On Friday, the new Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee chairperson, Jane Cassidy, was announced and made effective immediately.
“Appointing Jane to this position just made sense,” said Stuart Bell, executive vice chancellor and provost.
According to its website, the committee is responsible for providing state-of-the-art technology for student use. When the committee meets, it makes decisions about how to use funding gathered from the Student Technology Fee to suit student needs.
It’s been almost a year since Robert Kuhn, former STFOC chairperson and associate vice chancellor and CFO, announced his retirement in late March 2013 after more than 39 years at the University.
In a previous interview, Kuhn told The Daily Reveille it was time for University President F. King Alexander to build his own team.
Bell and Daniel Layzell, vice president for finance and administration, made the decision, after consulting with Kuhn.
Cassidy has sat on the committee for the past four years as vice provost for Human Resources and Facilities Management and worked at the University for 26 years.
Cassidy also has an extensive history with the School of Music. She worked as director of the school for a year, associate dean for the College of Music and Dramatic Arts for three years and was a professor.
During her time at the College of Music and Dramatic Arts, Cassidy said the technology fee enabled the University to purchase more instruments for undergraduate use.
“Those instruments are still used by students today,” Cassidy said in an email. “I don’t know how we would teach all of our instrumental methods courses without them.”
Cassidy said she is excited for the position and sees the STF Oversight Committee as one of the more unique committees at the University.
More than half of the members of the committee are students. They may contribute to the discussions as peers, Cassidy said.
Cassidy said it is crucial for students to have a say in what their priorities are with how their technology fee is spent.
“This [committee] is a great example of faculty and staff working with students,” Bell said. “It’s student driven.”
Cassidy said she knows Wi-Fi access is a large source of frustration for the student body and hopes the committee can help alleviate those problems efficiently.
The STFOC will meet at 3 p.m. on March 20, in room 135-F of Thomas D. Boyd Hall.
“Appointing Jane to this position just made sense.”