Computing and technology are an integral part of the Hollins University educational experience. Whether they are using word processing to write a paper, viewing CD- ROM images, or tapping into the Internet, students and faculty use computing and technology to further their studies and research. Students can register for classes and see grade information online. At the same time, the administration uses computer systems to schedule classes, report grades, pay bills, and maintain the infrastructure of the campus. An electronic card catalog and searching system in the library open s whole new avenues for research while a campus-wide voice mail system keeps everyone in touch with everyone else.

Institutional computing began at Hollins in the early 1980's, when the University received a grant from IBM Corporation to open the first computer resource center. The center contained sixteen IBM personal computers with dual disk drives (no hard drives), a monochrome monitor, and only twenty megabytes of storage space.

Computing Services has come a long way since then. There are now eight computer resource centers on campus with up-to-date personal computers and Macintosh computers and the University is fully networked, allowing students and faculty to access network services from almost anywhere on campus. In addition, the Computing Services department provides support for various software applications, maintains and updates hardware, and offers training on a variety of platforms.