The School of Information Technology and Communication Design - The School of Information Technology and Communication Design

The dream was to create a unique opportunity for faculty and students to embrace the renaissance philosophy of knowledge and skills across many boundaries. What an exciting prospect! A true tabula rasa to transport a university back to the scientific model of the 17 th and 18 th centuries but with up-to-date content. This has succeeded in many ways and our students have a broad range of skills and a more interdisciplinary degree than almost any available in the CSU system.

The dream has had to make some necessary compromises. First, a true renaissance environment can only be built on the accumulated wisdom of the ages, rather than the social and political issues of the moment. Computer technology was a relatively new idea to implement in the university curriculum and technology demands and functions changed at an alarming speed.

ITCD has become the second largest department on campus with extremely sophisticated equipment. Dr. van Spyk worked with the campus developers well before the first academics arrived. Every new university is established using a document called a “program.” The CSUMB program in its early phases did not have a computer or multimedia academic component. The first mission of Dr. van Spyk, in conjunction with Marsha Moroh, was to correct this glaring omission. They socialized the concept and chose the MLC building as the perfect location for a technology program. At the time, the building was little more than a naked, empty shell. As soon as the building was identified as the future MLC (Media Learning Center), Dr. van Spyk began a constant stream of information to the architects: top down argument for the functionality of the building, sketches of its layout (which you see today), illustrative photos of design elements, and detailed equipment lists. The architects and van Spyk carried their conversations into greater and greater detail, to the level of locating the electrical outlets in the floors according to each classroom’s unique and purposeful design.

Now, ten years later, the building still serves its purpose well. It has been improved upon and changed, but the basic layout has remained strong and functional.

One component of the university mission was technology, and another was entrepreneurship. With the benefit of recent years working relationships with several large companies, Dr. van Spyk was able to get the donation of SUN’s largest SUNSITE computer system, which was the first research grant the university had received (from Pacific Bell), and chunks of Silicon Graphics media curriculum and equipment. One of the greatest achievements, however, was a discount on Sony’s integrated video editing system (including broadcast quality video cameras) and the Avid digital editing suite. Thus, from the start, the university had the three most expensive key technologies for not only teaching, but also for creating and offering online curriculum. Online curriculum was premature for the times, but the capabilities were there.

One of Dr. van Spyk’s favorite achievements was the founding of the Study at Sea program in 1998. He developed a collaborative framework with the CSU Maritime Academy and was able to overcome numerous administrative difficulties. With the help of his colleagues, van Spyk worked with students to create the best posters and brochures the CSU Maritime Academy had ever seen. Many CSUMB students had never even been outside of California, yet they traveled to the entire Pacific and Caribbean, saw oceans with their tempers, as well as foreign cultures. The idea was to take students out of their comfortable existences and into a new life space.