September 25, 2003

Initiative doubles smart classrooms

The Central Administration has approved recommendations by the Classroom Committee to enhance Registrar-assigned classrooms in Evanston with a guaranteed base level of technology services, including high-speed network connections and laptop-based projection services.

The initial funding, from Central Administration and Information Technology, is for a three-year period and will approximately double the number of Smart Classrooms on the Evanston campus. In 2006 the University will seek an evaluation from the Classroom Committee, IT Academic Technologies and the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence of the success of this initiative with faculty and students.

If the project is successful, funding for another next three years will be made available.

Academic Technologies began planning work on the project this summer and will work during the next six months with the Classroom Committee and the Searle Center on issues of final classroom design, faculty support and deployment schedules.

The first set of converted classrooms will become available next spring or summer.