Junior economics and finance major
While this university frequently promotes “fearless ideas” and “quantum advances,” a few aspects of the campus are stuck in the mud when it comes to modernity. To provide students the best possible physical space to achieve goals, some improvements are needed.
Many classrooms, particularly those in the historic academic buildings that line the edges of McKeldin Mall, do not have sufficient technology to integrate modern learning. Many of the rooms have nothing but desks and a chalkboard. The overhead projectors found in some rooms are a useless relic of the past. Much like some professors’ fashion choices, these rooms look as though they haven’t changed since the Nixon administration.
Today’s undergraduates have seen massive technological change in the classroom over the past 15 years. Cathode ray tube monitors became flatscreen LCDs while floppy disks became flash drives and the cloud. PCs awkwardly connected to TVs by a video graphics array cable became projectors connected to interactive SMART Boards. These changes were seemingly made to prepare students for a high-tech future.
Outside of Bart’s punishment in the opening of every Simpsons episode, it’s possible that students have never seen a chalkboard used until going to college here. While some aging instructors are slow to adapt to new technologies, a lack of equipment in many rooms makes it impossible for them to advance. This results in a learning environment to which many students are unaccustomed. Though it is not necessary to have voting clickers, games or other bells and whistles in every classroom, a working projector should be a bare minimum.
While Wi-Fi across the campus is usually functional and ELMS is effective for keeping courses and assignments organized, the campus suffers from inequality of facilities. While big-money departments such as business and engineering enjoy modern buildings, many traditional majors that are the foundation of a university are neglected. The university’s continual commitment to build new facilities is outstanding, but a little refurbishing of classic buildings could go a long way.
Daniel Galitsky is a junior economics and finance major. He can be reached at dgalitskydbk@gmail.com.
