Implementation; Teacher Attitudes; Use Studies IDENTIFIERS *AIR Forum

This paper describes implementation of one private university's strategic plan which includes provision of laptop computers to all entering freshmen and faculty since fall 1996. The background and context of the development of this plan is summarized, as are the 10 assessment instruments, both standard and in-house, being used to measure the effectiveness of the entire plan. The computing component has involved hiring of 17 academic computer specialists to provide faculty support, revamping the school's Information Systems Support Center, and establishment by faculty of a special initiative to develop effective uses of computers in instruction. Preliminary evaluation findings indicate: significantly higher usage of computers by students, significantly higher computer skills among faculty, and improved attitudes toward computers. Among academic outcomes, there is evidence that the computing initiative has had a positive impact with the retention rate of first-year students higher than in the past. However, i