The Vision Plan prepared by each college and school is the University's primary source of data used for strategic planning and funding of information technology projects for education and research. The plans are used to allocate funds generated by the student Information Technology Fee, to identify projects that can be funded from internal University sources, to target opportunities for extramural funding, and to develop facilities for interdisciplinary and intercollege constituencies.
To provide accurate and up-to-date information, each Vision Plan should be reviewed and revised annually for submission to the Faculty Computer Committee in September. Although all colleges and schools are encouraged to develop internal plans with a two or three year time horizon, the Vision Plans submitted to the Faculty Computer Committee should specify projects intended for a one-year period--the next academic year.
Projects proposed in the Vision Plans should be sorted and ordered to reflect the priorities of the individual college or school. These priorities should be clearly identified in each plan. They should be anchored in a realistic assessment of annual funding sources whether from the pro-rated ITF funds, internal college sources, or external grants and awards. The Vision Plan should not be viewed as a "wish list," but rather as a coherent set of projects that might reasonably be implemented in a one-year period or set in motion in stages over several years.
Vision Plans may include projects intended for education, for research, or for any academic, scholarly, or scientific application of information technology. It is understood that ITF funds must be applied to projects with a direct impact on students, but these are only a subset of the many projects that may be proposed. Other University funding sources, when available, may be used to implement projects that do not fall under the purview of the ITF. The Vision Plan provides information critical to improving the University's research infrastructure. Any information technology projects aligned with the University's missions in research, education, and service can be proposed.
Finally, each plan should identify a contact (individual or committee)
who can be consulted for further information. Reports should be
submitted in both printed (25 copies) and digital form (Word 6.0
for Mac or Windows).
The Vision Plan need contain only two sections: 1) an overview
describing college-wide goals for the coming year and setting
the context for individual projects; and 2) information about
each proposed project. The length of the Vision Plan will vary
considerably from unit to unit depending on the size of the college
or school and the complexity of the plan. Some plans may be as
short as five-six pages, others will require more space to describe
component projects. Regardless of length, each plan should touch
on the following points.
A. College or School Goals for the Coming Year
The overview allows each unit to outline its goals for information
technology in the coming year and place these in the context of
its longer-term vision of change and the mission and needs of
the University as a whole. Stress should be placed on the impact
and benefits of the request on the overall quality of instruction
and research in the unit and the University. To do this, the unit
plan can be related to the recommendations outlined in "Toward
the Virtual University: A New Vision of the University of Texas
Academic Environment, 1995-2001" prepared last year by the
Faculty Computer Committee. (http://www.utexas.edu/computer/fcc/)
B. The Current Situation and Progress to Date
A brief overview of what the college or school has already accomplished
is important to understanding what comes next. As a consequence,
a short description of the unit's major projects, mission, and
facilities should be provided. This should include a brief breakdown
of what funds have been received over the past two years and how
they have been expended. Mention may be made of projects funded
through external sources such as grants and donations. This section
can also be used to summarize some of the most important ways
in which information technologies are deployed in the unit's subject
area specialties.
C. Components of the Plan
Here the projects described in detail in Part 2 should be listed
briefly in priority order with a total budget. Stress should be
placed on pointing out how each component meets the unit's goals
and fits into its vision and mission.
The overview may range in length from perhaps two to ten pages,
again largely as a function of the size of the college or school
and the scope of its plans. The overview provided by each unit
will be used in preparing the FCC's annual report and will be
published on-line in the FCC's Web pages.
Part 2: Descriptions of Individual Projects
The second part of the Vision Plan provides details about individual
projects. These can be organized by department or function. Descriptions
can range in length from one or two paragraphs up to two pages
(maximum) depending on scale and complexity. These descriptions
should provide the following information as appropriate to the
particular project.
A. Department, Project Title, or Laboratory Name
B. Brief Description of Goals or Innovations
The point here is to describe how a particular project helps a unit or department reach its goals for the use of information technologies. This may involve a brief discussion of the context of the initiative, previous accomplishments, a development plan or schedule, and examples of materials, classes, or research projects that will be supported.
