"The students are driving this process, too" she says.
By the end of the year, for example, all dormitories at WSSU will have computer port connections installed for laptops and personal computers. Wiring of the dormitories largely began over the past summer, according to Williams-Green.
Nonetheless, when compared to students at predominantly White campuses, students at HBCUs are believed to not have as high a rate of computer ownership. At predominantly White colleges and universities considered to have a highly developed information technology infrastructure, it's not uncommon that more than 90 percent of students come to school with their own PCs.
Williams-Green says she believes that at WSSU where less than fifty percent of students are bringing their computers to campus, having computer port connections in dormitories, classrooms and libraries will motivate students and their families to invest in the technology.
Some HBCU officials say they intend to develop means to help students finance purchases of their own computers so that all of their students will own and use them in their coursework.
"I would hope that [Livingstone College] will be in a position to do that," says Livingstone's Alexander. "It's imperative, especially for those students in business and information system programs."
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