Proposal

The space was originally wired for a ceiling mounted projector and teaching lectern, but the technology was never fully implemented when the Culture and Society building was completed. A projector was mounted on the ceiling but neither a lectern or computer were installed or connected. A faculty person teaching in there this semester would climb on a chair and providing his own cord would plugged his laptop into the projector to be able to project lecture material.

It is necessary to install a complete e-classroom package to make this a suitable space for undergraduate and graduate seminars, small symposia, and other opportunities for intellectual exchange, complete with a new projector, teaching lectern, document camera and computer with DVD player. AVI advised replacing the 4-yr old projector with a new one to insure that all the components of the system are fully compatible.

In order to meet the pedagogical needs of our faculty and students, we need to be able to safely project powepoint presentations, film screenings, access educational internet resources and other audiovisual presentations made by faculty and students. To install the FAU standard e-classroom package in CU 301 would bring this room inline with other small classrooms at FAU that already have the current technology. Today with the advances of technology impacting all programs of study it is essential that CU 301 be upgraded to a smart classroom.

In addition, there are many ways turning CU 301 into an e-classroom fulfills the goals of the university’s 2012-17 Strategic Plan.  The strategies recommended for reaching Goal 1: Enrich the educational experience, include to “increase use of social learning technologies” (A.5.) and “increase support services and technologies that promote e-learning initiatives” (D.9.).  Even more directly and broadly, Goal 4: Leverage momentum toward achieving FAU's strategic goals by being good stewards of its human, technological, physical and financial resources, would be met by refitting the classroom, especially strategy D.4: “Increase the number of ‘next generation’ classrooms, video conferencing and open instructional labs and increase the use of commercially available software products for all to utilize new technologies to their fullest potential.”