Chromebook Loaner Program–Still Going Strong

In this fifth annual edition of IT Outcomes we are celebrating a program that is almost as old as IT Outcomes itself. It was Spring 2020, during the darkest days of the pandemic, when IT launched the Chromebook loaner program for UMass Boston students in need. The program was created as part of IT’s pandemic response when the campus shut down unexpectedly and classes could only be held remotely. UMass Boston administrators quickly realized that many students lacked the technology to access their remote classes, and IT quickly sprang into action.

First, IT determined that providing students Chromebooks would be the most cost-effective way to meet the program’s objectives. At the time Chromebooks cost about $185 and provided substantial value in meeting UMass Boston students’ technology needs. A fundraising initiative was coordinated with UMass Boston’s Institutional Advancement Office, and a goal was set to raise enough money to purchase 200 Chromebooks. Generous contributions came from faculty and staff, and the Beacon Student Aid Fund was formed which attracted donations from the public and student body itself. Finally, a donation of $8,500 from the City of Boston’s GRAD Last Mile Fund put UMass Boston’s Chromebook drive over the top of its goal of securing 200 laptops for students, and in fact, enabled a total acquisition of 223 Chromebooks. The campaign was a smashing success, and the program is still going strong three years later, even with the pandemic now becoming a distant memory.  

Today, accessing a Chromebook at UMass Boston is easier than ever. Students can fill out an online form on the university website and can pick up their Chromebook at the Library the same day. Demand has grown over the years as well, and the program has responded by acquiring new Chromebooks with 15-inch screens, making them easier for students to use.  

While the history of IT’s Chromebook program is brief, it is still another shining example of how the IT response to the COVID crisis led to an innovation that has served UMass Boston long after the pandemic brought it into being.