| To:
Dr. Kenneth Rea, Vice President, Academic Affairs
Through: Dr. Edward Jacobs, Dean,
College of Liberal Arts
From: Dr. Allison Smith, Coordinator, Technology, School of Literature and Language Re: Student Technology Board request for multimedia equipment funds Date: January
20, 2000
We request $7,901.46 from the Student Technology Fee Fund to purchase multimedia equipment needed to assist the School of Literature and Languages in providing students access to multimedia presentations in their English literature and language, foreign language, folklore, and writing classes. The first part of this request seeks to give the School of Literature and Languages the minimal prerequisite for using multimedia presentations in classes: availability of overhead projectors. The second part of this request is for a Smart Cart to be housed in the School of Literature and Languages, giving professors who teach on the second floor in GTM access to state-of-the-art multimedia equipment. Recently, faculty have had the opportunity to receive training in state-of-the-art multimedia presentation software through a course and workshops sponsored by the Board of Regents. Dr. Rick Simmons, Dr. Don Kaczvinsky, Dr. Tammy Powell, and many other professors within our two departments are now frequently using presentation software for many of their literature, language, folklore, and writing courses. However, access is not always available to the Liberal Arts Smart Cart since many professors in all the other Liberal Arts disciplines are now requesting reservations for the equipment and since there are problems with getting the cart to the second floor when the elevator is not working. This request to help fund the purchase of multimedia equipment is in keeping with the Student Technology Fee Plan and would advance the following goals and objectives under the plan: Goal 1: The Student Technology Fee Program shall be dedicated to supporting and Objective 1.1: The Student Technology Fee Board shall solicit proposals from interested units, organizations, and representatives to acquire, install, maintain, or enhance efficient use of technology. Objective 1.2: The Student Technology Fee Board shall meet at least one time each Academic Quarter to consider and act on proposals submitted to the Board to acquire, install, maintain, or enhance efficient use of technology.
Access to equipment that allows for various kinds of multimedia presentations in English literature, foreign language, folklore, and writing courses will enhance student learning, allowing the presentation of course information in multiple formats and focusing on the modes of visual and multimedia presentations that are part of the education and work environment in the 21st century. Objective 3.1: The Student Technology Fee Board shall assess at least annually the impact of the technology acquired, installed, maintained, or enhanced. Objective 3.2: The Student Technology Fee Board shall identify and prioritize appropriate trends and projects at least annually to ensure that students' life and learning experiences at Louisiana Tech University are optimally benefitted by the expenditure of the Student Technology Fee revenues.
Cognizant of the importance of the use of multimedia in the teaching environment, the Board of Regents, Louisiana Tech, and the School of Literature and Languages have all sponsored faculty workshops to train faculty in state-of-the-art multimedia presentation software and equipment. Having the equipment requested available to faculty would ensure that students would receive the benefit of this training. Based on 1998-1999 enrollment figures, over 6,700 students in English and 980 students in foreign languages would have access to multimedia equipment and instruction not provided at the present time. 7 overhead projectors at $143.99 each $1,007.93
*Matching funds: $ 2,314.90 Funds requested: $ 7,901.46 *Matching funds will be contributed from two sources within the School of Literature and Languages if the Student Technology Fee Board provides the funds requested. The Louisiana Regional Folklife Program (account # 22-0001-40592) will contribute $1,969 towards the purchase of the Smart Cart laptop. In addition, the English Department Computer Lab (account # 22-3116-1241) will contribute $345.90 towards the purchase of the software necessary on the laptop for multimedia presentations. These matching funds will be available in this fiscal year until May when purchasing restrictions require the money to be spent. The School of Literature and Languages is dedicated to the delivery of innovative instruction with the use of technology. The School has provided workshops in the past to train faculty and will continue to do so as new software or equipment comes available or as new faculty join the School, thus positively affecting the instruction over 7,680 students receive per academic year in our courses. We appreciate the assistance of the Student Technology Board in expanding
and updating our ability to use multimedia presentations as part of our
instruction.
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