More than $200,000 funded by students’ fee bills was allocated for various University technology improvements like new laptops in Middleton Library, the Student Technology Fee Committee decided Monday afternoon.
While the library already has computers that students can check out, higher enrollment numbers have increased the demand for laptops, especially MacBooks, which will be the majority of the newly purchased items, said Director of Information Technology Services Michael Smith.
The new laptops will cost $32,000.
The STF Committee also approved $40,000 in funding for more portable reserve equipment. If a piece of equipment in a classroom fails, faculty and ITS generally don’t want to wait to replace it, Smith said.
He said this equipment would help instructors working in rooms that are not readily equipped with multimedia devices like
projectors.
“We’re at about 86 percent multimedia rooms now,” said Brian Antie, assistant registrar of the University Office of the Registrar. “There’s about 230 general purpose classrooms.”
However, the majority of the funding — $192,838 — was given to the Office of Assessment and Evaluation to upgrade its software system, Perception by Questionmark.
“We’re currently two versions behind where we should be,” said David O’Brien, assistant director of computing with the Office of Assessment and Evaluation.
O’Brien said when the office renewed its license, Questionmark was no longer selling licenses for the University’s older version of Perception, but the company agreed to sell one to the University for December 2013.
The new version of Perception, costing $40,000, and an annual license of $10,000, were also approved. The remaining funds for the Office of Assessment and Evaluation will go toward new computers.
The committee also approved $72,000 for server replacements and hardware for Virtual Lab development to be reinstated. Virtual Lab allows students to access software installed in the computer labs, 24 hours, 7 days a week.
The STF has $223,143 remaining for the rest of the semester. If these funds are not used, they will roll over into the next semester, academic year and so on.
“I feel like the student technology fee has gotten in the habit of ‘We’re funding computer labs’,” said Graduate College Council president Thomas Rogers. “I saw in a study that 97 percent of students have their own computer, so what are they using the labs for?”
Currently, no efforts are being put forth to ask students how they use technology, Rogers said. He said he hopes to put a survey out to better learn how students today use technology and help the STF Committee
respond accordingly.