by Charese Jenkins
With all the activity going on around campus, many students have still found the time to notice the new Tech Screens as they are on their way to class or leaving campus. Others have completely ignored them. These screens which were built to inform students on different aspects of not only Kingsborough but CUNY as well, have been the topic of interest for both professors and students.
The topic has been very controversial. There have been many questions on whether the screens are playing the part that they were set up for or not. But what can they do for you students and professors as a whole?
“Communication,” Said Mr. Bill Keller Vice President for finance and administration at Kingsborough community College. “This semester we have about 13,000 or 14,000 students on campus, plus our continuing education students, so it is very hard to get information out there to everyone. We have emails or we could hand out fliers or post them, but the screens are intended to give people the basic perspective on what is happening at Kingsborough for public safety issues and school issues like transfer opportunities and registration along with emergency situations that may occur on campus.”
Some students have taken the time out to stop and look at the new technology. Keller says that there will be two or three more tech screens put up on campus to complete the project, as well as repairs on the screen at the entrance gate.
However, many are wondering whether the money could have gone to something more constructive at the school. Although the exact amount for this project was not confirmed, many students believe that the screens may have affected the school budget by a great amount.
Tyisha Jenkins, a student at Kingsborough who has just completed her last semester during the winter session, spoke on the situation. “I’ve actually noticed the new screens not only near the entrance gate, but all around campus near the breeze way and coming from the MAC building. I have stopped and took interest with the one near the MAC building, which I was very impressed with when I found out that it was touch screen. But other than that one time I often pay little attention to them. In my opinion, I really do not think that they were necessary, even though they are very interesting and a good form of communications to students. But I think that the money should have gone to something more important like the T buildings, which have more than enough leakage problems as it is.”
According to Vice President Keller, “CUNY as a whole is working on a new email system. With that we are going to try to make it so that we are not invading students with the emails and so that announcements will be sent out in a more effective way. But on a person-to-person communication, I think the tech screens are a great idea. I often find myself looking at the screens when I am on my way to the office or sitting in my car, and as soon as we can get the front sign up and running then it will really be a great way to give commuting students a chance to find out what is going on. We also have our CUNY alert systems that not only informs students when there is an emergency situations but it also informs students if something like school is closed.”
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