The Ethical Implications of Mandatory Computer Ownership for Students

Many universities, colleges, and schools are contemplating mandatory computer ownership policies for undergraduate students. Review of these policies and the rhetoric employed in debate over such policies leaves some with strong misgivings. I suggest that seemingly widely held social values and a number of suspect assumptions underlie such policies, the questions raised by both their supporters and detractors, and the answers offered in response to those questions. Moreover, I identify four serious ethical concerns linked to mandatory computer ownership policies. Therefore, I argue that social science educators and practitioners have an ethical responsibility to resist such policies.