A new space that fosters innovative learning, support interdisciplinary collaboration and exploration.
Over the summer the Media Lab (ML) and Visual Resource Center (VRC) began to initiate the recommendations outline in the Innovation, Research Learning and Collaboration Committee (IRLCC) report and approved by the Chairs and the Dean. We were asked to reimagine existing facilities within CVPA and to begin to implement a new space that fosters innovative learning, support interdisciplinary collaboration and exploration. Over the next six months, IRLCC task force with the assistance of CVPA faculty and students will develop a comprehensive five year action plan to bring this facility to its full potential.
Summer Implementation 2015: Towards the goals outlined in the report, the ML and the VRC reconfigured its facilities and services. First, the entrance to the Media Lab remains in Room 258. The lab, during free periods, is now for all CVPA students. On the occasions that the Media Lab is not available, the VRC is open and equipment is available to CVPA community. The monochrome (black and white) printers remain in room 258, all of the color printers are now located in room 253.
The Media Lab established a new Color Printing Center in Room 253 which will be open to all students enrolled in the university. The lab boasts 24" and 44" wide format color inkjet printing, a comp quality color laser jet, and two high end portfolio quality ink jet printers. Now that the color printers have a "home" of their own, no more whispering and disturbing of classes being held in the same room as the printers were in.. The color print center fills a need in the university for all students to be able to print in color where before only students in specific classes could use. Color printing, unlike the print less system, is not free. Students may easily load money onto their UMassPass card for payment. Head of the Media Lab, Joy Miller has moved her office from Room 251 to Room 254A Spencer Ladd, department chair, is now in Joy's old office in Room 252.
Adjacent to the Media Lab and Color Printing Center is the Visual Resource Center, now located in room 257. This new facility is a multipurpose space that fosters innovative learning and supports interdisciplinary collaboration and exploration within CVPA community. The space and the VRC staff supports CVPA faculty and students with research, instruction, learning and most important making within the digital world. The VRC offers the following facility and services.
- a place for students and faculty to discuss, explore and study the visual and performing arts
- a place for students to work together on cooperative and interdisciplinary projects
- quiet work areas for students to work that include access to computers, printers and wireless and hardwire internet
- a quiet workspace for faculty to work equipped with a computers and a printers
- a conference and webinar space for faculty
- a space for impromptu critiques, class instruction and group activities
- a place to prepare art work for exhibition, presentation and documentation
- a place to capture digitally images, videos, and audios for the purpose of academic exploration
- 2D and 3D RHINO software for 3D printing at the Idea Studio Bureau
- Image and multimedia production terminals for students and faculty
- Assess to more than 750,000 images and multimedia
- Faculty research and publication support of image resources and copyright
The VRC staff continues to offer its research and curriculum support through its digital repository and visual literacy services. Over the course of year, the VRC plans to expand its equipment bureau in support of faculty and TAs instruction, student learning and move towards touchscreen and interactive technologies to create and deliver content.
The Media Lab and Visual Resource Center are delighted to work collaboratively on this very exciting endeavor. We realized that this new collaborative space is a work in progress. Please let us know if you have any ideas for this new facility. We really want your input in regards to your research, curriculum and instructional needs as well as the needs of your students. Thanks for all your insights.
Operating hours: Since the budget for work-study is undetermined, the hours of operation is still under discussion. For the fall semester 2015, we would like to suggest at minimum the following hours Sunday 6 to 9, Monday thru Wednesday 9 to-9, Thursday and Friday 9 to 5 and closed on Saturdays. Please visit our website for further information www.umassd.edu/cvpa/vrc/