Nicole Foran

nicole.foran@mtsu.edu

Nicole Foran

Art and Design

Master Classroom

Todd 308

N/A

N/A

This proposal is to update the AV equipment in Todd Hall 308, one of the primary Graphic Design Computer labs. Faculty and students report that the projectors are in low contrast and resolution and projected images are warped and the color is washed out. It is affecting the students’ ability to learn interface systems and to produce industry standard portfolio projects. Students indicate that they are unable to see where the professor’s cursor is landing on the screen and it made it impossible to follow tutorials and demonstrations. The projector/masterclass room setup in this classroom is original to the installation date, when Art and Design moved into Todd Hall. This classroom serves Graphic Design Majors, Visual Arts Majors, and Art and Design minors. During a typical semester, 5-6 studio length courses (6 contact hours per week) are scheduled in the space. Industry standard projector resolution specifications is now 4k (usually 3840 x 2160 pixels depending on specific monitor model). Our current projector systems operate at 1024x784 pixels without interference/flicker, and at 1600x1200 with an almost constant flicker and screen reset approximately every 5 minutes, which means we are currently working at less than half the size of industry standard. The current resolution was industry standard in the year 2000, as opposed to what the industry is employing in the year 2021. There are additional construction costs associated with electrical updates recommended by safety which will move plugs from recessed holes in the floor to outlets in the ceilings/walls.