For multi-year projects, the description should note any funds
previously invested in the project and its accomplishments to
date. If the project has resulted in publications of any kind,
these should be cited or their URL noted.
C. Audience
It is important to provide information about who will use the
facility or resources. For educational projects, this would be
the courses served and an estimate of annual enrollment or usage
(divided by graduate and undergraduate, if possible). Mention
can also be made of faculty involved and the numbers of TAs and
AIs assigned to the project. Research projects should identify
the core constituency.
D. Brief Description of the Facilities, Equipment, and Staff Needed
to Accomplish Project Goals
This description can be provided by categories that fit the needs
of the project, such as microcomputers (25) and software; or fileserver
(1) and X-stations (10); system analyst (1) and laboratory assistants
(2). A more detailed equipment list can be provided at the end
of the proposal (or in an appendix) if required to explain the
budget request. Suggestions for preparing equipment lists are
provided below under "exhibits."
E. Budget or Total Project Cost
The budget may be specified as a one-year startup cost or as a
annual increment on a multi-year plan. It is important to note
how equipment maintenance will be budgeted in subsequent years
either from pro-rated ITF funds or from other sources. Required
staff support should also be noted in the budget along with any
other recurring costs.
F. Space
Indicate where the equipment will be located or the project headquartered.
Note if remodeling is required and, if possible, an estimate of
its cost.
G. Special Needs, Issues, and Interactions
Note should be made characteristics of the project that may place
special demands on University infrastructure such as the Internet,
telecommunications networks, . Mention can also be made of cooperative
development projects involving Data Processing, General Libraries,
the Computation Center, and other units of the University.
1.3 Review of Academic Vision Plans
The Vision Plans are reviewed and compared carefully by the Faculty Computer Committee each year during the fall semester. The goal of the FCC review is to prepare recommendations for the Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC) and Digital Information Science Committee (DISC). This involves ranking the unit plans in terms of their needs and the merit and relevance of the projects to the University's mission. The plans also read with an eye toward identifying common needs that span individual colleges and school, such as interdisciplinary laboratory facilities, classroom space, and network access. The FCC is also asked to look for individual projects that might qualify for special funding initiatives (if available) or external funding opportunities.
Three members of the FCC are assigned to analyze each plan in
detail. Though free to range across all aspects of each plan,
reviewers are asked to consider five questions in detail:
1. What are the two or three strongest features of the plan?
2. In what areas might the plan be improved or developed further?
3. Are there individual projects within a plan that might qualify for special attention or funding?
4. Are there elements of the plan that might serve as the kernel for interdisciplinary or intercollege projects?
5. Are there elements of the plan that will place special demands
on University infrastructure?
After reading the plans independently, reviewers pool their comments
and questions and share these with the entire FCC. One member
of each team is designated the "advocate" for each plan
and prepares a written summary of this discussion. These summaries
are circulated for further, final discussion among the entire
FCC. The final summaries are provided to all colleges and schools
as a set and printed in the FCC's annual report to the Provost.
***These exhibits are furnished to indicate the level of detail required for the project proposals and budgets. They are provided solely for the purpose of example.***
Department: Anthropology
Project Title
2.1 Advanced Digital Video and 3-D Animations
in Physical Anthropology
Description
Our efforts in computer-based curriculum development over the past several years have focused on providing these laboratory materials in digitized form within a "virtual laboratory" multimedia format. All of our efforts to the present have focused on simple 3-D animations and video capture completed on DOS and Macintosh platforms. We are now at the stage where we wish to expand our efforts in curriculum development to the UNIX platform. This platform will permit us to exploit the faster CPU and more realistic 3-D rendering capabilities. The UNIX platform will permit us to utilize larger data sets from CT and micro-CT scanners, and produce experimental finite element analyses (FEA) for incorporation into existing laboratories.
Audience
The curriculum materials produced on the UNIX system will include advanced computed tomography (CT) and laser scanner 2-D and 3-D data sets illustrating internal and external morphology of osteological and fossils specimens, enhanced digital video that demonstrates behavioral sequences in several primate species, and experimental FEA studies. Various portions of these curricula materials will be incorporated into all of current courses in physical anthropology. These multimedia "virtual laboratories" will be available for student use in the Computer Laboratory in Physical Anthropology (EPS 2.102).
