TQ Overview
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| The 2004-2005 TQ participants |
Wake Forest University has always turned to our students when considering new technology to bring to campus; students are the experts on what technologies they want and how they want to use them. Technology Quarters is the newest venture at Wake Forest that relies on the expertise of our students to evaluate what technology should be provided on campus. The program began in 2003 in partnership with Residence Life and Housing when a portion of a freshmen residence hall was converted into a technology testing ground.
The program expanded in the fall of 2004 to include a Technology Quarters House, a university-owned home adjacent to campus equipped with the latest technology. Some students were given VoIP phones, flat-panel monitors and other gadgets to test for possible use on campus during the first year. The students used the equipment and provided the University with individual feedback on each device, including ease of use, practicality, and ideas for implementation in campus life. During the 2005-2006 academic year, TQ students were critical players in the development of MobileU. Additionally, the Technology Quarters house was transformed with the addition of smart appliances due to the partnership with IBM Extreme Blue and their "dorm of the future" program.
In addition to students residing in the Technology Quarters house, the program includes students that live in residence halls. The TQ residence hall members provide important feedback about devices used in their rooms across campus. The TQ initiative not only allows Wake Forest to gain insight from its students, it also gives students the opportunity to test cutting-edge equipment and service as a voice in the next generation of technology at Wake Forest.
The Technology House
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| The 2004-2005 TQ house residents |
The 2004-2005 academic year marked the first year of the Technology Quarters house, a University-sponsored theme house adjacent to campus. It takes the idea of Technology Quarters in a residence hall to another level – a house outfitted with technology for convenience, learning, and fun. Students are immersed in the technology, as it becomes part of their daily life, academically and socially. Feedback in both areas allows University staff to evaluate technology in order to enhance the Wake Forest experience for our students.