Provost's committee 'disPENNses' change

Many students may not have considered how the "DisPENNsers," which provide chalk and erasers, found their way into University classrooms. But they are among the many initiatives of the Provost's Classroom Facilities Review Committee, a group comprised of faculty, staff and administrators who have worked together for the past seven years to identify classrooms across campus in need of renovations. "It's often cited as the ideal committee on campus since it pulls together very disparate Penn people to accomplish an important project," Committee Chairperson and English Professor Al Filreis said. And Provost Stanley Chodorow praised the committee's continuing efforts and accomplishments. "I really think this is one of the best committees I've ever seen," Chodorow said. "They're enthusiastic, active and really efficient. "They're renovating one of our principle workspaces -- our classrooms," he added. The committee takes a "wholistic approach" when determining classrooms in need of renovation, Music Professor and committee member Cristle Collins Judd explained. "It's not just a 'band-aid' -- it's a complete approach to how best to use an available space," said Judd, who joined the committee last fall. Rooms in the administration's "central pool" of classrooms -- classrooms that are used by all schools -- fall under the committee's guidance. Filreis explained that most renovations take place during the summer to avoid displacing classes. The committee draws on the participation of departments and faculty from throughout the University -- and members praise its varied representation. "Everyone comes together and pitches in," Executive Director for Computing and committee member Ira Winston said. The provost, Registrar's Office, Physical Plant and representatives from all of the University's schools also contribute to the projects. The committee has identified the Meyerson B-1 lecture hall and several rooms in the Chemistry Building for improvements this summer. And beginning in 1998, the committee will undertake major renovations of rooms in the Nursing Education Building. Recent upgrades to Meyerson B-1 have made teaching easier and more rewarding, Art History Professor Holly Pittman said. And new technology scheduled to be installed this summer will allow Art History professors to display images via the World Wide Web, Pittman explained. "We're going to be introducing major new technology into the lecture hall," she said. "We're hoping that by the fall, Art History will have a whole new theater-like space." Winston --Ewho represents the School of Engineering and Applied Science -- describes himself as the "interface between groups designing the rooms and the faculty and students using them." Each year the classroom committee also forms a Technology Fund Subcommittee, chaired by Math Professor Dennis DeTurck, which evaluates grant proposals from faculty who have requested new teaching technology in certain rooms. "The process is exciting because it provides incentives for faculty to think innovatively about new kinds of teaching," Filreis said. Among its more recent work, the committee has overseen renovations to 10 classrooms in the Towne building and five in the Moore Building. The "ultimate goal" is to renovate all classrooms in the Provost's central pool, Chodorow said. "This is an ongoing process -- there are many classrooms in the University that will need constant attention to keep them up to date," Pittman said. While the renovation committee determines the list of priorities, the implementation committee -- headed by Information and Systems Director John Smolen -- meets weekly to discuss how to go about the renovations. And Chodorow said a group of work-study students, under the direction of Classroom Facilities Coordinator John Jester, maintains much of the work that has been implemented. "Once you do this, you don't just want to let the bulbs burn out," he said.