12 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday,_July 31, 1996 Higher education will have a different meaning as advances in technologv will enable students to obtain an education with- out having to sit in a traditional classroom. Students will be able to access a varietr of technological tools tofurther their edit- cations. Web sites, electronic mail and virtual-reality devices are only several of the technological advances that have boost- ed education to a new level of complexity and possibility In recent months, the state of Michigan and the University have displayed a new, strengthened commitment to technologi- cal advancement in higher education. New 'U' technological resources offer options, opportunties to students Yesterday Governor John Engler was on hand as the University accepted a $22 million donation of equipment and intel- lectual property to the new Center for Display Technology and Manufacturing (DTM) that will strengthen the center's leadership in flat panel display technolo- gy. "We're pushing ahead to the next cen- tury and doing it in impressive fashion," Engler said at the acceptance ceremony. "We've got all the action right here" Engler said. Flat panel displays are the newest applications in image generation technol- ogy. The displays consist of hundreds of individual transistors or tiny switches that create one large integrated circuit. The transistors produce pixels on thin video display panels, the kind already used on laptop computers. Engineering students will benefit from the new technology, how able to partici- pate in one of the world's leading research centers dealing in flat panel dis- play technology. DTM was established in 1993 as a focal point for research and development within the flat panel display manufacturing industry. Former University President James Duderstadt led the University's merger between education and technology, adding computers to campus and initiat- ing other technological advances during his tenure as president. Since he ended his term as president June 30, Duderstadt has continued to lead the University's march in advanced tech- nology. Duderstadt is working on two major projects, the Millenium Institute and the Virtual University project. In a recent interview with The Michigan Daily, Duderstadt said he is working hard to get both projects underway. Engler asked Duderstadt to head the Virtual University project. Duderstadt said the project will foster long-dis- tance learning, offering online courses in the field of automotive engineering, which will be available to all Michigan residents. Duderstadt said he expects the first virtual courses to be accessible in January 1997. He said the courses will include higher-level computer engi- neering courses and engineering busi- ness management courses, although a wider-range of courses could be added to the virtual course list. Duderstadt said the Virtual University courses will probably be taught by professors here and at Michigan State University, with the help of some small start-up funding from the state. He said it will eventual- ly be self-funding. Duderstadt said the affordability of the Virtual University courses will be one of the project's greatest advantages. He said he expects the cost of the cours- es to be comparable to community col- lege prices. "It depends on market size" he said. Duderstadt is also heading ip the Millenium Institute. "We'll be explor- ing futures for universities, alternatives to the classroom'" he said. "It's really a research laboratory to stimulate think- ing about higher education" Duderstadt said he and others partic- ipating in the Institute are looking for extensive student involvement in the project, which will kickoff with a lecture series in September. While DTM and Duderstadt's projects are engi- neering-specific efforts, students from all the U n ive rs i ty's schools and col- leges can access numerous techno- logically ., advanced ,. resources at the University. Many of the University's tech- not og i cal resources are housed in the new Media Union on North Campus. The Media Union is a $40 million facility, boasting more At the Media Union d than 500 comput- gering video images. ers, virtual-reality laboratories, a video conference room, and studios specifically for electronic music and video performance. "The Media Union adds another world-class dimension to this already world-class University," Engler said at the building's ribbon-cutting ceremony in June. "It's a building that bets on the cre- ativity of man and woman. It's a testimo- ny to vision and confidence about the 21st century." Students can also utilize the services provided by the University's Information Technology Division, including e-mail, Internet access, file storage and laser printing from any of more than 1,300 computers housed at Campus Computing Sites. "(The University is) known to be on the forefront in computing technology in higher education," said Lisa Lebowitz, marketing coordinator for ITD. In the fall, all rhsidence hall rooms will be equipped with Ethernet connections, allowing residents with their own com- puters to have direct access to the campus edication, a dancer interacted with switches on the floor, trig- network. In addition to monitoring Ethernet ser- vices in the residence halls, the Residence Halls Computer program (ResComp) will continue to provide per- sonalized computing services at the com- puter labs located in every residence hall. Recently, the University announced the addition of national dial-in services which allow members of the University community to access the campus network from around the country. Lebowitz said the service has only been available for a month. She said dial-in access has been available on a local level for several years. ITD also provides hundreds of short, noncredit workshops each term, covering everything from word processing to web page construction. The workshops are usually free to students. This summer, computing workshops have been added to the Orientation and Welcome to Michigan programs. - Daily Newss Editor Katie Wang con- tributed to this report. *I BOHDAN DAMIAN CAP/Dai Chemistry Prof. Brian Griffen broadcasts his office hours in the residence halls, using video conferencing technology.