U-Access Laptop Donations

A generous donation from a City of Boston office allowed the IT Department to offer laptop donations this past year, meeting the needs of dozens of students lacking functional, dependable, and updated technology. This program was in addition to the Chromebooks frequently provided to students by way of U-Access, to which IT donates devices regularly. Over 100 students received repurposed Chromebooks last year, as the IT Department is continuously monitoring their inventory. There are roughly 300 Chromebooks on campus at the moment, per Director of IT Managed Services Trieu Ly. Once a year, staff examine each device to assess newness and functionality. Older devices are then fixed up and donated to students in need.  

But Chromebooks are not the same as laptops, which are not typically provided to students due to the complex rules about what can and cannot be donated. Currently, the comptroller’s office does not allow campus computers to be donated, or even loaned out to students. This is partially why the laptop donation program was so exciting, in that external laptops are able to be repurposed in a way that internal ones are not. And since laptops do not simply fall out of the sky, a mass donation is a big deal for a university with so many students lacking regular access to efficient technology. “They gave us PCs and those things flew. Students found out, ‘I can get something, and I don’t need to pay thousands of dollars for it.’ Those things make a big difference,” says Steven Neville, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Inclusive Excellence.  

The laptop donation was initiated by someone in Boston’s Social Security office, who reached out to campus contacts with the idea. Once the devices were on campus, IT staff got to work figuring out which devices were reusable and what fixes were needed to get them where they needed to be. All of the machines had old hard drives, so money was spent on state-of-the-art hard drive replacements. The team also replaced any problematic keyboards, screens, hinges, or other faulty hardware elements. Of the 42 laptops that were donated, 25 have already been dispersed to students registered with U-Access and Ly says that another 10 laptops are ready to go out soon.  

A functioning, updated device can be life-altering for UMass Boston students, who exist in a day and age where computers are required to complete coursework but who might not have the financial means to purchase (or repair) one. “It was relatively simple to apply, which was great because I am so busy with studies,” says second-year Psychology major Andrew Evans, who received one of the laptops. “I have learning difficulties, health issues, and financial problems and having this helped tremendously. It has made life easier, and I am getting good grades as a result.”  

While the COVID-19 pandemic made it very clear that not all students have access to dependable computers at home, access to technology was an issue pre-pandemic and continues to be an issue now that students are back on campus. That is why it is so important for students to know that they are not alone in their struggles—that their hardships are on the university’s radar. “At an institution like UMass Boston, which is so big and has so many different departments, you have students that are here that are totally intimidated by the process,” Neville explains. “Knowing that the institution has your back and is trying to help you find your way through is a huge deal for students. What IT did in providing laptops provides help in establishing that mindset of ‘I can get through this.’”