UCSB MODEL CLASSROOM
Seminar Rooms
Capacity: 1-20

Seating up to 20, Seminar Rooms are oriented to group work,
class discussion and other collaborative learning projects.

(Draft 1.1 - July 29, 2008)

Physical features:

1. Room Shape - Square or rectangular (1:1 up to 2:1). A Seminar Room needs a designated front for the writing surface and the projection screen. (Add suggested floorplans and room layouts. Perhaps link to top architect's or other university's best examples. Link to UCOP standards regarding square footage.)

2. Ceiling Height and Type - A T-bar lay-in ceiling is preferred for wiring access and ease of future upgrades. A pocket for a single recessed 8 ft. wide projection screen shall be incorporated into the ceiling at the front of the room. Ceiling height should be 9 ft. (8 ft. minimum, 10 ft. maximum).

3. Entrance - The door shall be located near the corner of any two walls. The door should open into the room off of an interior hallway in order to minimize external noise when the windows are open for ventilation. A small window shall be installed in the door.

4. Windows - Natural light is desirable for all Classrooms having flat floors and a seating capacity of 72 or less. Windows should be located on a side wall and never on a front wall. All windows require shades for light control. (Add link to campus standards or options.)

5. Lighting - A single zone of dimmable fluorescent lighting is recommended. A 50-60 foot-candle level at the desktop is desirable. Note taking level of 20-30 foot-candles is desirable. Controls should be located at the entrance to the room as well as on or near the permanently installed media cabinet. (UCLA: The Lutron Radiotouch package with the UCLA wall controller is the preferred system. Controllers are located at the doors. The fixtures employ 3” deep paracube diffusers to reduce spill on the walls and screen.)

6. Visuals and Viewing Angles - The projection screen and blackboard should be positioned for simultaneous use. Viewing angle from any seat to the most distant edge of a writing surface or projection screen shall not exceed 60 degrees (?).

7. Acoustics and Ambient Noise - Rooms of this size generally do not require acoustic treatment. Background sound levels of 30 dB or less (A weighted) for unoccupied classrooms ensure the SNR needed for effective learning.

8. Floors/Carpeting - Flat floor. Carpeting should be avoided in General Assignment Classrooms and Seminar Rooms.

9. AC Outlets/Signal Conduits - AC outlets shall be located on the front and rear walls and spaced at 8 ft. intervals. An outlet should be positioned directly beneath the wall-mounted media cabinet. Power shall also be provided to the media cabinet and data projector. Two 1.5 inch conduits should be run between the media cabinet and an area above the ceiling. A single 1" conduit should be run between from the nearest Communications Closet to an area above the ceiling near the two 1.5" conduits.

10. HVAC - Air handling equipment should be located outside of the classroom space to minimize noise. (Add specs on air conditioning, min and max temperatures, ceiling fans, etc.)

Furnishings:

1. Writing Surfaces - White boards are recommended for Seminar Rooms only. Chalk boards may be installed if desired by highest use faculty only. Ideally, boards should be located on as many walls as possible for both instructor and small group use.

2. Seating - A set of portable tables (typically 4) and chairs are preferred in order to provide instructional flexibility including small group activities. Moveable tablet-arm chairs are acceptable under special circumstances. If tablet-arm chairs are used, at least 10% should be left-handed and 5% should be ADA accessible. An ADA wheelchair path and seating location must be provided. (Add link to approved or recommended furniture.)

3. Screen - A 6 ft. wide manually operated screen should be mounted in a pocket above the ceiling level. If set up as a conference room with the instructor at the head of a long table, the screen should be located behind the instructor. Otherwise, the room should be arranged to maximize the use of both white board and projector.

4. Lectern - A table-top lectern should be provided.

5. Chair Rails - shall be installed on all three sides of the student seating area. (See Girvetz example using a formica surface with oak frame.)

Instructional Technology:

1. Projector - An SVGA projector with a minimum 2500 lumen output is required.

2. Computer or Laptop Lectern - No Computer or Laptop Lectern is required. Media Equipment (including VGA input to projector and aux A/V inputs) shall be installed in a wall-mounted cabinet (add link to current standard).

3. Media Equipment - The media sources (DVD,VHS, laptop interface), audio amplifier, and media control system are located in a wall-mounted media cabinet placed as close to the teaching area as possible. All operator controls are placed within the ADA wheelchair reach profile. (Add link to media control system and cabinet specs).

4. Speakers - Media sound is to be provided by speakers installed in the drop ceiling. No voice reinforcement is to be provided.

5. Network Ports - Network ports should be located at the front and rear of the room with 2 data ports located at the media cabinet location. (Add link to Communications Services specifications.) Wireless connectivity (requiring a password) is desirable in Seminar rooms.

6. Intercom - A Voice-Over-IP Intercom (VOIP) Phone should be provided for Media Services Help Desk support.

7. Voice Reinforcement - Not required.

8. Hearing Assist - Typically provided on a portable basis. A mono downmix of the media audio is provided by an infrared hearing assist system on ISO channel 1 (95khz). (Add link to equipment info.)

9. Remote Monitoring/Control - An IP-based remote monitoring and control system should be integrated into the room.

10. Podcasting - (Provided on a portable basis for all but staffed lecture halls and auditoriums.) Audio from the wireless microphone system is digitized, compressed, and placed on the data network for ingest into Podcast servers.

 

Miscellaneous

1. Sidewalks - should be located away from openable classroom windows so as to maintain minimal ambient noise (typically no closer than 25 ft.).

2. Roads and Service Entrances - No Classroom or Seminar Room shall overlook a road or service entrance for noise and aesthetic reasons.

 

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