Debating dry erase board versus chalkboard may seem like a nonstarter in 2026, but it’s just one of many questions at the center of a grant-funded study known as the Future Ready Classroom Project. This project seeks faculty input on lecture style and project-based learning classrooms; it will incorporate feedback into experimental classrooms to see what works and what doesn’t—and adjust from there. The Future Ready Classroom Project is not about instant gratification—it’s about listening and incorporating feedback from the folks who work in a classroom every day and building something based on that.

Over three semesters, UDIT with the Registrar’s Office and Facilities and Campus Planning will partner with faculty to test classrooms they’ve designed through a collaborative process. The project will take time to complete, with UDIT and FSCP ordering furniture and technology from the fall discussions over winter for a summer install. There is a need for faculty voices during all phases of the project—the three semesters are a loop that allows refinement of design and work. Discussions that happen this fall inform classrooms that will debut next fall. From there, feedback will inform the next iteration of classrooms. Time commitment can range from attending the meetings to provide guidance, working in the spaces to provide feedback, or even writing your thoughts, pain points, or requests into the digital suggestion box.

Insights from the First Meeting

The first meeting of interested faculty and staff brought a spirited discussion that considered everything from the whiteboard/chalkboard question to how defining size and needs for problem-based learning classrooms can vary by field of study. Questions arose around the bring-your-own-device culture versus providing devices in the room—and the power needed to supply those devices. Another consideration was how specialized a space should be: with this project are we looking for flexible multipurpose rooms where anyone can teach or specialized project-based learning rooms geared toward small group discussions? While you might think that 18 experts in their field could land on clear answers, the discussion left us with even more questions. The overall outcome? A need for more discussion, and possibly taking a field trip to look at what other institutions are doing for their classrooms.

The meeting not only raised more questions, it also allowed faculty to voice pain points experienced with current classrooms. From projectors blocking whiteboard access to unreliable WiFi, myriad issues contribute to dissatisfaction with classroom spaces. Not all of these can be addressed by this project’s funding, of course, but Interim CTO Kyle Martin noted that creating a ticket with UDIT provides the data they need to request a budget for things outside the scope of this project.

Important details can get missed without the input from the boots-on-the-ground professors who are in classrooms every day, and you can be one of the voices informing the Future Ready Classroom Project. If you’re interested in joining future planning meetings, it’s not too late to sign up. There is also a digital suggestion box where you can provide feedback without committing to meetings. We look forward to partnering with faculty to build classrooms that meet their needs.