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Unified Classroom Services
By Beth Ann Bergsmark
Over the past several years, GU has significantly increased the accessibility of classroom technology resources for faculty and students. Faculty members have also boldly created new electronic presentations, interactive exercises, and on-line materials with technology to open new avenues of learning for their students. Our challenge now lies in our ability to maintain and grow our classroom technology base, to provide seamless classroom support to remove obstacles from using technology and to encourage faculty to adopt technologies that can transform the curriculum.
To meet this challenge, Provost Dorothy Brown gave Randy Bass, the Executive Director of the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), the charge to bring together University groups providing classroom services on the Main Campus. Randy Bass, working with CNDLS Partners Mark Jacobs of Lauinger Library and Mike Neuman of RCD/UIS, appointed John Pierce, University Registrar and Beth Ann Bergsmark, Director, AITS/UIS, to implement the integration of a Unified Classroom Services (UCS) working group to address critical short-term issues and develop proposals for new support models.
 Based on a recent faculty survey on classroom technology, the UCS working group prioritized improving staff retention, replacing aging equipment in classrooms and removing boundaries between multiple support providers such as the Registrar’s Office, University Information Services and Classroom and Educational Technology Services (CETS) of Lauinger Library. Over the summer, Mark Cohen (Director, CETS), Peter Brennan (Assistant Director, CETS), Anthony Cipriano (Manager, Network Administrator, UIS) and Maha Morse (Assistant University Registrar) made excellent strides forward in improving the foundation of classroom services. Several of the essential accomplishments include:
- Creating one-stop shopping for technology needs including A/V and computer software for all Main Campus classrooms.
- Adopting common problem tracking software for CETS, UIS and the Office of the Registrar to solve jointly problems behind the scenes.
- Replacing computer equipment in thirty-two classrooms with new computers donated by Dell.
- Building a new twenty-station e-classroom in the Car Barn.
- Replacing multiple software configurations and login setups with a common interface and software suite through collaboration with the MSB Technology Center.
- Creating quick recovery tools to reduce in-class troubleshooting for computer issues.
- Surveying other peer institutions to identify support models and technology resources.
- Creating a zone manager support model providing faculty members with a familiar face to solve technology problems in the classrooms.
- Revising CETS position descriptions to reflect new technology responsibilities.
- Jointly recruiting two new CETS positions to increase support for faculty.
- Participating in joint training to increase technology skills.
- Developing long-range equipment replacement plans for computers and audio-visual equipment.
On the horizon, the UCS group will continue to work toward improving classroom services by completing a final recommendation on delivering classroom technology and working with campus leaders to identify funding strategies. The group will also work towards addressing the growing needs for technology support and space for non-traditional class activities such as colloquia, special speakers, departmental activities and faculty interviews, exploring emergent technologies such as video conferencing and streaming video.
Who to Contact
Classroom Service Technology Request: 7-7491
Escalation Points for Classroom Services:
Feedback for the UCS Working Group:
Beth Ann Bergsmark is director of AITS.
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