By: Jasmine Saunders, Editor-in-Chief
Cover Photo: DESULibrary/Facebook
The William Jason Library has gotten some extra funds to pay for new equipment that students will be able to use.
The Title III Grant is called the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, or SAFRA grant which a portion of it is dedicated to “Improving Library Services and Research Support: Collaboration, Literacy, Courses and Assessments.”
The SAFRA grant is totaled to $871,332, from figures provided by Carlene Jackson, the interim Title III program coordinator.
SAFRA is a five-year grant that is used to supplement student’s educational success whether it be for the new athletic study lab on the second floor of the library, the Mac lab in the ETV Building or new databases that students can have access to through the library. The grant is in its second year, and was first given to DSU in 2015.
A few of the goals of the grant as stated in the proposal provided are to “create an exceptional learning environment that promotes challenging, high-quality curricular and co-curricular programs, engaged student learning, and local and global citizenship”; “enhance and extend the University’s environmental stewardship through education, research, outreach, conservation and innovation”; and to “enhance, leverage and diversify [DSU] resources to fulfill the University’s mission.”
The collaboration tables are located on the first and third floors of the library and are a space for multiple students to collaborate on projects.
Students can bring their own laptops to hook up to the monitor that is in the center of the table. Once a button is pressed, whatever is on the respective computer can be displayed on the larger monitor so that everyone can see what one person is doing interchangeably.
The grant was also used to buy more modern laptops for students to use with the tables as well which are available to be checked out now.
This technology will not only help to improve student success, but it will also “introduce” students to new technology, and those skills can be applied beyond DSU, said Jean M. Charlot, the systems librarian/library technology officer.
Some students were able to see how the collaboration tables worked, and were impressed with what the new tech could bring when doing group activities.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said senior movement science major Diamyn Robb. It can help students “collaborate better.”
Students can be face-to-face and online at the same time, said first year student and finance major Wenxiao Lang.
The collaborative tables will be open to students on Monday, Feb. 6.
Categories: Campus News