Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/373915
47 BizEd September/October 2014 Brunswick building," Shafer adds. "It seems like a small detail, but for us it was very important." The large spaces are equally important. Some are auditoriums that can be used for everything from undergraduate lectures to ongoing speaker series to commu- nity forums; others are open cen- tral gathering spots where people can meet, work, dine, and social- ize. These open spaces facilitate interaction among students, faculty, and administrators. At the Ourso School, dean Richard White makes sure he spends at least an hour a week working at one of the tables in the school's rotunda so that stu- dents and faculty can pause to chat with him informally. The mix of big spaces, small spaces, and dining facilities at the Ourso building means students have everything they need in one location. Says White, "Instead of going back to the dorm or the fra- ternity house after classes, students stay in the building all day." Adds Karen Deville, senior director of the office of advancement, "One of our first-year MBAs said, 'If there were cots, we wouldn't have to go home at all.'" Top-tier tech. As Tattoni notes, today's technology is so pervasive that everyone simply expects a school will install the very best. And indeed, some of the new buildings are technological marvels. About US$4 million of the Rutgers budget was devoted to technology, which includes projectors, touch screens, glass marker boards, 91 wi-fi access ports, and ten rooms equipped with high-definition videoconferencing capabilities. The new building also offers three student technology centers. While the technology enables enhanced classroom and online instruction, it's also key for smooth operations between Rutgers' two campuses, which are about 30 miles apart. "Each of our six departments is a two-campus department, so we use the video- conferencing every day to conduct meetings and seminars that can take place in both locations," says Shafer. "While the campuses are relatively close in miles, New Jersey traffic can make them seem very far apart." Technology is also a huge part of the Bloch building—not only in the flexible classrooms equipped with screens and monitors, but in spaces like the finance lab, which offers 32 computer workstations and access to live market feeds. Says Sim- mons, "Whenever I give tours of the building, I point out that when- ever you're looking at a wall, if it's not a window it's probably either a whiteboard or a computer or video screen." Deville also knows how impres- sive technology can be when stake- holders are touring the building. She recently escorted the LSU board of supervisors around the facility, where they paused at the audito- rium to listen to a participant in the distinguished speaker series. Because the guest speaker's flight to campus had been canceled due to bad weather, he was delivering his presentation through Skype and other AV technology. This gave Deville a chance to point out to board members that Ourso is up- to-date on what the future of learn- ing will look like, she says. "Our new building enables our students to have real-life experiences and be ready to compete in the global environment." The problem is that even the most cutting-edge technology becomes obsolete in a few years. "From the standpoint of develop- ing an operating budget, you need to remember that all these fun things will need to be updated and replaced," Simmons says. "It's really important that you immedi- ately begin the cycle of funding the operating endowment." Others recommend waiting until the last possible minute to com- mit to technology in a new facility. "Make sure you're looking at what's state-of-the-art by the time the building is finished, not just when you're starting," Shafer advises. That was the strategy at the Ourso school, but technology still outpaced their plans. "We put in the infrastructure but we didn't install the actual technology until the very end," says Deville. "That's one reason every class has an empty AV room—we don't need it any more, because all the technol- ogy in the room can be controlled from the podium." Tattoni also has witnessed sud- den huge shifts. "Today, large amounts of data can be transmit- ted wirelessly, but 15 years ago we were putting data ports everywhere because if 50 users were transmit- ting data, the system was sluggish Today's technology is so pervasive that everyone simply expects a school will install the very best. And indeed, some of the new buildings are technological marvels.