New Student Technology Center Planned for Arkansas Union

The entrance to the new center would be on the Union's third floor.

Gaming and collaborative spaces for the new Student Technology Center.

Collaborative computing spaces in the tech lounge.

Multimedia work stations in the digital media lab.

Overhead view of the new Student Technology Center.

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An architectural rendering shows the entrance to the Student Technology Center planned for the third floor of the Arkansas Union.

Plans for the new Student Technology Center, scheduled to open next fall, will be presented May 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Arkansas Union. Popcorn and drinks will be served at an information table hosted by Information Technology Services.

The Student Technology Center will move from its current location to occupy 4,830 square feet on the third floor of the Arkansas Union vacated by the University of Arkansas Bookstore. The new center will feature an extensive gaming center, a digital media lab, a technology lounge for social and collaborative computing, and equipment checkout.

IT Services envisions the new Student Technology Center as a place for students to use technology in ways not always compatible with the academic focus of the General Access Computing Labs (GACLs), such as gaming, Facebooking, or uploading YouTube videos. Limited food and drink will also be allowed. The center will continue to provide computer access, training, and support for creating multimedia projects.

Central to the Student Technology Center gaming center concept are about a dozen high-end, single and multi-user computer stations configured for online gaming. In addition, social spaces featuring comfortable and informal seating, along with a software library of popular titles, will provide opportunity for competitive gaming on systems such as Wii, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Students will be able to edit audio and video, develop multimedia and web projects, and do scanning in the digital media lab. The lab, separated by curved glass from the gaming center, will also offer soundproof recording rooms, as well as individual and team work spaces. Equipment checkout from the existing Student Technology Center and the General Access Computing Labs will be combined and moved to the new Student Technology Center.

The new center will also feature a team conference room with interactive presentation and collaboration tools and a technology lounge. A Microsoft Surface in the technology lounge will allow students to collaborate on a 360-degree interface that sees and responds to touch, and supports more than 50 simultaneous inputs. Comfortable seating conducive to collaboration and laptop use, standup "e-osks," and several general use computing stations will round out the technology lounge, creating a convenient place for students to meet or stop in for work or play.