U.S. Senators Dodd, Lieberman, Congressman Shays announce $1.5 million federal appropriation for Information Technology Center at Fairfield University | Press Releases

United States Senators Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman and United States Congressman Christopher Shays joined Fairfield University President Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. at a press conference today, December 20 at 10:30 a.m. at the University to announce $1.5 million in federal funding to support the creation of an Information Technology Center at Fairfield University.

The press conference took place in the lobby of the Nyselius Library located on the Fairfield University campus. University Board of Trustees Chairman Roger Lynch and Vice President for Information Resources and Services James Estrada also participated in the press conference.

Fairfield University Information Technology Center

The Information Technology Center at Fairfield University, to be associated with the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, will serve not only the faculty and students of Fairfield University but also the people - businesses, schools, children and families - of the communities surrounding Fairfield.

The Center will become the campus focal point for technology training through the availability of learning spaces, equipment and instruction for the campus community, and provide for distance learning opportunities, video conferencing, computer lab workstations, a faculty resource lab, a multimedia lab, and an electronic classroom. These resources would provide the ability to conduct research in collaborative teaching and learning, especially the study of how best to integrate technology into the curriculum.

The Information Technology Center also will become a training and information resource that will enable Fairfield University to expand its services to the surrounding communities. Such services would include the following:

A computer literacy lab that would expand our current efforts to elementary schools in Bridgeport which now supports children and their parents.
Utilization of the computer labs on evenings and weekends to "train the trainers" including K-12 faculty and community agency personnel.
Use of the distance learning conference facility for delivery and transmission of satellite downloads to K-12 schools.
Use of the faculty resource lab and multimedia lab to serve as a resource for technology and transference to various constituents in Fairfield County, and perhaps eventually across the state.
The use of presentation facilities to serve as a meeting site for small technology-related conferences and community activities.

Fairfield University has a rich record of service to the surrounding communities, and the creation of the Information Technology Center will enhance that community outreach while at the same time establishing a model for university-community collaboration.