Lyon's wireless environment extends the teaching and learning community
throughout the campus and provides a wealth of opportunities for community
building and communication. For Fall 2008, Lyon will provide all entering
students with laptop computers. This will ...
• level the playing field from the start for all entering students and
provide "equal access to success"
• provide tools for communications within the
campus and beyond.
The Lenovo ThinkPad R61 laptops are part of the college's Lyon Experience Program that also features college-supported overseas travel and an experiential transcript that documents student accomplishments outside the classroom.
CDW Government, Inc. of Vernon Hills, Ill., a leading source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to educators and governments, was selected to provide ThinkPad R61 laptops to Lyon's incoming freshmen and transfer students. Lyon will lease and maintain the computers, which will be loaded with classroom-relevant software and e-mail and wireless capabilities, and make loaner laptops available to students as needed.
Lyon was among the first institutions in the state to feature a fully wireless campus and the first college in the state and one of about 200 nationally to provide all new students with laptops.
The laptops' features include an integrated fingerprint reader for information protection, hard drive shock protection, metal hinges and roll cage that increases durability, wireless and Bluetooth capabilities and web cams. The laptops also have drains within the computer to keep the hard drive safe if a student were to accidentally spill something on the laptop.