Courses Served:
Undergraduate courses:
ANT 301 Introduction to Physical Anthropology (self-paced)
ANT 301 Introduction to Physical Anthropology (lecture and laboratory)
ANT 323K Primate Behavior
ANT 348 Human Origins and Evolution
ANT 348K Current Topics in Paleoanthropology
ANT 351M Evolution of Human Behavior
ANT 366 Anatomy and Biology of the Human Skeleton
ANT 432L Primate Anatomy
Graduate courses:
ANT 388 Topics in Physical Anthropology
ANT 391L Topics in Research Methods in Physical Anthropology
ANT 392L Introduction to Graduate Physical
Anthropology
Enrollment: 1200 undergraduates and approximately
50 Graduate students.
Budget
Start Up: $32,300.
Staff support: Would be drawn from current
professors, TAs, and Department technical staff.
Space:
Provided by Department
Appendix (Anthropology: Advanced Digital
Video and 3-D Animations in Physical Anthropology)
| 8mm VCR | $ 1,000 |
| UNIX Station | $20,000 |
| Stereographics Crystal Eyes 3-D viewer | $ 4,500 |
| Subtotal | $25,500 |
| Apple Virtual Reality Software | $ 4,800 |
| Fea Software License | $ 2,000 |
| Subtotal | $ 6,800 |
| TOTAL | $32,300 |
Department: English
Project Title
2.2 Literary Studies/Cultural Studies Web Site
Description
In constructing a Web server in the Department
of English, we propose to consolidate the work already initiated
by faculty and graduate assistants in introducing the new information
technologies into the pedagogical practices and research agendas
of literary and cultural studies. The implementation of the new
English major, combined with the contemporary imperatives of information
technologies, provides an important opportunity for the coordination
of these complementary and mutually enhancing efforts. Such a
Web server would serve several purposes: 1. such a site would
allow for the development and support of both E316K and E314L,
courses which serve not only English majors, but the larger university
undergraduate population: 2. in focussing on local talent and
local resources (such as the HRHRC), with links to other sites
around the Web with useful and relevant material and information,
it would contribute to the renewal of literary practices and the
reinforcement of research projects with an expanded access to
materials and collaborative exchanges. Work done in classes that
made use of the server, by both graduate and undergraduate students,
would allow for "learning-by-doing" and students and
faculty would be cooperating in creating an interaction whose
value extends both into and beyond the Department.
The availability of a Departmental Web server,
and the appropriate supporting hardware and software, would permit
a representation and dissemination of the increasingly energetic
work being done by the English Department in the innovative use
of computer-assisted and multimedia technology in the classroom.
This highly focused server project would provide an environment
for the more than 200 faculty and graduate students involved in
the teaching of computer-assisted courses to establish contact
with the more than 3,000 students across the campus who each semester
enroll for E316, E309, and E321. It will further provide a crucial
catalyst to the already broader integration of technology in the
classroom in the English Department quite generally and will help
to forge ever closer communications links with the undergraduate
population at the University of Texas.
Audience
Courses served: E316K, E314L and selected upper-division English courses,
graduate seminars:
E388 Computers and English Studies
E384K Introduction to Bibliography and Textual Studies
E395L Varieties of Modernism
E392M Shakespeare
E397 Ethnic and Third World Literatures
Enrollment: approx. 2,150 in undergraduate
courses (primarily E316K)
Budget
Start Up: $18,000
Annual Maintenance: $400
Staff Support: No additional funds required
Space
No extra space requested
2.3 Molecular Graphics Laboratory
Background
As part of the Education Component of the College of Pharmacy's Vision Plan, we have established a Molecular Modeling Teaching Laboratory. Funding for this unique facility was also obtained through a grant from the National Science Foundation. One objective of this Laboratory is to provide a facility in which computer graphic visualization and manipulation of molecular structures can be used to enhance the teaching of chemical and pharmacological concepts related to molecular structure. Another objective is to provide a facility wherein students can gain hands-on experience in using computational chemistry software useful for understanding chemical behavior and drug design strategies. By providing state-of-the-art hardware and software, we not only accomplish these objectives but also stimulate interest in research careers and prepare students to use the hardware and software they would actually encounter in professional environments.
