College campuses are hothouses of data, including course schedules, degree requirements, and grades. But much of the information remains spread out across software systems or locked on university servers. Start-up companies want to pry the information loose from campus servers in order to offer personalized services that could transform the…

Clarkson University provides each student with a Zenith microcomputer, the cost covered by tuition, eliminating many problems of computer availability and opening doors in the curriculum that were previously closed. (MSE)

A number of universities now require all students to have computers, charging additional tuition to cover costs of hardware, networking, and technical support. Despite frustrations of extensive computer systems and technological change, most feel the programs are worthwhile and address the limitations of campus computer labs. Laptops have become…

As Abilene and other research networks designed to substantially enhance research capabilities join the Internet, network managers are concerned about unforeseen problems with the untested systems and their complex connections. (MSE)

TeleLearning System, Incorporated plans to offer correspondence courses by computer. Fifteen universities are participating in TeleLearning Network pilot programs; however, none of the courses are recognized for credit at this time. The courses combine the traditional correspondence course approach with the modern technology of…

At Boston College (Massachusetts), chemistry faculty are incorporating advanced technology into the classroom to motivate students to further study. A new $31 million chemistry center allows computer-based simulated experiments, computer-assisted instruction, and advanced graphics for visualization. Despite use of incentives, some student…

Describes the increasing trend of incorporating electronic commerce methods to purchasing systems at colleges and universities. Provides examples from the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University (Massachusetts), California State University at Fullerton, and the University of California at Los Angeles. (DB)

College administrators are complaining that "Yahoo! Internet Life" magazine used a flawed surveying process and inaccurate data to select the institutions it named in a recent ranking of "American's 100 Most Wired Colleges." Even some institutions faring well in the ranking have concerns about the survey, citing problems with…

A recent study rated colleges and universities on computer connectedness, using such criteria as faculty use of the Internet for academic purposes (online homework, course home pages, online academic materials); required courses in Internet use; computers, wires, and network connections for students and faculty; non-academic Internet services…

To improve availability of sound recordings for music students, Indiana University has digitized over 1,300 selections and made them available on two computer network servers. High-quality audio technology provides compact-disc-quality sound. Some technical difficulties remain, but users have adapted well to the new system. (MSE)

The pressure on colleges to train teachers who can use new technology effectively is increasing from state and national sources, but few colleges of education have incorporated computers into the curriculum outside computer literacy or instructional technology courses. Experts agree computer use should extend to methods and subject courses. (MSE)

In California, home of many computer companies, community colleges are having difficulty acquiring computers and training faculty to use them. Observers are concerned that high-technology jobs, vital to the state's economy, may have to be filled from out of state. However, level of technology varies widely by institution, and a few offer…

A versatile new facility at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana) has doubled the number of classrooms on campus and provides centralized multimedia instruction, controlled by classroom consoles. A 24-hour computer room is available to students, and faculty are provided with grants to adapt instructional materials for the new technology. (MSE)

Colleges competing to offer distance education are using aggressive marketing tactics to gain visibility. Some observers wonder whether educational interests or marketing agencies are driving the trend. The agencies offer varied services, including course creation, course conversion to electronic format, faculty training for online teaching,…

The seventh annual campus computing survey found the adoption rate of high-technology tools for college instruction has slowed. Although technology centers serving faculty are common, most institutions have few formal rewards for faculty use of technology. Data are presented on trends in proportions of courses using technology for various purposes…