Students and faculty will enjoy improved technology inside 15 classrooms in Giedt, Olson and Everson halls starting this fall, thanks to upgrades made over the summer.

The changes include a much better sound system, improved wireless coverage, high-definition projection, room clocks connected to the internet, and adjustable ADA-compliant desks for the instructor.

They meet a new standard for technology adopted in January 2017 for UC Davis’ 131 general assignment (GA) classrooms, and in time all 131 will receive the upgrade. The changes also improve the ability to remotely check equipment when an instructor reports a problem during class.

Because the work takes the rooms temporarily out of service (this photo shows 1003 Giedt), it can be done only in summer, when most students and faculty are away from campus. Some classrooms, like those in 10-year-old Giedt, require only the tech improvements. Locations in older buildings like Olson and Everson receive complete classroom renovations too.

Classrooms are chosen according to priorities set by the Office of the University Registrar, says Steve Edington, who supervises network services and engineering for Communications Resources in Information and Educational Technology. The Registrar manages the GA classrooms. And basically, the cycle is a circle. Once all the classrooms are upgraded, fresh improvements will likely be needed for the locations that were renovated first.

The work draws on a lot of talent and effort, Edington says, from installation crews and engineers to audio-visual technicians and data system experts.

“It’s an army,” he says.

The classrooms receiving the work are 1001, 1002, 1003, 1006, and 1007 Giedt; 117, 146, 147, 151, 217, 223, 244, 250, and 251 Olson; and 176 Everson.