The Learning Spaces Committee at Wake Forest University acts as an advisory group to help dream, design, and collaborate with the Wake Forest community on new and renovated learning spaces grounded in research-based principles and practices.
Committee members represent an inclusive cross-section of the University: faculty and staff from the Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Learning Assistance Center and Disability Services, Facilities, Information Systems, the Registrar, Wake Forest College, ZSR Library, and Schools of Divinity, Business, and Law.
In response to the demand to modernize existing classrooms and learning spaces across campus, the initiative team on Learning Spaces (LS) will provide input to the plan which phases renovations of existing learning spaces and specifies creation of new active learning spaces. The plan will be aligned with academic needs, and synchronized with facilities and capital planning initiatives. The LS is an initiative team that makes recommendations to the Committee on Information Technology (CIT).
The CIT appoints the members of the LS in consultation with the IT Executive Committee (ITEC). Membership should include representatives from the Provost’s office, the Teaching and Learning Collaborative, the College, the School of Law, the School of Business, Library, IS, Facilities, and the Registrar. The IS Assistant Director of Infrastructure Multimedia is an ex-officio member of the team. CIT will appoint a Chair and a Vice Chair of the LS and guide its work.
The charge of the LS is:
- Review the comprehensive inventory and status of all learning spaces as prepared by IS;
- Aggregate information about trends and best practices in modern learning spaces;
- Identify specific academic needs and requirements for the College and Schools and Business and Law;
- Obtain input from undergraduate students;
- Develop use cases to define new active learning spaces;
- Evaluate options for converting analog spaces into digital spaces;
- Provide input to the phasing strategy for renovation of learning spaces including the order in which spaces are modernized;
- Review cost estimates for one-time capital and ongoing maintenance of the technology for each location;
- Provide guidance to the College and Schools regarding the design and technical standards for learning spaces; and
- Ensure plan is merged with a facilities plan that addresses furniture changes and room layout.
LS will work in consultation with CIT to develop goals and refine scope of work. Members of the LS will meet quarterly with CIT to report the status of initiatives it has undertaken and make recommendations for the phasing of renovations to campus learning spaces.