Stellenbosch University (SU) has procured 1 500 laptops to loan to students in order to assist with online learning, according to communication sent out to students on 17 April. The laptops will be distributed to socio-economically disadvantaged students who applied for the laptops, said Martin Viljoen, SU spokesperson.
SU will provide laptops to 1500 students in order to assist with online learning. Infographic: MatieMedia.
According to the most recent communication sent out by SU on 21 April, a charge of R7 598 will be loaded onto the respective students’ accounts, and will then be reversed upon the return of the laptop at the end of the 2020 academic year.
Alternatively, students will be allowed to purchase the laptops at the end of the year should they wish to.
The deposit cost for the laptop consists of the laptop (R6 999), a laptop bag (R249) and installation of software and delivery (R350), which all adds up to R7 598, said Viljoen.
At the time of writing, 1094 students had already accepted the offer with a further 51 requests being processed, said prof Wim De Villiers, rector and vice-chancellor of SU, in an email sent out to students.
“Students were invited to send an SMS to 31498 accepting the offer. We then filtered the list of the students who accepted based on whether they are socio-economically disadvantaged and whether the delivery address is within South African borders,” said Viljoen.
Hopes to ease online learning
“Receiving [a laptop] would make it possible for me to attend online lectures and to get all necessary content from lecturers,” said Jason Prinsloo, a student who has applied for one of the laptops.
According to Lindokuhle Nkume, a student at SU, receiving a laptop would ease concerns regarding online learning and will benefit students greatly.
“As soon as classes were discontinued, there was a sense of panic as to what the next move would be regarding our learning,” said Nkume. “The application process was hassle free. I was assisted by a leader from the theology faculty and she went through the steps with me.”
Provisions
The university released a FAQ sheet which stated that the laptops being delivered to students would all be the same make and model: a Lenovo Ideapad S145 i3, 4GB, 1TB HDD 5400 RPM. Depending on the student’s service provider, students will be able to use the laptops in conjunction with zero-rated data. Laptops will be equipped with Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 365.
Relevant students will be supplied with a Lenovo Ideapad s145 i3. Photo: Lenovo
On delivery, students will be required to sign a contract which includes the terms of use, damages and insurance information, according to the FAQ’s sheet.
According to Viljoen, the laptops will be insured by Stellenbosch University. “[The university] shall be liable for the costs of insuring the equipment against accidental damage, loss and theft for the duration of the agreement.”