The Teaching Center designs and maintains the University-managed classrooms, with the goal of improving the teaching experience for faculty and the learning experience for students. The Teaching Center takes a holistic approach to the management of classrooms. Rather than considering separately issues relating to teaching methods, available technology, and the physical layout of the room, the staff of The Teaching Center takes into account how these elements work together to shape how faculty members use a particular classroom.

The director and associate director consult with the Classroom Monitoring Committee, an advisory group that aims to ensure that the University-managed classrooms support and facilitate the teaching of undergraduate students. The Committee is chaired by the director of The Teaching Center and includes representatives from Facilities Management, the Office of Student Records, Arts & Sciences, the School of Engineering, and Events Services.

Design Standards: Construction and Renovation of University-Managed Classrooms
The Teaching Center has developed a series of consistent, yet flexible standards for the selection and placement of all classroom components. The standards are customized to fit the needs of the major department(s) in the building, to the extent possible within budget limitations. Decisions to add technology are based on campus needs, the extent and feasibility of the renovation required, and available funding. The Teaching Center assesses campus needs for classroom technology by administering Classroom Evaluation Questionnaires each semester and by analyzing data gathered by the Office of Student Records.

Design standards for classroom technology include the following:

• Technology installed in University-managed classrooms is easy to control, with little set-up time, by someone who has not had extensive multimedia training.
• Multimedia components are set up in a similar way in each classroom, making it easy to use the multimedia no matter which of the classrooms the instructor is using.
• University-managed classrooms with full multimedia are equipped with PCs, DVD players, VCRs, laptop connectivity, data projectors, network access, auxiliary AV inputs, and touch-panel controls. Approximately one-half of the full-multimedia classrooms also contain a digital document camera located in the ceiling or in the desk, and nearly 10% contain a SMART Board (an interactive whiteboard with a touch-sensitive display).
• Multimedia classrooms contain an instructor’s desk or podium that has been designed to facilitate technology use without losing functionality for more traditional teaching methods. The technology is located inside the instructor’s desk or podium and is controlled through a control panel on the desktop. The desk or podium is custom-built to suit the teaching needs of the major department(s), to fit the size of the room, and to match the existing décor.

To view descriptions and photos of each classroom, see the Classroom Directory.

For more information about the multimedia in the University-managed classrooms, see Classroom Multimedia.

If you have questions about classroom management, contact Liz Peterson by email, or by phone at 935-6810.