On the first day of the fall semester, LSA Technology Services opened the doors of the newly renovated Media Center and Service Center on the second floor of the Modern Languages Building (MLB). As one of three convenient walk-in support locations for LSA Technology Services, the Media Center and Service Center provides services such as computing support, equipment loans, classroom AV support, and BlueCorps resources for students using technology in LSA courses. There are also teaching and learning spaces including Media Rooms for collaborative work and audio/video editing, Mac and PC labs, XR capabilities, and study spaces for students. This renovation was sponsored by Cathy Curley, LSA CIO; Dush Fernando, Director of Support Services; Monika Dressler, Director of Academic Technology Services; and Dan Rife, Director of LSA Facilities and Operations, and funded by LSA and former Dean, Anne Curzan. The project was a collaborative effort between various groups across LSA Technology Services, LSA Facilities and Operations, and U-M’s Architecture, Engineering, and Construction group.
Sanam Aldag, Manager of Customer Experience at LSA Technology Services, has managed the operations of the Media Center and Service Center for the last nine years and had a lead role in the renovation project. By engaging faculty, students, and staff and gathering their input on how they use the space in their teaching, learning, and work, Aldag has incorporated their perspective in the design of the space. This included attending department faculty meetings, discussing courses with individual faculty, meeting with staff utilizing the space, and gathering student feedback. Reflecting on this renovation's goal, Aldag described the approach as “bringing versatility and flexibility of use” and creating a “bright and welcoming environment conducive to collaboration and student engagement.”
Improved Space Functionality
In collaboration with Linda Mason from LSA Facilities and Operations who led the design project, the entire lobby was renovated and now features a new, more welcoming service desk. The round desk enables all LSA Technology Services team members stationed in MLB 2001 to be present together and provide support from a centralized location. Additionally, the support stations around the desk allow our team members to assist faculty, staff, and students with their technology needs in a one-on-one support model.
One goal of the renovation project was to provide new study furniture in the main area of the center allowing for a variety of uses and comfort levels. The space now features individual pods, tables, and chairs to accommodate groups of various sizes, and soon sofas and benches will arrive to complete the setup. New paint, carpeting, and accent acoustic panels also help elevate the brightness and overall ambience of the space.
The renovation also included improving working areas for LSA Technology Services staff, such as reimagined office/work areas, a long-desired kitchenette, and better-designed storage for technology support and equipment loan.
Technology Updates to Foster Collaboration
Perhaps the most significant technology update can be found in the Media Rooms. Originally, there were four editing suites and seven collaboration rooms. The editing suites were designed for audio and video editing, servicing courses like those found in the Film, Television, and Media department, while the collaboration rooms were more catered towards group work, video conferencing, and Zoom meetings. Several LSA Technology Services staff worked together to reimagine these spaces. Christopher Elly, Senior Project Engineer, led the technology design for the project and partnered with Karl Aldag, Manager of Engineering and Design, and John (Jan) Stewart, Lead Academic Technology Specialist. They designed the now 11 Media Rooms to provide both editing and collaborative capabilities in all of them, allowing faculty, students, and staff greater access to the technologies in those rooms and to the spaces themselves.
Along with the Media Rooms, the Mac and PC labs also saw major remodeling both in furniture and in technology with Monika Dressler and her teams specializing in AV engineering and classroom design led the redesign of these labs. The PC lab, once a traditional setup with rows of computers facing a stage, is now a dynamic space with computers on the perimeter of the room and the instructor podium in the middle, ensuring equal access between the instructor and all students. Multiple monitors on the walls have replaced the single projector. The new layout also provides better spatial arrangement for the seven VR stations. The orientation and design of the Mac Lab has been upgraded to a team-based learning classroom allowing for improved teaching and learning experiences for LSA faculty and students. With four stations and a large wall monitor at each cluster, the Mac Lab can support the individual use of the stations as well as a collaborative learning environment.
Aldag is ecstatic to see the excitement of students walking into the space and occupying the study areas, hear about the improved teaching experiences for faculty, and have an updated working environment for her staff. She has been envisioning this renovation for many years and is extremely grateful for all the teams that came together to make it possible in just four months. Professor Sara Blair also shared her sincere thanks to everyone involved in the project, noting that “the [PC Lab]—the only classroom currently available for regular instruction by LSA faculty teaching emerging digital technologies—has been critical to the exciting work I'm grateful to do with our students. The renovated space is a great support for my fall term course [English 292/Digital Studies 258], focusing on the value and experience of digital environments, especially Virtual Reality, through a humanities lens. This fall, the course has drawn students from schools and colleges across campus, and from every disciplinary area in LSA.”
LSA Technology Services plans to host an open house for the LSA community on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 from 2:00–5:00 p.m. to celebrate the new space. More information about this event will be shared via email, posted flyers, and on our social media soon.
