By Matt Houseman

Guest Writer

New telephones appeared recently in rooms throughout academic buildings as the Telecommunications department began an initiative to improve communication and the use of technology in the classroom.

The phones were added for several reasons. The first was to allow professors to easily contact the Helpdesk in case of problems with any of the ``smart'' classroom equipment. Calvin recently equipped several classrooms in each building with computers, LCD projectors and Internet connections to encourage the use of technology in education. With this new technology, however, comes the possibility of malfunctions with the equipment, faculty may need to contact CIT for technical support.

Second, the phones will be used for communication in the event of an emergency or other urgent situation. The phones have also been put into a paging group that will allow several classrooms to be paged with the same message at the same time, and there are plans in the works for a paging system that would allow for communication to other areas of the buildings.

Because these phones are not intended to be used as additional courtesy phones, they have had restrictions added on what numbers they can call. Speed dial buttons have been pre-programmed on each phone. One will call the CIT Helpdesk; the other will contact Campus Safety. Aside from those two numbers, the phones will only be able to dial on-campus faculty and staff numbers and 911. They are unable to connect to courtesy phones, any of the Residence Halls, the Knollcrest East apartments and any off-campus numbers.

Currently the phones are only being added to Calvin's new ``smart'' classrooms, however, the Telecommunications department will be expanding the phone installation to other classrooms on campus, with the eventual goal of having a phone in each classroom on campus.