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Student Technology Fee
In 1998, the Associated Student Government proposed, and the students of the University accepted, a fee assessed for every student at two dollars ($2) per credit hour. This fee was specifically enacted to provide funding for technology having a direct impact on students. The fee has been used in the past to provide students with, among other things, computing labs and specialized computer equipment.  Read the Resolution

Current Proposals:

The Tech Fee committee always accepts suggestions, so if you have a suggestion please go to the Tech Fee Proposal Web Form and let us know what you would like us to consider next.

Read our Student Needs Assessment and Satisfaction Survey, April 2006 (PDF Adobe Acrobat required to read).

• More Wireless Coverage in Student-centric areas—A request has been made that more wireless coverage be extended to classrooms and student-centric areas (lounges, waiting areas, etc.) in more buildings around campus. The current campus funding model requires that wireless deployments be funded by the departments (academic or adminstrative) inhabiting the building. A proposed method to better accomidate students is to designate and set aside the required amount of money to bring a wireless network access point to a location and to identify the locations most desiriable for the additional wireless access. A typical small lounge or waiting area can be covered by a single access port. Normally, this would require the installation of an access point in the ceiling of the area and its connection to an existing router in the building via a network cable. The estimated cost for each installation is $1300 to allow both for the cabling and the access port. Some multiple of $1300 could be set aside and as appropriate sites are identified, wireless networking could be implement in these locations up to the amount of funding made available.
• General Access Computing Labs (GACL)—Many machines are out of warranty and new equipment needs to be purchased to keep up with demand.  Additionally, the printers are particularly heavily used and need to be replaced.  Based on student survey data from spring ’06, 77% of students feel like it is important to spend tech fee money on GACL improvement.
  • Review the Proposed Purchases (PDF Adobe Acrobat required to read)
  • Review the out of Warranty Aging Information (PDF Adobe Acrobat required to read)
  • GACL Printing Fall 2006 Total (PDF Adobe Acrobat required to read)
• MultiMedia Resource Center (MMRC)—Based on survey data, 59% of students would like to see more team room areas for working together on projects.  Additionally, the video production workstations in the MMRC cannot keep up with demand.  It is proposed to build a joint team room and video production center in the MMRC. Review the Phase I proposal (PDF Adobe Acrobat required to read).

In the Works:

• GACL Software addition—5 Macromedia Studio Suite and 10 Adobe Suite Licenses $5,500.00
• Print Control System—Printing is one of the major aspects and expenses of the University of Arkansas General Access Computing Labs. Students use the labs and printers to print out assignments, research articles, schedules, study material, projects, classroom notes and many other items. Our goal for printing in the labs is to develop a print control system that involves a fair and reasonable quota of print use that is paid for by the Student Technology Fee. Read Print Control proposal.

Recent Tech Fee Initiatives Completed:

• Streaming Media Project—The idea is to provide a service to stream UATV and other video content to anyone with internet access. Streaming media is streaming video with sound. With streaming video or streaming media, a Web user does not have to wait to download a large file before seeing the video or hearing the sound. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives. Due to potential copyright and contract infringment AETN cannot be streamed.
• Housing Printer Upgrades—The second project is to provide upgraded printing access within the residence halls. Our current printers are not supported for use by students from their residence hall rooms.
• Wireless Expansion/Upgrade—University IT Services has received requests to expand the ARKU wireless coverage into student lounge areas within Career Services, Non-traditional Students, Multicultural Center, and the Red Lounge.
• Student Technology Center upgrades
• University University IT Services and University Libraries jointly propose to create an “Information Commons” on the main floor of Mullins Library.  Read more details, and see a map of the proposed area.
• Team Room and Video Conference Center
• STC software—SPSS has been a requested addition to the software available on STC checkout machines.

Past Initiatives Completed