Student Senate will decide next week whether to sign off on a Student Technology Fee budget that puts more emphasis on mobile device-ready classrooms.

“The biggest increase is in innovative programs,” Senate Information Technology Commission Director Christian Paese said. “This will help increase projects we’ve already funded and fund new programs like
mobile printing.”

Paese introduced a bill outlining budget ranges for next year’s tech fee at a 30-minute Senate meeting, Monday.

Tech fees total two percent of tuition and pay for printer ink, staff salaries and other tech-related expenses.

Learning and Technology Services Director Craig Mey said the tech fee budget will help support last semester’s wireless infrastructure improvements.

“It’s way better this year,” Mey said. “You can actually get a better connection wirelessly than if you plug in through the wall.”

The total tech fee budget is about $1.2 million. ITC moved funds from other line items to add more to the innovative technologies section of the budget — a $90,000 – $100,000 allotment.

In previous years, the innovative technologies section has been used to fund Open Eau Claire and disability assistance programs.

But this year, innovative technologies will support wired classrooms and last year’s updates. The goal, Mey said, is to encourage students to use mobile devices in classrooms.

Some disciplines, like the business program on campus, already require students to have laptops in classes, Mey said.

“In the private sector, there’s many companies that aren’t providing computers for their staff, they’re giving them stipends to bring their own devices,” Mey said. “So students have said, ‘if that’s the environment in the real world, we should be getting that mindset while we’re here.’”

Paese said 98 percent of Eau Claire students own laptops and the number of students with smartphones has exploded. LTS found each person living in the dorms had 2.7 devices hooked up to the internet on average, Mey said.

Cody Stankowski, a freshman criminal justice major, said he hasn’t had trouble connecting his smartphone or laptop when he’s on campus.

But wireless connections in the dorms have been spottier, he said.

“Sometimes I have trouble getting internet with my laptop in the dorms, but I haven’t had trouble connecting on campus,” Stankowski said. “The wireless connection is better now than it was earlier this year.”

Stankowski had trouble hooking up his Xbox in his dorm room earlier this semester, but it’s hooked up now and working fine, he said.

Mey said The Center for Education In Teaching and Learning, or CEITL, hosted tech training sessions on active classrooms for Eau Claire instructors.

But don’t toss out pens and paper just yet.

“The individual professors are in control of the classroom,” Mey said. “So it’s up to them as to what students can use.”