The Executive Board had its first meeting of the school year last Wednesday. There were three presentations. In light of the Senate Web Technologies Group’s new directions in digital upgrades on campus, the group proposed a trial run for a computer kiosk in the Union as well as a mini LCD screen display in the Union over the west lobby to provide information about meetings, conferences, and RPI-related activities all over campus. The kiosk and mini display will begin as signage based software to provide easier access to information currently available on the Institute website. The WebTech group has worked with employees of the Union, as well as others on campus, to make sure the kiosk aesthetically fits the atmosphere of the Union. The kiosk will also have additional capabilities that can be installed later including touch screen software. There will be add-ons to create further interactions so that students, faculty, and visitors can access specific information on campus. The inactive kiosk currently in the west lobby was given by the Class of 2003 as an alumni gift. However, it relied on wind technology produced from an experiment on campus that has since been removed.
The new kiosk will undergo a trial run to test its efficiency and volume of use to see if further installments in buildings across campus will be a positive upgrade. This is proposed by the WebTech group to be more economical for students and faculty and will also cut down on the time spent updating the schedules by hand each day, as these will be automatically updated if any changes are made throughout the day. The information posted on each kiosk will initially focus primarily on the schedule in its location, but will also allow students to interact with the program to access information without having to log onto the website. If the kiosk in the west lobby is successful, the additional units installed in academic buildings throughout campus will initially be a test case for replacing the easel on which daily schedules are posted.
The request for the test kiosk was granted. The Executive Board wants to monitor the overall time saved and increased efficiency before more are approved to be installed. Students and faculty are sure to see the kiosk and new mini-display in the Union soon. UPAC had the next presentation at the meeting, requesting that the money left over from printing brochures be used to buy prizes for students who attend five different UPAC events. The second motion was passed, granting $900 to UPAC: $400 for printing, and $500 for the contingency budget.
The RPI Crew Team requested funding for two new launch shells to replace the aging ones. The launches are key for effective and active coaching but are mainly there for safety issues in the event that new crew members go into the water. The degree of risk becomes even greater as the water will reach freezing temperatures during the season. The team asked for funding beyond the $28,000 they have raised in order to fund two new shells and all new rowing machines. The new rowing machines would replace the 14 they currently have, which necessitate three sets of practices each night so each rower can practice. The Executive Board granted half of the $6,000 request, asking that the crew team use their account to help buy the new launches, and they can come back and work with Executive Board again when the time comes to buy the new shells and machines.
After the three presentations, the E-Board was opened for questions and comments. President of the Union Rob Odell ’09 concluded what was deemed a successful and productive first meeting. The members agreed that the practice mock meeting from the Saturday before helped them come more prepared for the first meeting, and are looking forward to an exciting year ahead on campus.
