Yet the computer has become central to education in other disciplines at IIT as well. In recent years, the university has developed an array of new specializations, such as information systems, computer engineering, and technical communications, that prepare students for the emerging professions of the Information Age. The computer has become as much a part of every-day student life as the textbook. Homework assignments can be called up on the computer. Self-paced computer programs are available in the Educational Technology Center to help students develop writing skills or succeed in Physics 103.
Students even can turn to the computer to find out what's happening on campus.
In the laboratory, the computer has become an indispensable research tool for faculty and students. Computer engineering and computer science faculty, in particular, are pushing back the frontiers of computer technology, exploring new ways to make this remarkable machine serve humankind even better. The computerization of IIT is, of course, far from complete. The foundations for computer education and computer-based research have been laid deliberately broad, however, to allow for future development, and in certain critical areas there is considerable depth of resources as well. The following provides a sampling of the outstanding strengths of each of IIT's colleges.