Info for Faculty
NCAT Guidelines | Headphones | Equipment Loan | Printing | Grants
The NCAT facilities and staff provide a wide variety of opportunities for faculty members to build digital media assignments into their courses. Courses may be scheduled in the NCAT for an entire semester or only a few class periods. We welcome conversations about how the NCAT can help you and your students to meet the learning goals of your course.
Guidelines in a nutshell:
- A class may be scheduled to meet in the NCAT any time space is available. At least 24 hours notice is requested.
- If the instructor needs a member of the NCAT staff to be present for a class meeting to provide training or support, two weeks’ notice is required. The instructor must be present for training sessions. After 2-3 semesters, it is expected that the instructor will take over responsibility for training students.
- If the instructor gives an assignment that will require students to make use of NCAT resources outside of class time or to borrow equipment, this must be arranged in advance and no later than Friday of the first full week of the semester.
Be sure to see the more detailed, campus-wide guidelines for project support here.
Please feel free to approach us at any time to talk about your courses and the NCAT!
We cannot supply headphones for classes; each student is responsible for bringing his or her own headphones to class meetings. Headphones may be checked out from the NCAT HelpDesk in NC 003 during open hours. The NCAT student employee will hold your SLU ID card as collateral. Please do not take headphones out of the NCAT.
The NCAT has consumer-level camcorders, still cameras, and audio recorders that students may check out for use on course projects. Professional-level equipment is not available for loan. The NCAT does not have a recording studio.
Please be sure to consult NCAT staff before assigning a project that will require a number of students to borrow equipment; inventory is limited and demand is very high at several points in the semester (please see guidelines above).
These items are available for loan:
- Sony HandyCam DCR-HC46 MiniDV* camcorders (w/ tripods) [instruction manual]
- Sony Cybershot DSC-W100 8.1Mpx still cameras (w/ tripods) [instruction manual]
- Zoom H4 digital audio recorders [instruction manual]
- Zoom H2 digital audio recorders (for FYP students only) [instruction manual]
* Users must supply their own MiniDV tapes for the camcorders
Items may be checked out from the NCAT HelpDesk in NC 003 during open hours or by making special arrangements with NCAT staff.
Black-and-white 8.5×11 printing is charged against individual user quotas. We also offer color laser and wide-format printing to departments only; a budget code must be provided at the time of printing. All others needing wide-format prints should contact ODY library or the GIS lab in Launders Science Library; other printing services may be obtained from Office Services in Vilas Hall. Note: we stock different papers and have different pricing than other printing locations on campus.
Faculty members wishing to give their students access to the printers must make prior arrangements with NCAT staff and provide a budget code.
Wide-Format Pricing:
| Size | Coated White Paper | High Gloss Film | Hahnemühle Matte Fine Art Paper |
| 36 in x y ft | $12 x y | ||
| 42 in x y ft | $3 x y | $6 x y |
Color Laser Pricing:
| Size | Bright White Paper | Acid-free Premium Paper |
| 8.5 x 11 in | $1 | $2 |
| 8.5 x 14 in | $1.25 |
Print Guidelines
Images submitted for printing can be prepared in PhotoShop, which is available on all NCAT workstations.
- Scale to print size (NOTE: wide-format prints smaller than the paper sizes above are no problem; but charges are based on the amount of paper used, regardless of image size)
- Resolution: 300ppi
- Image mode: CMYK
- Export as .tiff with no image compression
When image or images are ready to print, contact the NCAT staff to make an appointment. When image quality is uncertain, arrange for a test print on lower-quality paper.
Large prints can take as long as two hours to spool and print. Last-minute requests cannot always be accommodated, so plan ahead!
The mini-grant programs supported by the Mellon Foundation have been discontinued now that the life of the grant has expired. Faculty members are encouraged to explore the similar programs administered by the Center for Teaching and Learning.
