News Magazine of the UW Department of Communication
By Adam Eucker
Two days before he was to leave for Honduras, Max Harden found himself in a bind. He needed a video camera, and his initial plan for getting one fell through.
Like most college students, Harden, a senior majoring in business, didn't have the money to buy an expensive camera. The Global Business Brigade Foundation, which was sponsoring his trip abroad, desperately wanted footage of his group's work.
“I knew that the UW would rent equipment out to professors and clubs, but I didn't know if it would cost money for a student to rent the equipment on their own,” Harden explained. So he searched the Internet and found a program that could help him: The Student Technology Fee Equipment Loan Program, or the STF, as it's often called.The STF rents laptops, digital cameras and video cameras to UW students for no additional charge. Located in the basement of Kane Hall in Room 035, the equipment loan program provides opportunities for students such as Max to use technology they might not otherwise have access to. STF gives all students the chance to have hands-on experience with high-quality equipment, and as more UW courses rely on technology, it can level the playing field between students.
The equipment loan program began in 2002 after many students expressed the need for access to technology. All students pay a $41 fee with their tuition, which goes directly to the STF fund. The equipment loan program requests equipment each year, which is paid for by the STF.
One of the most common misconceptions of the STF loan program is that a student can simply walk into the STF office and pick up equipment immediately, says STF employee Matt Heintz. All of the loan program's booking are done online, through the STF website.
Students who make an online booking before noon can pick up the equipment the following business day. If the booking is made after noon , the student must wait two business days.
If a student desperately needs equipment that day, STF has a same-day equipment policy. The equipment must be picked up from its office in the Health Science Building and is due back the following day before 4 p.m.
With so many people eligible to check out the equipment, getting exactly what you want can sometimes prove to be a challenge. Laptops and the Nikon Rebel digital cameras are the most popular equipment and the most difficult to get. “The most important thing to keep in mind is to go online and make a reservation as soon as you know you need the equipment,” Heintz says.
STF Student Coordinator Marlee Mukai suggests that the seven-day checkout of equipment is much more popular, and the three-day equipment is much more likely to be available, especially for laptops.
But the overall demand for the equipment is less than one might think. Of the approximately 43,000 students enrolled at the university, only 2,372 bookings had been made during fall quarter as of Dec. 1. That total also doesn't take into account students renting equipment more than once.
Mukai attributes this low number to most people not knowing enough about the program. She believes that most people hear about the program through word-of-mouth.
Currently the equipment loan program is in the process of requesting new equipment. The program is trying to update its older Apple and Dell laptops and to get high definition camcorders and Power Point remotes. By requesting new equipment and maintaining old equipment, the STF staff keeps in mind the importance of the program to many students.
“The program is important because it can help break down the “digital divide” between people who can pay $3,000 for a camera, and those who can't,” Mukai says.
Harden, who was able to bring a STF video camera to Honduras , agrees. With the camera, he was able to capture footage of his group helping people in Honduras making their businesses more efficient. Both the business brigade and the Foster Business School have benefited from the final video, and Harden hopes they will continue to sponsor these humanitarian trips.
Harden thinks that other students can have the same success he had with the STF program. So the next time Harden needs a camera, he will know where to find one.
Students can make an online booking by visiting http://www.css.washington.edu/STFEquipment or by calling (206) 543-9900 for additional information.
