The Student Technology Center will be staffed with student technology mentors and tutors who will present small-group workshops and assist with technology skills and issues specific to students' needs. Until now, services for students have been provided solely at the ATUS Help Desk, where consultants are also handling campus-wide support calls from faculty and staff.

The STF Committee based its decision on a survey of students in which topics consistent with academic pursuits received the highest interest ratings, including such goals as developing class presentations, using Western's multimedia classrooms, learning how to use on-line library tools, and preparing papers. A large majority indicated agreement to the importance of providing this type of direct technology support and stating that they were likely to use a Student Technology Center.

Guided by a steering committee, the Center will seek to provide support that complements course offerings. Staff at the Technology Center will work with faculty to design workshops and tutorials around specific course objectives and general requirements. Faculty members have already suggested programmatic offerings to include word-processing skills, bibliographic formatting techniques, and use of publication style guides. Essential skills in the use of Microsoft Excel will assist students in graphing, charting, and creating other representations of data central to some disciplines.

We welcome your input as plans for the Center take shape. If you routinely find your students deficient in a technical skill important to your curriculum, or you have other recommendations for us, please contact Susan Brown at 650-7222.

Scheduled for start-up in January 2004, the Center will be located temporarily in Miller Hall 75 until space in Haggard Hall becomes available next year.