Tour the Building

Jon M. Huntsman Hall
Facts at a Glance

News Release
The Wharton School's New Academic Center Combines Best of Technology, Traditional Classroom Instruction, Team Learning

Technology Q & A
The Uses of Technology in Huntsman Hall with Wharton CIO Gerry McCartney

Technology Q & A with Wharton CIO Gerry McCartney

The new building will have technology-equipped classrooms. Can you elaborate on what this entails?

A key goal of Huntsman Hall is to provide instructional technology that is both "pervasive" and "transparent." The technology should be available everywhere, and yet should never interfere with faculty engaged in traditional classroom instruction or interaction with students.

All new Wharton classrooms are being designed with a common interface for the instructional technology, so faculty can teach courses in Philadelphia or at Wharton West in San Francisco and experience the same classroom environment.

By bringing high-speed networking and video conferencing to each classroom, we'll link the Philadelphia campus with Wharton West and to our allied institutions like INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. Key technology features that will be available in Huntsman Hall classrooms include:

  • A podium custom-designed for Wharton classrooms which includes a microphone, computer keyboard, complete audiovisual control system, and ports for a laptop computer.
  • In tiered classrooms, multiple-screen system for video projection and teleconferencing.
  • An advanced control system which allows all audiovisual equipment, lights, and room settings to be operated by the instructor, by a technician within the classroom, or by technicians elsewhere within Wharton.
  • Pre-set "room profiles" for the classroom environment – including the podium height and classroom lighting conditions – to allow faculty to instantly recreate their preferred teaching conditions in each classroom.
  • Video and audio recording on tape or digitally over the Wharton Video Network from each classroom. Through the Wharton Video Network students, alumni, and other members of the Wharton community will be able to view these class materials on demand over the Internet.
  • Video and audio teleconferencing within each classroom to allow us to bring business leaders and other experts into classes.

Outside the classroom, the use of electronic information displays will be widespread in all public areas. Fully outfitted conference and seminar rooms will aid both instruction and internal meetings.

The Auditorium and two Colloquium rooms will be our main public spaces to meet and socialize with each other. These areas will include systems for multiple-image displays, video, and teleconferencing systems.

« Back to Q & A