Faculty teaching large course sections can take advantage of upgraded multi-media equipment in Heald Auditorium, Fulmer 226 and Johnson C107. The classrooms seat 302, 352 and 210 students respectively.
Equipment in the three Murrow Hall classrooms also was upgraded last summer. These classrooms had old video projection systems with limited light output, would not accept new digital formats, and required technical assistance when users wanted to connect to the projectors.
New equipment in these rooms includes:
• Projectors that have three times the light output, are more user-friendly, and use leading-edge technology to improve image quality
• Wireless microphones and wireless 35mm slide projector remote controls
• Enhanced audio amplifiers and speakers hidden in the ceilings
• Document cameras
• Both analog and digital information displays
• AMX color touch panel to control various room functions as well as network access.
Improvements were initiated by the 11-member General University Classroom Committee, which reports to Provost Robert Bates.
New auditorium available
Committee chair Deborah Carlson encourages faculty to consider scheduling courses with enrollments in the 110-163 range to use the auditorium housed in the new Communication Addition, which is equipped with the latest instructional display equipment and two wireless microphones. Classroom functions are controlled by a color touch panel, which allows faculty to make nearly instantaneous changes to their presentation. This room has both incoming and outgoing connections to other locations on the WSU campus, as well as the ability to receive off-campus programs.
Equipment and utilization rates
The classroom committee is working on a long-range plan for upgrading equipment in 135 general university classrooms on campus. Currently 78 percent of classrooms have multi-media equipment. The committee is evaluating the quality of the equipment and looking at classrooms with no equipment.
Simultaneously, committee members are evaluating room utilization rates, which measure how often rooms are scheduled and how full they are. The committee is striving to balance the scheduling demands and preferences of faculty and students with the state’s expectations for space usage.
Classroom support
Day-to-day technical support for these classrooms is provided by Instructional Support Services. The ISS website, https://www.iss.wsu.edu, shows photos, locations, seating and equipment available in each university classroom. The site also describes services available and includes a Classroom Feedback Form for comments related to a specific room.
For information about the General University Classroom Committee, go to https://facsen.wsu.edu/committees/university_committees/gen_university_classroom.html. Questions or comments may be referred to Deborah Carlson, dcarlson@wsu.edu, 335-9681.
