If you've walked by Surge II lately, the idyllic setting may lull you into thinking that not much exciting is going on inside. You would be wrong. Surge II is now the home of the new Instructional Technology and Digital Media Center.

Surge II has been a whirlwind of activity since July 1, when Harry Matthews, professor of Biological Chemistry in the School of Medicine and former chair of the Academic Computing Coordinating Council (AC4), was hired as the center's first director. (Matthews devotes 80% time to the center and 20% to his teaching post; in the future, those percentages are expected to be more equal.)

Information Technology (IT) established the center to help reorganize services offered to faculty who seek Web or other media assistance for a teaching or research project. The center will also work with faculty to help them effectively employ instructional technologies.

In the past, many faculty believed IT was not meeting their technology needs. The Five-Year Administrative Unit Review Report submitted in April 1999 clearly pointed out many frustrations the faculty had while dealing with IT. The center was formed as a direct result of several of the AUR recommendations.

Through a realignment of IT services, the new center provides an entry point for faculty to a broad range of technology and digital media services. Multimedia design and graphic services, Web design and development, photographic services, and video production have been brought together under one roof. The services available run the gamut from full production facilities, for faculty members who simply want to direct the process, to training and consultation for faculty members who want to do it themselves, with various options in between. Practically all areas of the visual arts and communication are covered.

One of the first items Matthews set in motion was the formation of a workgroup made up of representatives from the Teaching Resources Center and the Library, as well as new center's staff. The group is evaluating how the new center can best meet its responsibility for helping faculty learn about and use instructional technology. Their recommendations are due by mid-September. Based on these recommendations, Matthews expects to develop new service offerings by January 2001. In the meantime, the center will continue to offer, without interruption, services faculty and staff have until recently accessed through Illustration Services, Instructional Media, and the Arbor. The resources of the Center for Advanced Information Technology (CAIT) have also been transferred to the center, and those functions are also under review.

Matthews is also developing a new management structure for the center with one focus -- the customer. Based on a project management model, the new structure creates a single point of contact to help faculty and staff make the best decisions about the services they need.

"This new structure requires a new mind-set," Matthews says. "I want to encourage faculty to come to the front desk at Surge II and consult with a project manager, rather than going directly to an artist within the center. Customers can still request a particular artist and we can probably accommodate them." But, by inviting faculty to consult with a project manager first, Matthews seeks to ensure that the most appropriate technology is used for each faculty project. This will also free up the production staff so they can more efficiently and creatively do the work for which they trained.

Overseeing the project management group and staff will be an internal management council and a policy advisory group. The management council will consist of center staff who will meet weekly. The policy advisory group will comprise individuals from the schools, colleges and Teaching Resources Center. Policy advisors will meet periodically throughout the year, starting in October.

"Both groups will play an equally important role to ensure the center keeps its focus on helping faculty learn about and use instructional technology," says Matthews. His plan for engaging the campus in a more active advisory role is also consistent with several other initiatives from the Office of the Vice Provost for Education and Instructional Technology.

An associate director position for the center is under recruitment. The associate director will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the center, whereas Matthews, the director, offers strategic leadership and serves as a key liaison between the faculty and the IT organization.

Matthews has also focused attention on the Arbor and its integration into the new center. (The Arbor offers faculty the opportunity to learn more about software and how others are using technology in the classroom. In addition, the Arbor hosts informative presentations and seminars on new technology). Most notable, during Winter Quarter the Arbor will be vacating (AOB IV, located between the Graduate School of Management and Sproul Hall) and moving into Everson Hall. For the time being, the Arbor will remain a stand-alone unit where faculty can "drop in" for entry level, hands-on technology training.

As a way to help the campus learn about the services the center offers, later in Fall quarter, Matthews wants to hold a campuswide contest to rename the center (now often referred to by its acronym, ITDMC). The contest will be open to all UC Davis employees. A committee will judge the entries and recommend a new name to Matthews.

For further information about the center, see http://vpiet.ucdavis.edu/itdmc.html. To request an appointment with a project manager, call (530) 752-2133 or drop by Surge II, located on campus near the Silo. The center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., including the lunch hour.