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Printer-Friendly ModeStudent Tech Center considers moving facility
April 23, 2007 —
The Student Technology Center, located on the second floor of Zahnow Library, has been open for about five years. Though it offers a wide variety of creative tutoring for multimedia presentations and projects, and even loans out equipment, some students don't even know what it is.
Despite not being the most well known of on-campus services, STC Coordinator Tammi Waugh said that the Center's resources are not underused.
"Currently, we seem to have a steady number of students that visit the STC. Our numbers have pretty much stabilized over the last probably three years," she said. "Our numbers have pretty much stayed the same. We've tried to promote, we've tried to build awareness."
Waugh graduated with a Master's degree in communication and multimedia from SVSU, and started working at the University as a Library Tech. Eventually, she was chosen to coordinate the STC.
Among the services offered by the STC is training for all different types of computer programs, including the Adobe Creative Suite a wide range of Microsoft products, and various third-party software for both Windows and Mac OSX machines.
Last year, Waugh and her staff devised a series of workshops, partly to advertise the STC's services and attract more students.
While they were not well-attended, Waugh said the STC still offers them, if just for individuals.
"We were hoping that these mini-workshops would draw more students in," she said. "They were going to be workshops that run about 45 minutes in length, and students could just stop in they could say 'oh I want to learn about Photoshop, I want to learn about how to capture video.'"
Students can capture that video with two digital video cameras the STC has for rent, in addition to two brand new FujiFilm digital single-lens reflex cameras. Waugh said that the Center rents out all kinds of other equipment, including a light kit for the digital cameras.
There has been talk of a move for the STC, although nothing is confirmed. Waugh said that a move likely wouldn't happen until the reconstruction of Pioneer Hall is completed, when space around campus is reallocated. She said the Center would benefit most from a busy spot on campus.
"Some place near food," she joked. "Some place that's high-traffic, where people are coming and going."
Waugh drew that conclusion after visiting both Bowling Green and Oakland University, and realizing that placement for a service like the STC is critical.
"Both of those student technology centers are in a high-traffic location, so students automatically see it," she said.
Wherever the STC moves - even if it doesn't - Waugh said that the matter is under consideration regardless.
"There's still thought, and there's still discussion."