The Huisking Instructional Technology Resource Center (ITRC)
The Huisking Center, also called ITRC, is part of Information Technology at Saint Mary's College. It is conveniently located in the Cushwa-Leighton Library and Learning Commons.
Staffed by professionals as well as Student Technologists, the Huisking Center maintains all classroom instructional technology and provides professional development for faculty, staff, and students in the effective use of instructional technology tools and applications. ITRC also provides workshops and training in digital accessibility for the entire Saint Mary's community. Specific technologies and tools include Blackboard, Blackboard Ally (for accessibility), Kaltura Video and Virtual Classroom, document cameras, and media projectors. ITRC can also loan selected items, such as digital cameras, conference webcams, and mini doc cams for general use, as well as portable media projectors for conferences.
In addition to managing the classroom technology, the Huisking Center offers workshops and training in person and virtually to individuals as well as to departments. The Huisking Center staff assist faculty in designing online and hybrid courses, with particular emphasis on creating accessible course content, including accessible Word documents, PowerPoint files, and PDF files. There are also workshops and training videos on how to edit the AI-assisted machine-generated captions that are provided automatically for Kaltura videos to ensure captions are accurate and meet accessibility standards.
Student Technologists
Students are encouraged to apply for the position of Student Technologist in the Huisking Center. Student Technologists receive training in the proper use and care of instructional technology in order to troubleshoot and fix any issues that may occur. Student Technologists also receive basic training in accessibility skills, such as creating accessible materials and editing video captions.
The Huisking Center Recording Studio
The Huisking Center houses a recording studio with a lightboard, digital cameras, lighting, and microphones suitable for recording podcasts and videos.
The Huisking Center Classroom
The Huisking Center Classroom has flexible seating and tables for 24 and may be scheduled with the Registrar for regular classes. Groups and individuals may also reserve it for meetings and trainings, but classes always have priority.
Location
The Huisking Instructional Technology Resource Center (ITRC) is located near the elevator on the lower level of the Cushwa-Leighton Library and Learning Commons.
Hours
During the academic year:
- Monday - Thursday 8 AM - 5 PM
- Friday 8 AM - 4 PM
- Closed weekends and College holidays
During the summer:
- Monday - Friday 8 AM - Noon and 1:00 - 4:30 PM
- Closed weekends and College holidays
Need Tech Assistance?
- Students, please report technology issues to ResNet by emailing resnet@saintmarys.edu or by filling out a Problem Report Form at fixit.saintmarys.edu.
- Faculty, please report technology issues to the Helpdesk by emailing helpdesk@saintmarys.edu or calling 574.284.4715. They will direct issues to the appropriate office, either IT or ITRC.
- Faculty and students are welcome to visit ITRC with questions about accessibility, Blackboard (including Ally, Illuminate, Outcomes, and Portfolio), Kaltura virtual classroom, Kaltura video recording, and classroom instructional technology.