UW students set national technology trends

Almost every college student has a computer these days, and UW–Madison students are no different. In response to the increasing level of technical awareness among its students, UW–Madison is working to enhance the technology resources on campus.

A recent study by Harris Interactive showed that about 92 percent of U.S. college students have a computer. That finding is in line with the results of UW–Madison’s 10th annual student survey, which measured computer ownership among UW students at 91 percent (up from about 40 percent in 1994).

The UW student survey also found:

• Incoming freshmen are more “wired” than their predecessors and are more likely to own a computer than many upperclassmen.

• Forty-six percent of students own a cell phone, up from 31 percent last year and only 11 percent in 1999.

• Personal digital assistant ownership increased from 12 percent to 15 percent.

• Females were more likely than males to be cell phone users (54 percent vs. 38 percent), but more males owned PDAs (18 percent vs. 12 percent).

• Laptop ownership is moving upward at 34 percent.

“The computer ownership trend at UW is right on with national trends,” says Barry Radler, who conducted the survey for the UW–Madison Division of Information Technology. “We did see some differences, though. Mobile phone ownership among students nationwide, for example, is 69 percent and only 46 percent at UW. But I would bet that UW students may have already caught up with the national statistic.”

Mindful of its technically savvy student population, UW–Madison is offering an array of new services:

• Enrollment on the Web: Students can now enroll in, change, add, and drop courses on the Web, using the My UW–Madison portal. Web enrollment replaces a phone-based voice registration system.

• A new concept in computer labs: A new InfoLab in Union South offers 30 fixed computing workstations and has 20 more wireless-equipped laptops available for loan to students. The laptops enable students to move around the building as they collaborate with others in a comfortable, unstructured setting.

• Self-service access to student information: The Integrated Student Information System is now Web-enabled, providing students with easier, more convenient access to important information on enrollment, grades, and various financial accounts.