Enriching the Technological Environment

Recognizing that today’s citizens must be technologically sophisticated and tomorrow’s must be even more so, Berea College has invested more than $5.5 million in its computer-network infrastructure and will continue to add to this investment as buildings on campus are renovated, and as wireless network access expands on campus. The College’s powerful fiber-optic network is available to students, faculty, and staff from more than 6,400 data ports in classrooms, offices, residence-halls, and public spaces throughout the campus, and includes 45-megabit connection to the Internet. In addition, the College has committed nearly $1 million annually to provide a laptop computer for each student, allowing access to software functions and network resources almost any time, anywhere on campus. Students also receive access to Berea’s virtual learning community (i.e. myBerea Web portal) when they enroll. MyBerea provides single sign-on access to various systems designed to support student academic success and monitor individual progress in reaching academic goals. Through Berea’s Labor Program, many students learn valuable skills as computer consultants or technicians. Berea strives not only to provide students with seamless access to information resources, but also to teach students how to identify credible material among the many resources available on the World Wide Web.