And while we're at it, let's address the notion that a cell phone is an optional expense, which is sooooo 20th century.

The primary modes of communication from faculty to students outside of a classroom today (nevermind college, I'm already seeing this in middle school):

- Email
- Mass text message
- Web portals

And let's not forget that the internet has now replaced the library as the primary research tool. Books are terribly inefficient by comparison.

In order to access these things in a timely manner, a wireless connection and at least one of the following devices is required: smart phone, tablet, laptop. And of those, the only one that can access them almost anywhere is the smart phone.