Classroom Upgrades Survey - October 2000 - carried out by Lou Gross Survey Question Distributed to A&S and Engineering Departments on/near the Hill: I serve on a committee that is doing campus planning for spending about $1M per year for upgrading classrooms (e.g. painting, seats, writing boards, projectors, lights, etc.) with additional funds for technology (e.g. in-seat net access, computers, etc.). I have been charged with surveying the needs of faculty on the Hill to aid in long-term planning and would appreciate it if you would respond by ranking the below based upon your estimate of what should have highest priority in aiding your use of classrooms. Please order the below from highest (5) to lowest (1) priority without repeating a rank. Feel free to add any comments you wish regarding the state of classrooms. I will summarize the results and make them available on my home page by October 12. Thanks. ___ Building some state-of-the-art classrooms with net and power to each seat (possibly using wireless net), wireless audio, high lumen projectors, etc. ___ Improving the basic physical components of large numbers of classrooms (new seating, rugs, painting, lights) ___ Adding basic technology to large numbers of classrooms (one net connection with no port charges, basic projection device, one computer) ___ Enhanced custodial services (more thorough and frequent cleaning) ___ Providing personnel support for maintenance of technology within classrooms Results: 29 total faculty responses (10 Engineering faculty, 19 A&S) from 11 Departments (5 Engineering Departments, 6 A&S Departments) Item # on list 1 2 3 4 5 80 84 101 75 96 436 total points 18% 19% 23% 17% 22% percentage of total points Note the minimum point total possible under this scheme for any item is 29 and the maximum possible is 145. I thus interpret these rankings to indicate a significant difference in faculty opinion regarding items #3 and 5 (High ranking) and items #1, 2 and 4 (Low ranking). Rank order of faculty priority listing for classroom upgrades from highest to lowest is:: 1 Adding basic technology to large numbers of classrooms (one net connection with no port charges, basic projection device,one computer) # scoring this item at each priority level Highest Middle Lowest 8 9 5 3 4 2 Providing personnel support for maintenance of technology within classrooms # scoring this item at each priority level Highest Middle Lowest 8 6 6 5 4 3 Improving the basic physical components of large numbers of classrooms (new seating, rugs, painting, lights) # scoring this item at each priority level Highest Middle Lowest 8 1 6 8 6 4 Building some state-of-the-art classrooms with net and power to each seat (possibly using wireless net), wireless audio, high lumen projectors, etc. # scoring this item at each priority level Highest Middle Lowest 5 4 6 7 7 5 Enhanced custodial services (more thorough and frequent cleaning) # scoring this item at each priority level Highest Middle Lowest 1 8 7 4 9 Comments by Department: Anthro: Here in Anthro we're well below the Hill (both literally and figuratively) when it comes to classroom facilities in the Stadium. It's hard to believe the poor state of our teaching facilities unless you actually come down here and check them out for yourself. The physical state of the classroom itself is always the #1 complaint on my teaching evals. Botany: State-of-the art classrooms: But ranked high only if the basic technology (wireless access etc.) is delivered to faculty as has been promised in general meetings (e.g. by McCay). The problem with doing this now is that the level of equipment may be obsolete before it is really used. Adding basic technology: It is rare for me to teach a class without some material to present via powerpoint - having access to classrooms equipped to function in this mode will add the most in efficiency and functionality Enhanced custodial services: Note that there are improvements that might help to keep rooms clean and functional (e.g. banning food/drink; changing away from dust-producing chalk and also from organic-solvent based dry markers) Providing personnel support: This would be item #2 on my list if it could be delivered at the departmental level. The way computer support is centralized through DII has generally rendered it unhelpful to me, and I would hate to see any more funds mis-directed in that way. A constant gripe of mine in using the WLS lecture rooms involves lack of cleanliness, non state of the art equipment (even the blackboards are poor!) and a lack of maintenence/support for the tech equipment ChemE: I think we need better custodial services and better physical components in the classroom but I do not think that any special funding should go to such basic needs. My general feeling is that the classrooms in Dougherty Engineering Building are serviceable and reasonably maintained. Providing some state-of-the art classrooms would certainly be valuable, although adding a computer and computer projector to existing classrooms would be a help. It would be particularly useful to have some classrooms outfitted with modular tables and moveable chairs that could be arranged to facilitate work in 4-person student groups, or rearranged into a more traditional theater configuration. I do NOT favor the use of carpet in classrooms -- even if we could be successful in keeping out food and sugar-containing soft drinks, students will come in with dirty shoes on rainy days and create a need for frequent cleaning. Right now, our custodial service is satisfactory, but carpeted floors in classrooms would require more custodial effort. EEB: Just some basic improvements in noise abatement/control and comfortable, non-sticky seats would be needed before I could use the net to help teach a class. Right now I'm in Dabney 575 and Hesler 230, terrible classrooms but better than what I was assigned, Hesler 538 and Hesler 119, respectively, which were absolutely terrible. The basics are more important than a few sterling classrooms. However, ALL large lecture rooms should have basic video/powerpoint/overhead/slide facilities. I have been appalled at how even the basics like whiteboards are nearly unusable in rooms I have tried to teach in. Plus most of the seats resemble the kind that we used to hide under during nuke-attack drills, or maybe they resemble medieval torture devices. I had a hard time with your third and fifth items. Item 5 doesn't make sense unless item 3 exists. Geol: Improving the basic physical components: ESPECIALLY GETTING DECENT AIR CONDITIONING INSTALLED IN EVERY CLASSROOM. THE GEOLOGY BUILDING HAS ONE CARS CLASSROOM WITH NO AIR (RM 413), AND MANY CLASSROOMS AND SEMINAR ROOMS WITH NOISY, OLD WINDOW UNITS (107, 112, 203, 223, AND 307). THESE WINDOW UNITS ARE SO NOISY THAT FACULTY OFTEN TURN THEM OFF WHILE LECTURING, WHICH MEANS THAT THE STUDENTS REALLY SWEAT. THE WINDOW UNITS SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH UNITS MOUNTED ON THE GROUND OR THE ROOF. Psych: Adding basic technology to large numbers of classrooms is ABSOLUTELY #1 priority.