The Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee authorized several significant purchases this semester.
At a Sept. 24 committee meeting, members discussed the possibility of allowing University departments to request unallocated tech fee funds for discipline-specific purchases. However, the committee decided to save the leftover money for use by University Information Technology Services and the Office for Assessment and Evaluation.
Robert Kuhn, vice provost and associate vice chancellor of the Office of Budget and Planning, said the tech fee generates nearly $4 million each year. Prior to budget concerns that arose in 2010, about $1 million was set aside to help individual departments pay for materials that benefit students in their specific areas of study, he said.
“For the prior 11 years, departments and colleges had been able to come to this committee and request funding for technology,” Kuhn said.
Committee members expressed hope at the September meeting that discipline-specific awards will be reintroduced next fiscal year. Without the funds, some departments are struggling to keep up to date with technology.
Dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts Laurence Kaptain said in 2009, a $76,000 discipline-specific award enabled the college to purchase items like light panels, microphones and podcasting kits. He pointed out having current technologies is important because much of the work done in music and arts-related careers is now computerized.
“The iPhone wasn’t invented until five years ago,” Kaptain said. “So if you’re looking at how that’s changed things and how people expect to be able to interact with professors and do some of their learning through mobile technology, that’s too long without an update.”
Kaptain said in the past three years, CMDA has bought equipment with leftover teaching funds, donations and ticket income that would normally pay for scholarships and travel expenses.
University students also lost their $5 of free printing this semester. At a Tech Fee Committee meeting on Oct. 22, members voted to suspend the $140,000 program, making more unallocated dollars available to spend.
At the same meeting, the committee approved nearly $300,000 for ITS and OAE projects and equipment updates. OAE requested $148,000 to buy 120 computers for its testing center, said Assistant Director of Computing David O’Brien.
“The old computers that we’re trying to replace are still running Windows XP,” O’Brien said.
Committee members also voted to fund an iPad checkout pilot program through Middleton Library and to purchase five more charging stations for mobile phones.
Mike Smith, director of Technical Services at ITS, reported to the committee Nov. 28 that one of the new stations had been set up in Patrick F. Taylor Hall.
Smith also said ITS has been discussing a possible campus-wide software license agreement with Adobe. Right now the license would cost about $500,000, but ITS plans to continue talks with Adobe, he said.
Vice Chancellor of Student Life and Enrollment Kurt Keppler asked the committee Nov. 28 to review and consider funding the technological needs of the Olinde Career Center, which is set to open by January 2014. Keppler said potential purchases may include projectors, screens, video kiosks and computers.
Eric Monday, vice chancellor and CFO for Finance and Administrative Services, told the committee at the same meeting $190,635 of uncommitted tech fee funds remain.
‘For the prior 11 years, departments and colleges had been able to come to this committee and request funding for technology.’