The forthcoming Olinde Career Center in the Student Union may receive student tech fee funds.
At a Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee meeting Wednesday, Vice Chancellor of Student Life and Enrollment Kurt Keppler said the center has “significant technology needs.” He said purchases may include projectors, screens, customized video kiosks that display employer information and eight to 12 computer stations for a résumé writing lab.
Eric Monday, who chairs the oversight committee and is vice chancellor and CFO for Finance and Administrative Services, said $190,635 of unallocated tech fee funds remain. Members can vote to use this money toward expenses like additional charging stations or Gear to Geaux computers.
Wednesday’s meeting was Monday’s last, as he accepted a position at the University of Kentucky earlier this week.
“[The kiosks] can run videos about the company, there can be a touchscreen at the bottom where you can touch and learn what are the starting salaries of these employers, what jobs are available, how many employees, where are they located — so you can learn about the companies,” Keppler said.
The Career Center hopes to move into the Union by January 2014, Keppler said.
Keppler asked the committee to review the center’s technology needs and to consider funding them. The center will provide a proposal to the tech fee committee in early 2013, when it begins planning next year’s budget, he said.
Mike Smith, director of Technical Services, also reported at the meeting that University ITS has been in talks with Adobe regarding a campus-wide software license agreement. Right now, the license would have a price tag of about $500,000, he said.
“We’re going to keep talking with them to see if there’s some way we can make this work,” Smith said.
Student Government Academic Affairs Director Thomas Rodgers pointed out incoming Manship School of Mass Communication freshmen will be required to purchase Adobe software beginning next fall.
“At least 500 students are going to be purchasing this software,” Rodgers said.
Smith said ITS could ask Adobe about making an agreement based on the University guaranteeing a minimum number of students who would buy the software.
ITS recently installed a mobile charging station in a lab in Patrick F. Taylor Hall, he said. The purchase of five new charging stations was approved at last month’s tech fee committee meeting.
Smith said the new charging stations cost $300 each. The older stations already in use cost $1,000 each.
“We could buy new ones on a regular basis and get a lot more of them,” Smith said.
He also said ITS is in the process of buying 50 laptops to add to the Gear to Geaux checkout pool. The purchase was authorized by the Tech Fee Committee last year.
Smith said the current Gear to Geaux program includes 70 laptops. Most of the computers being purchased now are MacBooks that cost about $1,600 each, he said.
Vice Chancellor and CFO Eric Monday jokes around at his final Student Tech Fee Committee Meeting on November 28, 2012. Monday is leaving for the University of Kentucky before the Spring 2013 semester.