The Molecular Modeling Teaching Laboratory (MMTL) is used in a required Medicinal Chemistry Lab course taken by every undergraduate student in the College of Pharmacy. The MMTL is also used by undergraduates in the College's Honors Program and by undergraduates taking Research Problems electives courses. At the graduate level, the MMTL is used in two College of Pharmacy courses in which students from the College of Natural Sciences have also enrolled: (1) "A Survey of Methods for Computer-Assisted Drug Design" and (2) "Advanced Methods in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy." The MMTL is also used in a graduate course offered by the Department of Chemistry entitled "Computational Chemistry" which is taken by graduate students in both the Colleges of Natural Science and Pharmacy.
Due in part to the "visibility" of the MMTL, the American Chemical Society will be sponsoring (and nationally advertising) two 4-day short-courses each year on Molecular Modeling which will be presented within the MMTL and adjoining research facilities. This very substantial national recognition will further highlight the University's role in the Computational Chemistry community and in computer-aided instruction.
Proposal
By leveraging Vision Funds with extra-mural funding obtained from
the National Science Foundation, we were able to purchase state-of-the-art
hardware and, thus, we are not requesting funds
to upgrade equipment at this time. However, we are
requesting funds for three purposes listed in order of importance:
| Item | Cost/unit or year | Extension of cost |
| Hardware maintenance contract with SGI | $22,000 | $66,000 |
| Overhead projection system for laboratory | $9,500 | $9,500 |
| Color hard-copy device (for transparencies and slides) | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| $76,700 | ||
A. College or School Goals for the Coming Year
Relationship of the college vision plan to the
Faculty Computer Committee "New Vision Plan"
The original College of Fine Arts vision plan was--and remains--consistent
with the goals of the Faculty Computer Committee. In the latter's
report, Toward the Virtual University, May 1995, several
recommendations are mentioned. The ongoing execution of the College
of Fine Arts vision plan conforms to these recommendations, especially
nos. 1, 2, and 3.
1. Adopt the goal of universal access to information technology
for all members of the university community and take steps to
assure that every user is offered the support needed to assume
an identity and take an active role in this electronic community
a. Our student microcomputer laboratories, faculty computer initiatives,
networking project, and ongoing efforts to upgrade staff equipment
bring us ever closer to the goal of universal access.
b. With the establishment of the College of Fine Arts Office of
Computing Technologies, we have committed ongoing resources to
provide necessary support.
2. Invest in the development of new models of instruction based
on innovations in information technologies
The development of the student computer laboratories and the College
of Fine Arts faculty computer initiatives have promoted faculty
involvement in developing new instructional models, i.e. using
computing technologies. Since the original College of Fine Arts
vision plan in 1991, we have also taken other important steps.
a. The dean has funded annual summer research grants for faculty
who seek either to develop new courses that use computing technology
or to incorporate such technology into existing courses.
b. Curriculum innovation has led to a significant growth of computing
technology (i.e. beyond mere word-processing) in fine arts curricula
and core courses. Thus lower-division ear-training courses required
for all undergraduate music majors now involve computer-assisted
instruction. Courses for dance majors require students to use
special computer applications to complete choreography assignments.
The design curriculum in the Department of Art and Art History
is computer-based and requires the students to develop a high
degree of skill in using computer technology. The inauguration
of the Art and Art History microcomputer facility generated such
interest among the studio art faculty that the department has
already been compelled to increase the number of workstations
to accommodate the demands for computer use in studio art courses.
c. Having obtained a multi-million dollar matching grant from
a private foundation, the College of Fine Arts is establishing
a Center for Interdisciplinary and Digital Arts Studies. The center
is being formed to advance the growing interrelationships between
traditional and innovative research and instruction, to foster
digital arts research and instruction, and to promote inter- and
multi-disciplinary studies. The college will fund "high-end"
computer workstations for use by faculty in the center.
d. As the first phase of our plans to provide faculty with computer,
Internet, and multimedia capability in the classroom, the College
of Fine Arts is funding three portable computer workstations for
limited multimedia presentations (especially CD-ROM) in classroom
instruction. (Cf. the attached copy of our Information Technology
Fee Report for 1994-95, November 13, 1995, p. 4.)
e. The college is adapting and equipping two spaces in Music Building
and Recital Hall (MRH) for pilot projects in distance learning.
