The University of Mississippi has implemented a campus-wide license of MATLAB and several other technical computing products from The MathWorks. The license gives students and faculty access to MATLAB in their labs and classrooms and off-campus, helping them with research and preparation for careers in engineering and the sciences.

University officials recognized that integrating MATLAB into the curriculum with a campus-wide license would support faculty efforts to help students build skills with tools commonly used in engineering fields, said Atef Elsherbeni, associate dean for research and graduate programs in the UM School of Engineering. The license also enables lab researchers to access the tools they need in order to help secure grant projects.

“As engineering and science programs become more competitive, universities must provide students of all levels with consistent instruction in the advanced technology used by future employers,” said Maureen Maher, manager of education marketing at The MathWorks. “With broad access to MATLAB and companion MathWorks tools, the University of Mississippi can use a common technical computing language across multiple courses, projects and departments. Students can build upon skills learned in one course or project, as they move to the next one.”

By purchasing a standardized license of MATLAB, the university can centrally manage its license. This approach reduces administrative and technical costs within academic departments, such as time spent fielding helpdesk calls from students attempting to access MATLAB from home or through the university network.

“The decision to adopt a campus-wide MATLAB license was a collaborative effort between faculty members, administrators, department heads and IT personnel, all of whom recognized the value of universal MATLAB access to address their respective interests,” Elsherbini said.

Jason Hale, interim director of the Mississippi Center for Supercomputing Research, concurs.

“In today’s economic environment, the University of Mississippi, along with other public institutions of higher learning in Mississippi, is looking for more efficient models to enhance research infrastructure while creating amazing learning experiences for students,” Hale said. “Means- and needs-based, voluntary pooling of departmental funds for site licensing of specific tools such as MATLAB, brokered and supported by centralized IT, tears down barriers to access across the entire institution, while decreasing institutional cost per unit.”