The licensing agreement between Microsoft and Macalester dictates the conditions by which the college can provide Microsoft Office resources to students and faculty. “I have a Mac computer and always thought getting Microsoft Office was really important, but it was too expensive and inaccessible.”įor the last several years, Macalester has offered Microsoft Office software to faculty at a discount but has struggled to find a cost-effective means of doing the same for students. “This program is super helpful for the academic goals of all students,” MCSG Community Engagement Officer Fatiya Kedir ’21 said. Previously, students could buy Microsoft Office online or at the Highlander bookstore for $149.99, which presented a significant economic barrier to many Macalester students. While the original agreement has been in place for many years, it didn’t allow for free Microsoft Office downloads on student computers until recently. They can log in with a Macalester username and password to access the free download.Īccording to Rachel Weaver, Associate Director of Support Services for Information Technology Services (ITS), the primary push for making the software more accessible came from Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) and the Academic Information Associates, an organization of Macalester employees that works within ITS and the Digital Resource Center (DRC).
Now, Macalester students can access Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus Microsoft’s online portal. The initiative comes as an expansion of Macalester College’s site license with Microsoft. This semester, Office 365 ProPlus software is available for Macalester students to download for no charge.
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