These spaces are the Recital Studio (MRH 2.608) and the Recording
Studio (MRH 2.638).
3. Provide students, faculty, and staff with seamless, easy-to-use,
and secure network access to the information they need for study,
teaching, research, and administration.
This is precisely the goal of the College of Fine Arts networking
project and the establishment of our Office of Computing Technologies.
B. The Current Situation and Progress to Date
In the years since our original vision plan was developed, technology
has changed and we have experienced various faculty and curriculum
changes. We have had to adjust certain details of the plan to
accommodate these changes. But the basic plan has remained essential
for the consistent, systematic progress we have made each year
toward the realization of that vision.
During the past five years, vision plan expenditures have been
covered in part by allocations from the Faculty Computer Committee
and in part by College of Fine Arts resources.
A. The following major projects have been funded primarily by
Faculty Computer Committee allocations or the Information Technology
Fee. These projects are either completed or in the final development
phase.
1. Fine Arts Microcomputer Laboratory (FAML): completed
2. Department of Art and Art History Microcomputer Facility: completed
3. School of Music Microcomputer Facility: completed
4. Department of Theatre and Dance Microcomputer Facility: in
development for opening in the 1996-97 academic year. (Fall, 1996
is the goal; Spring 1997 is probably more realistic.)
5. Electronic Music Laboratory: to be completed in the current
academic year
6. College of Fine Arts network project (see item B, 2, below)
B. Other major College of Fine Arts computing projects
1. Faculty computer initiative
Using our own resources, the College of Fine Arts twice gave its
tenured and tenure-track faculty opportunities to receive computers
and printers. All of this occurred before the provost inaugurated
the current, university-wide faculty computer initiative.
2. College of Fine Arts network
One of the most important components of the original (1991) College
of Fine Arts vision plan was the installation of a college-wide
network. (An entire, separate volume was devoted to this recommendation
in the original report.) We are now networking all components
of the college. To accomplish this, we have used a comparatively
small amount of Information Technology Fee funds. The vast majority
of funding for this project has come from other College of Fine
Arts resources. The project is scheduled to be completed within
the next two months.
3. Department of Theatre and Dance: Theatre Design/Dance Microcomputer
Laboratory
Using our own resources, we funded a small laboratory to meet
the most pressing needs of the theatre design faculty (cf. our
1991 report, pp. 24-25, 39). This laboratory will be incorporated
into the larger, departmental facility which is now under development.
4. Image database project (cf. Visual Resources Collection in
the Department of Art and Art History)
Although not included as a priority in the 1992-93 Faculty Computer
Committee version of our vision plan (cf. Faculty Computer
Committee Report, 1992-93, pp. 114-115), this project is significant
for us (cf. Report on Computing in the College of Fine Arts,
October, 1991, pp. 43-44). We have, therefore, provided funds
to initiate the project.
5. Computer equipment for staff and "production automation"
The college continues to find funds to upgrade computer equipment
for staff and to move toward more effective use of computing for
student services and administrative tasks.
6. Computer literacy for faculty and staff
The college has used a variety of strategies to promote computer literacy, not only among faculty and staff, but students as well. We have offered our own workshops, sent college personnel to workshops presented by other
agencies, and purchased and made available various self-help materials.
Among the responsibilities of our newly established Office of
Computing Technologies are both technical support and training.
C. Components of the Plan
PROPOSAL: Multimedia Lecture Halls
I. The proposal
This is a proposal to establish four (4) multimedia lecture halls
in the College of Fine Arts.
A. Reasons for the proposal
This request is intended to meet a need identified in the original
Report on Computing in the College of Fine Arts, October,
1991. Over the past five years, the college has met or at least
addressed almost all of the needs identified in that original
vision plan . However, we have been unable to fund the "multimedia
learning environments" described in that report.
The original report (pp. 21-22) identified two types of multimedia
classrooms.
