Each year, most of our planned classroom technology upgrades are scheduled during the summer months. The AV Installations team identified the rooms receiving new equipment or maintenance work and with faculty input from the Academic Technology Council. Most rooms received significant improvements last summer in preparation for the SMUFlex experience. Therefore, this summer’s work included fewer major overhauls and more enhancements or maintenance repairs than usual, but still offered improvements in over 100 rooms.
Author: Rachel Mulry
Director of Customer Service-
Office of Information Technology
Classroom Upgrade Project for Summer 2021 Launches
Over the past 12 months, our classrooms received a significant amount of technology and equipment upgrades and changes. During the summer months, work was done in 250 rooms to install the various components necessary to support SMUFlex. During the Winter break, we added more components and changes to approximately 93 rooms to deliver an enhanced SMUFlex course experience. As we prepare now for a fully in-person Fall semester, we will focus our classroom efforts on a variety of maintenance and repair requests with a smaller number of major upgrades than is typical. Continue reading Classroom Upgrade Project for Summer 2021 Launches
Technology Blossoms Over Winter Break
Welcome to Spring 2021!
In the summer of 2020, we installed a significant amount of technology in the various classrooms to support SMUFlex and fully virtual courses. This technology worked well, but the lack of audience microphones in many spaces and the lack of the visual of the students in the classroom delivered a slightly disconnected experience for the class. As a remote graduate student myself, I was able to experience the efficacy as well as the limitations of our initial technology configuration firsthand. In order to provide a better experience for the spring semester, the University authorized the purchase of another set of technology that was installed over the Winter break. Continue reading Technology Blossoms Over Winter Break
Classroom Technology Resources for 2021
We know that the transition to SMUFlex and virtual teaching has not been easy and required a tremendous amount of effort from you. While the new technology should provide an enhanced and simpler experience for your courses, it also adds yet another thing to learn! Rest assured, we’ve made it as simple as possible and have provided multiple resources to help you get acclimated. Continue reading Classroom Technology Resources for 2021
Classroom Upgrades: New Devices to Enhance SMUFlex
In preparation for the Fall semester, each classroom received a variety of technology components to help facilitate SMUFlex. The focus during the initial upgrade was to ensure high-quality video and audio for the instructor, whiteboard capabilities and zoom. As fall classes began, the need for audience microphones became more critical in providing an enhanced experience for the remote students particularly in classes that rely heavily on discussion. Several temporary solutions were deployed in a few classrooms to help provide this functionality. The University has allocated additional funding to purchase technology for 62 classrooms to improve the online experience for students this spring. Continue reading Classroom Upgrades: New Devices to Enhance SMUFlex
