Fourteen new computer kiosk stations have been installed around the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus since the Sept. 13 Union kiosk installation, bringing the total number of kiosks to 30.

Those kiosks include four in the south hall of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences near Room E145, two in the Physics Building near the vending machines, two in Cunningham Hall near the lounge and six in the Department of Enrollment Services in Bolton Hall.

A total of 60 kiosks were approved by the Ed Tech Committee for distribution around campus. The kiosks in the Union were the first to be installed, the rest are slated to be installed by mid November.

The Ed Tech Committee is in charge of reviewing requests for technology projects on campus. It receives applications for projects that could use funding and decides which projects get approved, said Joe Fieber, computing services manager for the School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Fieber is in charge of the team that deploys the kiosks around campus. He was appointed to lead the team by Ed Tech Committee interim chief information officer Bruce Maas.

UWM is still waiting for a special part from Sun Ray, the company that made the kiosks, for wall mounting for the remaining kiosks.

“We’re currently talking with Sun about the dates on availability and should be able to continue installations soon,” Fieber said. “Additional units will soon be appearing near financial aid in Mellencamp, near Union Station in the Union, as well as Enderis, Mitchell, Lapham, Bolton, Engelmann and possibly Sabin and Curtin.”

The kiosks offer access to the Web, PantherMail, PAWS and other UWM Web utilities.

The new kiosk units are not replacing existing units for the most part, but are just new additions, Fieber said.

Student use of the kiosks is very evident just by looking at the traffic around the Grind in the Union.

“I have never used the computers by the Grind because whenever I am around, they are always in use,” junior Malerie Tanner said.

Besides the kiosks in the Union, some students don’t know where to find the other new kiosks.

Seniors Jordan Poast and Mary Moscal said they haven’t seen any new kiosks besides those in the Union.

Most students use the computers as a convenience between walking to classes.

“I only used them once because I just happened to be walking by them at the time,” senior Ryan Sheets said.

Fieber hopes that if student interest continues they will be able to install more kiosks.

“If there is student interest, and more units are approved for purchase next year, I would imagine nearly all buildings on campus will have at least a couple installed,” Fieber said.

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