The first type, which might be more accurately called the electronic
lecture hall, is capable of seating large lecture classes. The
instructor uses a workstation connected to audiovisual devices
such as CD-ROM, VCR, and MIDI keyboard to create materials by
mixing film, video, graphics, text, and sound, and to project
those materials onto a large screen or screens at the front of
the room. The second type shares these features but also has workstations
for students.
For the present, the new departmental microcomputer facilities
have eliminated the need for the second type of multimedia learning
environment. But fine arts faculty research and creativity increasingly
involve digitized information, new technologies, a variety of
media, and the Internet. With the completion of the College of
Fine Arts faculty computer initiative and networking projects,
we will have growing numbers of faculty with a need to bring into
the classroom the research and creative work that they are undertaking
on computers. (Student understanding of the "process"
involved in a research project or creative work depends upon faculty
ability to share work--work in progress as well as that completed.)
Moreover, the rapid growth of instructional media such as CD-ROM
compels us to provide faculty with lecture halls that have the
appropriate technological means for classroom presentation.
Our original vision plan (pp. 29-32) cites the need to digitize
images stored in the of the Department of Art and Art History
Visual Resources Collection (cf. "slide library"). Our
long-range goal is to provide access to the digitized images over
the network. (Cf. faculty and student access from home, office,
or classroom.) As mentioned above, we have provided funds to initiate
this important project. Lecture halls equipped with computer-based
multimedia workstations will give faculty the ability to bring
the digitized images into classroom lectures. The estimated total
cost of the project is $202,800 (i.e. $50,700 per lecture hall).
3.2 Part 2: Descriptions of Individual Projects
A. Department, Title, or Laboratory Name
The College of Fine Arts: Multimedia Lecture Halls
B. Brief Description of Goals or Innovations
In October, 1991, the College of Fine Arts completed an exhaustive,
two volume report on computing needs in the College of Fine Arts.
This vision plan for computing was subsequently submitted to the
university's Faculty Computer Committee (cf. Faculty Computer
Committee Report, 1992-93.) The plan focused on teaching and
research, citing specific needs for student microcomputer facilities,
multimedia learning environments, research laboratories, computer
workstations for faculty and staff, a college-wide network, and
an image database project.
Using allocations from the Faculty Computer Committee and its
own resources, over the past five years the college has systematically
completed (or currently has in progress) almost all of the initiatives
cited in the original vision plan. One obvious exception, however,
is the development of multimedia learning environments.
As an initial effort to address the need for multimedia learning
environments, the college has dedicated funds for several portable
computer workstations for computer-based multimedia use. The college
is also adapting and equipping two spaces for pilot projects in
distance learning.
The College of Fine Arts 1995-96 Vision Plan proposal is a request
for funding to establish four multimedia lecture halls (one each
in ART, WIN, MRH, and FAB). At each site we would provide the
instructor with computers to support both the Macintosh and DOS
platforms, a high-resolution computer projection device, a document
reader/projector, and other audio/visual equipment necessary for
full multimedia presentations. The estimated total cost of the
project is $202,800 (i.e. $50,700 per lecture hall).
Since developing its initial vision plan in 1991, the College
of Fine Arts has annually made substantial progress in realizing
the goals of that plan. The goals have remained consistent with
those of the university's Faculty Computer Committee and this
proposal continues in that same direction. (Cf. "Create new
multimedia and distance-learning classrooms accessible to faculty
and students throughout the campus," Toward the Virtual
University, New Vision Plan Subcommittee of the Faculty Computer
Committee, May 22, 1995, p. 4.)
C. Audience
This project is intended to make computer-based multimedia presentations
and classroom network-access (including network-access to the
Visual Resources Collection) available to a variety of courses,
undergraduate and graduate, major and nonmajor. Immediate use
would be in courses such as: Fine Arts 320 ("Exploring the
Fine Arts"), an interdisciplinary course for nonmajors; lower
and upper-division art history courses; music literature and theory
courses; theatre and dance design, choreography, and history and
criticism courses; and fine arts appreciation courses for nonmajors.
