A Grant Snider illustration

The computers are coming!

By: Derek Simons

Posted: 11/10/08

Ideal Learning Environment (ILE) classrooms equipped with computers, projectors and Internet access are spreading across campus in a broadband revolution.

In a move long awaited by many students and professors, UMKC Information Services (IS) announced it would install another 63 ILE systems by June 2009. This will increase from 79 to 142 the available ILE systems, making 86 percent of UMKC's 165 classrooms technology-friendly.

IS Director Mary Lou Hines-Fritts, vice provost for academic programs, presented the plan at the Faculty Senate meeting Nov. 4 at the Hospital Hill campus. She said past guidelines limited equipment installation to only the larger-capacity centrally-located rooms.

Under a new policy, classrooms with a capacity of 15 or more students will now be eligible for the technological makeover, and Hines-Fritts has already met with numerous deans to individuate the priority locations.

"We have a couple of critical points here," Hines-Fritts said. "One is if we can get CFM [Campus Facilities and Management] to work fast enough for us. The second is the room has to be vacant for six hours for us to get it installed. We're going to have a lot of weekend activity."

Hines-Fritts said additional regular personnel would be necessary for the new IS workload.

"We're adding two staff to make sure the rooms are working," Hines-Fritts said. "That's probably not enough, but that's where we're going to start and we'll see how we go forward from that."

The standard technology package also includes a DVD/VHS player, USB Web camera and wireless lavalier (lapel) microphone. The average cost for equipping each room will be $8,000, according to Justin Guggenmos, IS project manager for classroom technology.

At present, there are 23 classrooms excluded from the upgrade because they may be part of future changes in the UMKC Master Plan of construction or departmental moves.

The funding for ILE classrooms (from the more than $3 million annual student fees for technology) has remained steady for the last three years at $450,000. In the fiscal year 2007-08, this accounted for 38 percent, down from 64 percent two years before, according to IS budget reports.

"We're very particular about how that money [student fees] is spent," Hines-Fritts said. "It has to have direct impact on students. So, student labs are funded 100 percent from student fees, but software licenses have a portion of their costs from the general operating budget to cover the portion of license costs attributable to faculty and staff."

Students paid 67 percent of the $375,000 software costs last year.

Other big-ticket student IS expenditures included more than $500,000 for the Desktop and Call Support Center (representing 31 percent of the total cost), $205,000 of system security (62 percent student-funded) and $305,000 for instructional technology - 39 percent of the total amount.

Hines-Fritts said expansion of the ILE availability will encompass both the Volker and Hospital Hill campuses.

"We're going to make a difference," she said.

dsimons@unews.com