Huston-Tillotson College Opens Dell Computer LaboratoryAUSTIN, Texas
Last month, Huston-Tillotson College officials unveiled its corporate-sponsored Dell Computer Laboratory, which is housed in the Dickey-Lawless building.
The unveiling follows last year's announcement by Dell Computer Corp. officials of its $300,000 donation to Huston-Tillotson, the company's largest to a historically Black college or university. The donation came with an undesignated number of computers, which allowed the college to dedicate space for the computer laboratory. Dell Computer Corp. is located in Red Rock, Texas, and is near the Austin-based school.
Dr. Larry L. Earvin, president of Huston-Tillotson College, says the college has made significant advances in technology within the past two years and the Dell donation will complement existing strategies. Students at Huston-Tillotson College have access to more than 250 computers, wireless network capabilities in the residence halls and in other areas used most by students, in addition to computer laboratories in a majority of the campus buildings, and distance-learning classes.
The technology advances made at the college caught the attention of Texas legislators during the last legislative session. The 77th Texas Legislature designated Huston-Tillotson College the lead institution in the state for high-tech applications and classroom instruction at private historically Black colleges and universities.
"We plan to stay in step with technology, and the Dell contribution will help us launch the next phase of wireless network access for the campus," Earvin says.
The Dell donation is considered part of the UNCF Technology Enhancement Capital Campaign (TECC) specifically designed to close the digital divide that exists in the nation, and reverse the disparity in computer technology between UNCF member-institutions and publicly supported and resource-rich institutions. Statistics show that there is only one computer for every six students at UNCF institutions, while nationally there is a college-owned computer for every 2.6 college students. In addition, only 15 percent of UNCF students own a personal computer, compared to 55 percent of college students nationally, according to William H. Gray, III, president and CEO of the UNCF.
Fewer than half of the faculty at UNCF member-institutions own computers, compared with 70 percent of faculty nationally.

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