Lab Redesign
We are re-envisioning the CeLTA Labs for the post-Covid era. Some of this had happened before March 2020, but new realities have made the need to change more urgent:
Budget Reduction
We significantly reduced lab expenditures as part of the CAL budget reduction for this this year and the coming years. Due to this situation, we do not have any more student employees for the lab. The computers in B125 are old and need to be replaced. We do not have funds to replace these older iMacs, which will therefore be removed from the lab this summer. While these cuts are painful, they did help the college minimize losses in other areas. We no longer have professional staff in CeLTA or student employees that can fully maintain the lab in its current set-up.
Redesigning the Labs
Survey data we collected pre-pandemic, usage statistics, as well as the first of the co-design sessions (and last due to the pandemic) are in line with national trends and developments at peer institutions: large computer lab installations are on the decline in the age of ubiquitous computing. There are many other areas for which the lab spaces are needed. We will ground the process of filling those needs in CeLTA’s values (to connect, to innovate, to transform) and its mission.
We held a fruitful listening session May 11, 2021 and conducts a subsequent qualtrics survey. We are taking the impact that this has on a few individuals and projects very seriously and are addressing these below. We ask you to be in communication with us if your concerns are being addressed.
Faculty Learning Community
We will be offering a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) in the academic year of 2021-22. This will be an important component in providing a transparent, accessible, and participatory redesign process.
Faculty and Unit Concerns and Disruptions
- Having exam separators for 24-30 people
- Having a computer lab in Wells
- Having a place for students to view films remotely and legally
- Having seating, computers, and headsets for at least 15 people
- Having multiple projectors
- Concerns about e-waste (i.e., what will happen to the computers that are “too old”?)
Timeline
TBA