Department Laptop Initiative
Beginning fall 2009, the Eastern Illinois University Department of Journalism required all entering freshmen and transfer students who are journalism majors to purchase an Apple Macintosh laptop computer. Our surveys show that more than 90 percent of our students own their own computer. With this requirement, we’re attempting to assist students in getting the computer that best serves their academic and professional needs.
Why a laptop requirement?
The EIU Journalism Department is dedicated to maintaining its position as a leader in educating tomorrow’s journalists. Journalists need to be able to report, write, photograph, shoot and edit video and adapt content for a variety of media and applications. Our goal is to graduate the most prepared, most experienced, most talented journalists possible. To support this initiative the department has spent thousands of dollars in recent years to provide students with digital still cameras, video cameras, digital audio recorders and other hardware and specialized software for use by students with their laptops. The department has hired additional faculty in new media and broadcasting to support our offerings. The university is in the process of upgrading the campus wireless network and other infrastructures to further support the laptop initiative. The university also provides on-campus support and repair specialists. The laptop you purchase will be used to work on assignments and projects in classes, in the field and in your residence hall or apartment. You’ll always have the hardware and software at your fingertips.
Why Apple?
The EIU Journalism Department has functioned in an all-Mac environment for more than 20 years. We have found Macs to be easier to support and troubleshoot than their Windows counterparts. Apple’s OS X operating system is far less susceptible to viruses than the Windows operating system. We believe Apple is the dominant platform for new media journalists.
Can I get financial aid assistance to purchase the laptop?
The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 allow for the purchase of a personal computer to be added to a student’s educational expense budget that is used to determine financial aid eligibility. A budget increase does not necessarily result in additional financial aid to cover the cost. Students who have borrowed their annual or aggregate loan limits may not have eligibility remaining. Please contact the EIU Office of Financial Aid for further information at 217-581-6405.
What are my purchasing options?
The EIU Bookstore is offering special hardware/software bundles that will result in substantial savings from the prices offered at the Apple Education Store. The bundle includes a three-year AppleCare Protection Plan with on-campus repair and the following software: Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium, Final Cut Express 4, and iLife Suite. Additional software for word processing and other activities will be provided by the Journalism Department at little or no cost. Visit the bookstore or call 217-581-7234. Be sure to mention that you area journalism major.
The 13-inch MacBook bundle is recommended for students whose concentration is writing and reporting, or editing. The 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Pro is recommended for students whose concentration is broadcast news. Students concentrating in design, photojournalism, new and emerging media, or public relations can choose the bundle which best fits their budget. The MacBook Pro has a faster processor and a larger hard drive than the MacBook.
If you have other questions, please contact the EIU Journalism Department at 217-581-6003 or by e-mail at journal@eiu.edu.
