This letter was written to Doug Schuler. It was forwarded, with permission, to Bernie Noe.

Dear Mr. Schuler

Thank you for taking the initiative to write this letter. You are welcome to share my comments with others. My own background includes 29 years of college teaching at the University of Washington, The Ohio State University and Seattle Pacific University. I am also a college evaluator for the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the regional accrediting organization, and active in the evaluation of projects that include the addition of technology to school curricula.

To date, I have not seen a plan for the incorporation of laptops in education that has impressed me. I agree with Nancy Maizels that students have little difficulty using laptops or any other computer to carry out suchhave little difficulty using laptops or any other computer to carry out such activities as web research and dialogue through e-mail and instant mail. I also agree that students at all levels of education and all levels of quality need further assistance with writing and critical thinking skills. Computers can help some writers produce with greater ease, and computers can help some shy students to participate in "conversations." Lakeside, however, teaches very small and homogeneous classes where neither of these benefits is particularly important. Moreover, these benefits can be obtained by using the computers that students have at home or in labs at school.

Is there is a clear and published plan for the use of laptops, a plan that includes evaluation measures and external evaluators?

As the parent of one graduate ('95) who works in the computer industry and of a current senior, and above all as a professional evaluator of academic enterprises, I believe that Lakeside could more profitably invest in the enhancement of other aspects of its educational program.

I will close by raising two economic issues. I have had two laptops crash on me this year, with some loss of data. Laptops are not as reliable as desk top machines, even when they are used very carefully by the middle-aged. What will be the rate of failure and replacement if laptops are parked the way our students park their backpacks? Second, Lakeside is already an elite institution that is barely affordable for many parents. The increase in tuition plus the cost of the mandatory laptop constitute a very large additional cost that brings with it a host of social and economic messages.

Tom Trzyna
Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
Seattle Pacific University