Student Convertible Laptop/Tablet Requirement

The University of Vermont, School of Business Administration (BSAD) began requiring students to have computers in 1984, moving to a laptop requirement in 1999, and today requires a convertible laptop/tablet computer. In the days of the desktop requirement, students complained that their desktops made very expensive plant stands. Moving students to a laptop computer requirement was easier than expected and student acceptance high. Students tended to buy the biggest, heaviest laptops which were used more as desktop replacements than mobile computing tools. BSAD experience has shown that students did not bring laptops to lectures for a variety of reasons including weight and bulkiness and professors who perceive them as distracting and do not allow their use in the classroom. The school is confident that a convertible laptop/tablet combination will allow greater flexibility and more acceptability for their usage throughout all campus classrooms.