Students in Melvin Humphreys' Computer Applications for Sportsand Leisure class were greeted with a bit of pomp and circumstanceMonday morning.
The perplexed students were the first to be taught in the newFed Ex Institute of Technology, opened last November. Severalexcited faculty members were on hand to mark the momentousoccasion.
"Bet you didn't know when you woke up this morning that you'd bemaking history," said Jim Phillips, FIT chairman and executivedirector.
"You have the privilege of being the first students to enjoythis facility," said Ralph Faudree, Provost of The University ofMemphis.
Those same privileges will soon be appointed to every student oncampus.
"It's a tremendous facility that will impact all students,"Faudree said, "and we want (students) to give us input on how we'redoing with the new building at all times."
The facility, which took 19 months to finish, houses courses inan array of technical fields and disciplines.
"Classes of every shape, nature and size will be available forstudents," said Sandeford Schaeffer, director of advanced learningat FIT. "The institute is not just for students in computer-relatedfields."
Maybe not, but the FIT is the first building on campus tofeature a completely wireless online connection, allowing studentsto use 125 mobile laptops, as well as telephones with Internet dialtones. The portable laptops, groundbreaking in their flexibility,caused some confusion during Humphreys' class yesterdaymorning.
"With these new computers there's no need for printers or diskdrives," said Humphreys. "I think that will take some getting usedto for the students, but they're really looking forward to it."
Students using the mobile laptops will soon learn TheUniversity's new method of turning in assignments.
Instead of wasting paper or saving assignments to a disk,students simply send their work to the UM Drive, where theirprofessors will grade and correct the assignments, saidHumphreys.
Coupled with "dynamic classrooms" allowing students and teachersto rearrange seating plans, and state of the art screeningfacilities, the new computers will present a refreshing and uniqueworking condition.
"There's a great deal of technology that we're learning to usefor the first time," said Schaeffer. "It's kind of like a GeorgeJetson experience, but we're extremely anxious abouteverything."
In the future, Schaeffer speculates FIT will be responsible for"lots of innovative research" in fields such as artificialintelligence and Mars Rover exploration.
"Anything that can benefit from being touched by technology,you'll see here," he said.
In the mean time, students are urged to utilize the facility'smuch-heralded equipment in whatever needed capacity.
"The technology here is the best in the world," Phillips said,"so enjoy it and have a good semester."
