Summer Classroom Upgrades for 2021

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.

Simmons 107 Continue reading Summer Classroom Upgrades for 2021

Classroom Upgrade Project for Summer 2021 Launches

Simmons Instructor StationOver 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

Classroom Upgrades: New Devices to Enhance SMUFlex

Owl and DTENIn 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

CTE & OIT Host SMUFlex Panel Discussion

On Wednesday, November 11, 2020, at 11 a.m., the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) will host a virtual SMUFlex Panel Discussion. The discussion will feature faculty members from across disciplines. The event is free and open to the SMU community. More details can be found below from the original email. Continue reading CTE & OIT Host SMUFlex Panel Discussion

Online Ready: Successful Fall Instructional Readiness Initiative

OIT & CTEBetween July 1, 2020, and August 10, 2020, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) joined forces to develop and to facilitate a massive University-wide online teaching readiness initiative.  The purpose of this initiative was to ensure that all faculty, especially those approved to teach fully online in the fall semester, had access to courses designed to develop skills and knowledge required to elevate the quality and consistency of fully online instruction. Continue reading Online Ready: Successful Fall Instructional Readiness Initiative