2008 Woodie Awards
Faculty take full advantage of library space
By: Bryan Coplin
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: Lifestyle
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The balcony visible from the Quad on the fourth floor of Webster University's Emerson library is nothing mysterious. A building code called a setback rule requires larger amounts of space between buildings the higher the building is. The balcony was built to use the space that the
rule required.
"One of the goals of this library was to utilize all available space," said Laura Rein, dean of Emerson Library. "It makes the building very efficient."
Just behind the balcony is the Faculty Development Center in Room 420. It holds four computer stations (three video and one scanner). There are two Macs and two PCs for the stations.
"The Faculty Development Center is a place for faculty to work specifically on courses," said Erik Palmore, coordinator for
the center.
The Faculty Development Center is staffed by Palmore and Ryan Sullivan, instruct support specialist, who are there to aid instructors. In addition, there is a liaison from each school that goes to instructors' offices to aid them with issues that they might otherwise bring to the center. These liaisons, known as instructional support specialists, are part of the Information Technology department.
The staff at the Center determines what is necessary for an instructor to do in order to achieve a goal. If a faculty member has a problem completing a virtual part of their lesson plan, the Center will determine what technology it is necessary to use and help teach the faculty how to use it.
The Faculty Development Center is open during regular library hours. The library recently expanded its hours from 94 to 100 hours a week, in response to a library satisfaction survey from the spring semester. There is a "rush hour" from 4 to 5:30 p.m., but the center generally has someone needing help all day, Palmore said.
"This is sort of the flip side to the Academic Resource Center," Palmore said.
The Faculty Development Center used to be available by WU ID card swipe only, but as of Oct. 29 the Center is available without card swipe while a staff member of the Faculty Development Center is in.
rule required.
"One of the goals of this library was to utilize all available space," said Laura Rein, dean of Emerson Library. "It makes the building very efficient."
Just behind the balcony is the Faculty Development Center in Room 420. It holds four computer stations (three video and one scanner). There are two Macs and two PCs for the stations.
"The Faculty Development Center is a place for faculty to work specifically on courses," said Erik Palmore, coordinator for
the center.
The Faculty Development Center is staffed by Palmore and Ryan Sullivan, instruct support specialist, who are there to aid instructors. In addition, there is a liaison from each school that goes to instructors' offices to aid them with issues that they might otherwise bring to the center. These liaisons, known as instructional support specialists, are part of the Information Technology department.
The staff at the Center determines what is necessary for an instructor to do in order to achieve a goal. If a faculty member has a problem completing a virtual part of their lesson plan, the Center will determine what technology it is necessary to use and help teach the faculty how to use it.
The Faculty Development Center is open during regular library hours. The library recently expanded its hours from 94 to 100 hours a week, in response to a library satisfaction survey from the spring semester. There is a "rush hour" from 4 to 5:30 p.m., but the center generally has someone needing help all day, Palmore said.
"This is sort of the flip side to the Academic Resource Center," Palmore said.
The Faculty Development Center used to be available by WU ID card swipe only, but as of Oct. 29 the Center is available without card swipe while a staff member of the Faculty Development Center is in.
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