Photo by Shelly Castellano

New Media Center opens

The Cal State Long Beach New Media Center opened its doors at the North Campus Library home Monday. The grand opening celebration was attended by CSULB President Robert Maxson, Rep. Stephen Horn and Associated Students Inc. President Carl Kemp.

Academic Computing Services, the University Library and the Center for Faculty Development planned for a place where students, staff and faculty could work with all the latest forms of information and communication as a result of the ongoing computer revolution.

Users will be able to utilize and create interactive multi-media educational programs.

"Student learning and interest overlap with all three contributors and it made sense that we all work together to make this happen," director of Academic Computing Chuck Schneebeck said.

It has taken 18 months to reach their goal of having a place where the newest technology could focus on how CSULB faculty members teach and students learn, a center to use and learn the newest technologies. The center provides training, development of educational materials and global access to the Internet and on-line research material.

"All of this was the result of the genius of Chuck Schneebeck," said President Maxson as he welcomed the center. "It was his vision."

Schneebeck envisioned the New Media Center to have three areas, or pods, all now housed in the North Campus Library.

The main pod is the open access lab with 50 Power Macs available to anyone with a current CSULB identification card. The computers can access the World Wide Web, can retrieve information from library resources and other campuses, and can have CD-ROM databases.

"The idea behind the lab is to have accessible computers, since LA5 labs are used for classes, limiting (individual) student usage," said Brian Wong, the media center's operations manager.

The second pod is the New Media Development Center, the New Media Center's homebase. The center has 40 Power Macs with multimedia software. This particular center is open to CSULB faculty, staff and students with faculty approval. The pod focuses on individual and group development in interactive multimedia learning material.

The development center will provide handouts, workshops and self-paced tutorials. Individual consultants and developers will work with faculty to create interactive educational software to enhance student-centered learning.

Image scanning is available with flatbed and 35mm filmscanners. There is also video and sound digitizing ,which allows manipulation of digitized material for usage with interactive application or presentation.

The third pod will be the New Media Center's training center and will open April 22 for staff and faculty workshops.

The CSULB New Media Center is a charter member of the national New Media Centers Program. Major technology companies, such as Adobe, Apple, Supermac and Kodak, selected centers of excellence in using New Media technology.

CSULB is one of only 52 universities and institutions nationwide to be chosen to participate in the program.

"This represents a new level of maturity for this young, proud and growing university," Maxson said.