Connected Across Campus
Connected Across Campus, CAC, was a program that spanned nearly 20 years and provided new undergraduate students at George Fox with a computer. In recent years this was an Apple MacBook, and in 2010 an option for an iPad was added. However, the CAC program has been more difficult to justify in recent years. So a decision was made at the end of 2010 that GFU would no longer offer a computing device to new undergraduate students. A portion of the funding that used for the CAC program will now be redirected to improve our overall technology infrastructure. Specifically we will be investing heavily in providing complete campus WiFi coverage and improving WiFi density service. We will also be upgrading all classrooms for media enabled access.
Which computing device should you bring to George Fox?
It is still expected that a new student at George Fox will want to have his or her own computer, typically a laptop computer. However, the computing landscape is changing, and it may very well be possible for students of typically the non-technical programs to take care of their computing needs with a mobile pad type device. This could also be possible thanks to access provided to public computers around campus. The Institutional Technology department at GFU is still supporting the existing CAC computers. We are an authorized Apple service & repair center, so we can work on a student's personal Apple computer. But we do see this landscape changing rapidly, and we will try to support all computing devices to the best of our ability, which may just be in an advisory role for the mobile devices.
If you would like to purchase an Apple computer we recommend that everyone associated with GFU take advantage of the Educational discount available via the Apple Education Online Store.
Academic Computing: If you have questions about minimum computing requirements for you to be successful in your chosen major we recommend that you review our minimum requirements list for academic programs. For example a business major may need Microsoft Office, which does not run on an iPad.
E-Reader: The future computing device for college students may very well be driven by the E-Reader, of which the iPad is definitely one of the finest. This will be the year that E-Textbooks will emerge, so we do feel there is value for our students to have a device to leverage that opportunity. In general there are a growing number of E-Books available that can be accessed by the the E-Readers as well as by traditional computers. So, yes, the E-Reader may replace some books, but we cannot guarantee that.
History of Apple Only Decision
George Fox University transitioned the Connected Across Campus (previously known at Computers Across the Curriculum), CAC, laptop option from offering a PC or an Apple laptop to offering only Apple laptop options beginning with the 2008-09 academic year.
Specifications for 2009-10 computers
Specifications for 2008-09 computers