.”

The team has yet to finalize the program but plans to make an official announcement in the coming weeks. Following this, they hope to begin a student trial program for the iPad minis to test run their functionality on campus.