Capital has officially announced the launch of Project Indigo, which will provide students, staff, and faculty with an iPad and Apple Pencil.
As described by the official web page, this project aims to provide students with equal access to educational resources. By equipping students with an iPad, the University hopes that academic success can be cultivated, especially during a time of increased remote learning.
The iPad is an 8th generation model, while the Apple Pencil is a 1st generation. There is no direct payment for them. These tools can be used for personal use, not just educational.
In addition, students can keep the iPads after they graduate. Granted, if a student withdraws or transfers from Capital, they are required to return their device to the IT Desk in Blackmore Library.
Incoming students will be able to pick up their iPad and Apple Pencil in July during the “Project Indigo Days”. If they can’t make it during any of those days, they’ll be able to receive it upon moving in, similar to returning students. Staff and faculty have been eligible to pick up their devices for a couple weeks now.
To clarify, this offer doesn’t necessarily extend to facilities, food service workers, and the cleaning crew, but Provost Jody Fournier stated in an email that, “We are working with our contract partners, like WFF (housekeeping) and Aladdin (food service), to assess the needs of their teams.”
To get around the learning curve of these new tools, the University is creating a new job position called “Digital All Stars”, which is open to faculty, staff, and students.
People in this position are responsible for creating content that will help the community become more familiarized with the technology. Fournier believes that the job will be around 6-10 work hours per week. No salary info was provided at this time.
Though this seems like a timely decision, Project Indigo has been under development since 2017. During that time, the University started looking for ways to implement digital tools to promote learning and success.
“While the pandemic amplified many of the barriers to student success, we have been working to implement Project Indigo for years,” Fournier said.
Fournier was asked if the University is undertaking any other projects to boost the welfare of students, specifically renovation projects.
“As far as campus renovations go, projects are being examined and completed by facilities management during each break period to improve buildings,” Fournier said.
Outside of that, the University will be adding more student success advisors for the upcoming academic year. More info on that will be released in the fall.
