Technology Access Fees Database

Dr. Carrie Pavel

carrie.pavel@mtsu.edu

Tom Nicholas

SCCM/Interior Architecture

Discipline specific equipment

LRC 107

N/A

N/A

As part of the organizational move to SCCM/CBAS in May 2026, the Interior Architecture (IARC) program’s instructional and support spaces are slated to remain in the LRC. Despite the high degree of hardware and software proficiency required of IARC students and graduates in the field, IARC currently lacks a dedicated, discipline-specific computer lab. A recent stopgap has been to implement a program policy requiring all IARC majors to purchase a high-performance workstation laptop and personal software licenses by the beginning of their third semester in the program. Yet purchase costs, often upwards of $3000, pose a hardship for many students. This proposal requests the development of a computer lab in LRC 107 with discipline-specific hardware and software to support 121 IARC undergraduate students (160 projected by 2028) in the timely completion of routine design work – 3d modelling and digital rendering, 3d printing and prototyping, building performance simulation – required by 23 major courses (63 credit hours) across the IARC curriculum. The lab can additionally serve as overflow support for other design/technology majors on campus (e.g.- CM(362), CIM(184), ENGT(245), ANI(177) that likewise require high-performance workstations. The request includes (22) workstation computers; demolition, wall repair, and installation of data and electrical support; campus-standard tables and chairs; a proxy-card reader for LRC 107; (100) seats of Chaos Enscape, and (120) seats of SketchUp Pro. A lab offering students on-demand access to essential hardware and software will provide a more equitable learning environment for students from a wide variety of backgrounds.