Ubuntu University/College Representatives?

[TheRLG]

Is there already such a thing as a representative for Ubuntu for colleges/universities?

I think it would be useful to have a volunteer at a university that could offer Ubuntu CD's, give information, help with installation, and direct Ubuntu-community events at the institution.

He/she could direct events such as a buy-in soccer tournament that helps to create a small scholarship for students who are in financial need and meet some list of requirements, as well as writing how technology would help them succeed, etc... etc...

I think it would be a good way to create awareness on campuses, especially since most students have very little money and like things that are free. Plus, people love schwag so raffling off t-shirts, mugs, and bags and the such could help raise more money and get the Ubuntu message out there.

Does such a thing already exist? If not, what would we have to do to start something like this up?

[jfinkels]

[...] most students have very little money and like things that are free.

I do like things that are free...

[RonDutt]

I dont know about other colleges, but I already do this at my college (Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, Washington). Im in the CNet program and theres alot of people who are getting either tired of Windows or just want to try out this thing called "Ubuntu" :P Already got 10 or so followers :D haha

If there is a official group or something, I would LOVE to sign up!

[RAV TUX]

Is there already such a thing as a representative for Ubuntu for colleges/universities?

I think it would be useful to have a volunteer at a university that could offer Ubuntu CD's, give information, help with installation, and direct Ubuntu-community events at the institution.

He/she could direct events such as a buy-in soccer tournament that helps to create a small scholarship for students who are in financial need and meet some list of requirements, as well as writing how technology would help them succeed, etc... etc...

I think it would be a good way to create awareness on campuses, especially since most students have very little money and like things that are free. Plus, people love schwag so raffling off t-shirts, mugs, and bags and the such could help raise more money and get the Ubuntu message out there.

Does such a thing already exist? If not, what would we have to do to start something like this up?

I regularly distribute Ubuntu at American University here in DC, I also coordinate with the American University Hillel to distribute Ubuntu on campus.

This should and usually is a regular focus of the Ubuntu LoCo Teams, at least for the NU Ubuntu Team it is.

Join a Ubuntu LoCo Team in your area, and start the program up, if there is not a LoCo Team in your area, start one.

[diskotek]

there is already linux associations in my university; so it's not important to be named ubuntu/suse/pardus association :) rememebred that i went to coputer engineering department to ask linux cd's. they helped me so much. and i saw that most of the computers in heir lab uses linux. i said "woow"

i was about to join frozen bubble contest this year, but i forgot the dates :(

[jkblacker]

I'm interested in this kind of project (if I can all it that?!). I certainly think the student/college market is an important one, as, as you mention, we're all a bit hard up for cash and a cheaper computer system would be highly beneficial!

I've already made plans to do a feature on ubuntu/linux/FOSS in the student newspaper next year to try and raise awareness. I know there's a UNIX cluster in the comp. sci department, but apart from that there's only a very low-key deployment of firefox and openoffice alongside IE and MS Office on the university network. Not enough, IMHO.

[TheRLG]

Unfortunately for my school and me as well, our Computer Science department has about 4 professors and 40 students. We had a total of about 7,000 students at the school this past semester.

I've met several people who even know what Linux is, but most people have never heard of it or open-source, or even free software. We have at least one computer lab in every building, one building has probably 6 labs, and we have one Linux lab in the computer science department.. I think it's running RH4. Even the Mac lab is tiny... 4 computers at most. All the rest are Gateway or Dell boxes running Windows 2000/XP. The school actually runs a Linux webserver for its website, using RH4.

I want to bring more than just free software to the schools, I want to bring the Ubuntu community. That's why I think community events are so important, they help bring people together around a cause. What I can do is make a FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu group at my school and work things through that. It still seems though that the preferred OS among the 5 people that know anything about Linux (even the professors don't) at my campus is Fedora... There's nothing 'wrong' with that, but I just happen to think Ubuntu has a better community.

More than just liking the Ubuntu distro, I like the word 'Ubuntu.' The whole idea behind it is something I think our nation's most educated people should learn and appreciate, right at the beginning of their education.

Anyway, while this may not be an official project, if anyone wants to collaborate efforts, that would be cool with me. Posters, flyers, a demo computer, free disks, free installation, need-based scholarship, and schwag raffles are just a few of the ideas I think would work. I'm going to get it nailed out this summer so I can have it going nicely this fall for all the newcomers. If anyone would like to join, can we call it something like the Ubuntu Campus Community or something similar? Do you think I have to talk to Jono Bacon about such a thing?

[macogw]

We have the Open Source Iniative. A couple weeks ago we set up a bunch of computers in the lobby to demo FreeBSD, Fedora, Ubuntu, SuSE, and Slackware.

[TheRLG]

I don't think there's any way to really centralize this type of effort other than to have a central place for ideas and suggestions. This way, any group (i.e. LUG, LoCo, etc.) could do their normal thing and offer specifically Ubuntu stuff. Does anyone know where I would have to go to find out about using the word 'Ubuntu' in a college club/organization name?

For example, I want to create a group 'Aug. State Uni. Ubuntu Community' at my college, do I have to get special permission to do so? How about using purchased Ubuntu schwag as items for raffle, do I need special permission for that, or is it illegal?

thanks.