SUNY Morrisville Named America's #1 Most-Wired Two-year College A gain!

[Drew, Bill]

Please accept my apologies for tooting our horn and for multiple postings.
Here is the press release from our college public relations office.

Bill Drew
drewwe at morrisville.edu


SUNY Morrisville Named America's #1 Most-Wired Two-year College For Second
Consecutive Year

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. - November 14, 2001 - For the second year in a row, SUNY
Morrisville has been named America's #1 Most-Wired two-year college by
Yahoo! Internet Life magazine's fourth annual survey. The college's pioneer
laptop and wireless programs helped propel it to the top of the magazine's
prestigious "America's Most Wired Colleges" list for the first time ever in
2000, and its commitment to bringing students the most up-to-date technology
to enhance their learning has helped it to remain there. This year's list of
rankings was compiled from a pool of nearly 1300 two- and four-year colleges
from all 50 states, making it the most competitive list ever.
In addition to receiving national recognition by Yahoo! Internet Life, the
college's innovative programs were featured in two articles in the Chronicle
of Higher Education, a weekly national newspaper with a circulation of
500,000, and the college also received the Pioneer Award at the Fourth
Annual Conference on Ubiquitous Computing.

"The recognition we have received is flattering, but it's important to
remember that our real goal [with the technology] is to enhance our
students' learning experience," said Ray Cross, Ph.D., president of SUNY
Morrisville. "Being named the 'most wired' is a reflection of that goal."

SUNY Morrisville scored the highest of all two-year institutions, with
criteria based on infrastructure, student resources, e-learning, Web portal,
tech support and wireless access. 

The college began its laptop programs four years ago as a participant in
IBM's ThinkPad University program. Every freshman enrolled in a ThinkPad
curricula receives an IBM ThinkPad, and faculty integrate the use of laptops
in the teaching and learning environment. Additionally, in partnership with
Raytheon, SUNY Morrisville has fully implemented the use of wireless
technology, enabling students to access the Internet and campus network from
anywhere on campus. Student laptops are equipped with wireless cards and
transmitters are located in all residence halls and academic buildings.
The college's laptop and wireless programs are a part of Cross's vision of a
completely digital environment. 
"At SUNY Morrisville, instead of appending technology onto education, our
approach fully integrates technology into the learning process by putting it
in students' hands and creating an environment where students can learn
anywhere at any time," Cross said.

Link to YIL listing: 
http://www.yil.com/wiredcolleges/20twoyearschools.pdf