D. Brief Description of the Facilities, Equipment, and Staff
Needed to Accomplish Project Goals
1. Computer and Audio/visual Equipment
Each of the four lecture halls would receive the computer and
audio/visual equipment needed to support a variety of new and
traditional media technologies. Although we are following the
general direction recommended in our 1991 vision plan (cf. pp.
37, 73-74), we have now chosen to provide faculty with a fuller
range of equipment to facilitate more comprehensive multimedia
presentations and to make these lecture halls practical for the
widest variety of instructional needs. Our plan is to support
lecture presentations from both the Macintosh and DOS platforms.
| MacIntosh computer with audio/visual capability | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Dell computer with audio/visual capability | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| 17" computer monitor | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| MIDI keyboard | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| High-resolution computer projection device | $7,000 | $7,000 |
| Document reader/projector | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Projection screen | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Marker board (to replace chalkboard) | $ 800 | $ 800 |
| Three slide projectors | $ 300 | $ 900 |
| Six-disc compact disc changer | $ 400 | $ 400 |
| Videodisc player | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| SVHS Stereo VCR | $ 800 | $ 800 |
| Cassette tape player | $ 200 | $ 200 |
| DAT player | $1,100 | $1,100 |
| Long-playing record turntable | $ 300 | $ 300 |
| Four audio speakers | $ 300 | $1,200 |
| Audio amplifier (with surround sound capability) | $1,100 | $1,100 |
| Loop alarm$1,200$1,200Entry alarm | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| Cables and racks for equipment | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Cabinetry materials and installation costs | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| $40,200 | ||
2. Networking Upgrade
This spring, the College of Fine Arts will complete its networking
project (another part of our 1991 vision plan). All of our classrooms,
studios, exhibition spaces, performance spaces, and offices will
be networked. To accommodate audio and video presentations in
real time, however, network capacity in the proposed multimedia
lecture halls will need to be upgraded to 100 megabytes.
Total networking costs for all four rooms
| Item | Cost per item | Cost |
| 100 mgb router card | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| Network switcher | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| 4 hubs | $ 1,500 | $ 6,000 |
| 4 fiber-optic cable runs | $ 800 | $ 3,200 |
| 4 100 mgb cards for workstations | $ 200 | $ 800 |
| $42,000 | ||
E. Budget or Total Project Cost
The total budget for the project, including four (4) multimedia
lectures halls and the network upgrade to 100 megabyte capacity
for each is $202,800 (i.e. $50,700 per classroom including the
network upgrade).
| $ 40,200 | |
| $ 40,200 | |
| $ 40,200 | |
| $ 40,200 | |
| $160,800 | |
| $ 42,000 | |
| $202,800 |
F. Space
The college at present has several lecture halls equipped to some
extent for traditional multimedia use. None, however, has the
computer workstations or computer projection equipment needed
to take advantage of the Internet and the latest computer technology.
The rooms chosen for this project are those in which faculty currently
offer lectures with traditional audio/visual equipment. But the
use of multimedia instruction in each of these rooms is limited
by the lack or obsolescence of equipment.
ART 1.110 This is a large general-purpose classroom used for art
history as well as other types of lectures.
FAB 2.204 This lecture room is adjacent to the Visual Resources
Collection. The room is currently used for a multimedia, interdisciplinary
course for nonmajors (viz. Fine Arts 320, "Exploring the
Fine Arts") as well as art history courses.
WIN 2.112 This is the "multimedia" lecture room in the
Department of Theatre and Dance. The equipment is antiquated and
no longer meets even the most minimal traditional multimedia needs.
MRH 2.634 This lecture room is adjacent to the Recording Studio,
an immediate source of technical support and a site also being
developed as a College of Fine Arts distance-learning classroom.
G. Special Needs, Issues, and Interactions
Technical support for the classrooms would be provided by the
College of Fine Arts Office of Computing Technologies. The budget
for annual maintenance, repair, and replacement would come from
several college accounts, including the special equipment budget,
information technology fee, (departmental) instructional technology
fee, and (for non-computer items) the College of Fine Arts equipment
fee.
16 May 1997
Faculty Computer Committee at UT Austin
Mail to: markl.decker@mail.utexas.edu