eHelpIn keeping with Cal Poly Pomona's mission statement to advance learning and knowledge by linking theory and practice in all disciplines, and to prepare students for lifelong learning, leadership and careers in a changing, multicultural world, the IT Governance Executive Committee was charged with creating a model for integrating cutting-edge computer and multimedia technology campus-wide.
After consulting with the members of the Academic Senate, staff and management of Instructional & Information Technology (I&IT) and other interested parties, the decision was made to equip classrooms with the newest in presentation and media technology, and to provide faculty members with tools, such as laptop computers, to make the best use of these ground-breaking, "smart" classrooms.
Some classrooms already have this technology in place, some require upgrades of existing equipment and some require remodeling to house equipment. The enhanced classrooms will enable faculty to integrate these tools into a learning-centered instructional process. These enhancements provide students with direct exposure to a real-world learning environment and better prepares them to join the work force.
Classroom upgrading and remodeling began in summer 2005, during which 13 classrooms in five buildings were equipped. As of July 14, 2007, 60 classrooms were upgraded. Another group of classrooms is scheduled to be completed in time for the Fall 2007 quarter.
Laptops are offered to faculty, allowing them to make the best use of the modern, enhanced classrooms. Any projects or research faculty accomplish via their computers, as teachers or scholars, can be presented to students - from detailed technical analyses to multimedia presentations.
These components of the Learning-Centered Technology (LCT) Initiative provide students with exposure to the very best technology and help to equip them with the skills to negotiate the real-world learning environment.
A significant program feature is to allow and encourage faculty to use the campus-provided three(3)-terabyte file server to save and back up their data and documents. This will provide a layer of security that extends beyond the capability of the single PC user. Data stored on the system servers will be backed up daily, lessening the chances of losing important information due to hardware failure, computer viruses, accidental damage, theft or other unforeseen events.
The first faculty laptops were distributed in April, 2005. By September, 2006, more than 550 laptops were delivered. In the fall of 2007, more than 50 tenure-track faculty members received either Dell or Macintosh laptops. This allocation brings the number of laptops distributed to either tenured faculty or tenure-track faculty to more than 600.
This distribution is a voluntary program that allows each faculty member to choose to keep his/her current desktop computer or exchange it for a state-of-the-art laptop. The initiative is funded through lottery proceeds.
This page was last updated October 12, 2007.
