With 250 students enrolled, Bell's computer has changed the meaning of faculty office hours. I can't always be here in my office, but students know right away that I always return my e-mail. Nearly half of NJIT's students now take at least one class via computer. Students might sign on from their dorm room or computer lab. Professors lecture by posting information on line.
Students hold discussions in chat rooms.
You can't get a loan for that cheap. At William Paterson University, all the dorm rooms are wired for computers and equipped for Internet access. At Montclair State University, computer labs have been expanded, and some are open 24 hours a day. The students expect it, and they need it. John Ruvolo has had a desktop computer since he started at Rutgers four years ago.