SL University

Well, now that my power is back on (d--n you to h--l, Isabel!), I can throw in my two cents (well, 0.5 cents, since Ananda and everyone else covered the other 1.5 cents pretty well):

1) I think the curriculum should be pretty much open-ended. People can teach SL-related topics, like LSL sensors or SL economics. People can teach RL principles through SL. For instance, you could teach code optimization using LSL. Or, you could teach particle dynamics using SL's physics engine. Or how about automatic control theory? People could even teach wholly SL-unrelated subjects, like creative writing or art history, using visual aids and a virtual blackboard.

2) These won't be accredited courses (at least, not in the short term), so people won't need to have college degrees in the subject matter they're teaching (although that would hepl). However, I think the university should ensure the quality of instruction somehow.

3) I think the university should be a not-for-profit operation, meaning all the money we take in should go towards covering our expenses, like upload costs, land and object taxes, or purchasing teaching aids. What about charging a small fee for classes, like $5, just to cover expenses? Alternatively, we could solicit donations. Fortunately, teachers can get paid through Linden support of their classes.

4) Let's all meet soon and hash out our ideas. Is Monday or Tuesday evening good for people?

Monday at 8PST would be prime.

8pm PST and on is a great time for me too.
Due to the nature of RL, its pretty impossible for me to guarantee to be on on a given weekday, though.
So if I'm availalbe I'll go.

Yup, anytime after, oh, 7PM PST is good.

Ooh, this sounds like an awesome idea. As people have said, very ambitious but great nonetheless. I haven't a whole surplus of time, but if you guys think you can use me, give me a holler.

Monday nite is much better than tuesday for me. I could probly make it then.

I wouldn't mind teaching a kind of history course of SL, were that to be an option. Or maybe something on event hosting, creative thinking when building, plot beautification, social/ettiquette tips, etc... If these ideas are too quirky (and of course I'm anticipating this, mwee hee) then that's fine. I just like to be a part of big ideas.

Count me in!

Although the last thing I need is more time drains, this is such a great idea that I just have to say that I'm in.

So Monday abouts 7 then Kanker?

Let's all meet at 7 pm on Monday, at the little stage at the corner of Blue, Gray, Plum, and Lime. Please write it on your calendar.

On my PocketPC already!

Someone take notes I'll probably miss it

Monday at seven it is then..


fen-

Monday at 7pm PST, Got it

Not posted here before but have expressed my support in world. A great idea.

Hoping to get more ppl writing flight scrips with a class on just that subject

I should be able to make it to the meeting but I'll probably be a little late (get off work at 10pm EST)...I am still interested in helping however I can. Possibly not as an instructor (but who knows down the road) but I'm a RL programmer who does alot of 3D modelling and artwork on the side, so I have to be able to do something right? lol

This will be a great project to get knowledgeable frequent forum visitors together in game, should be great. It's like a World (SL) Science Conference meeting. Well maybe not.

I can't wait for this! I am very excited about this concept as a whole.

I'll be there with ...well... not bells - but how about a cyclinder (top reduced) hollowed, half a sphere stretched in the Z axis, and one more sphere for the striker. Then we can start the fun job of texturing those!

I'd love to teach some texturing and some prim design.

And I'd love to attend scripting courses - I want to get my doctorate of LSL!

I can do back-end R&D for scripts, particularly dealing with propulsion and AI. I can also build amphitheatres, stadium seating-style class areas, etc.

I do not think it's necessary to have the university indoors since we are immune to all forms of weather and sunburn. Spread-out learning areas are more likely to work than having a bunch of people stacked up in the same area (overlapping talk radii, avatar concentration lag, etc.) Terraform the land for the university into something nice and hilly, or even mountainous. Put the class areas at different interesting locales.

WOW! great meeting about this last night - with tons of fantastic input. Kanker is going to post something much more formal about the goings-on of that meeting.

In the meantime I have been tasked with finding people who may be able to contribute (in a teaching capacity or support capacity) with the 'School of Design'. We imagine this encompassing anything involving building, texturing, avatars, terraforming.

SO - clothing designers, object modellers, texture wizards, I'm calling you all out to lend a hand! I need to establish a teaching area and a meeting place prior to the weekend so we may convene again and continue to build on this fantastic idea.

If you are interested in teaching any topics relating to the above stated areas - please IM me ingame with your suggested topics, no need to be specific at this point - just the general topic you'd be willing to teach.

Let's get creative - we're aiming at topics above the general level - this is your chance to really show the world what you can do!

I look forward to hearing from all interested citizens!
(oh yeah! we have cool t-shirts!)

Thanks everyone for showing up at the meeting last night. It was a much bigger turnout than I had hoped (or planned) for. Let me go over some of the highlights:

- We decided to have our next meeting on Sunday, Sep 28, at 7 pm Pacific. Location will be somewhere in Gray. I will send out a group IM at that time. Also, as per Trent's suggestion, I will try to have an agenda for the meeting.

- We formed a new group called "SL University", and everyone who has expressed an interest so far should have gotten an offer to join. If not, let me know.

- It seems like everyone is cool with SLU being a not-for-profit institution.

- In the short term, the campus will be located in Gray, just as soon as we build the facilities. Trent Hedges, Dean of Design, is working with others on classroom design. See his post above.

- No official mission statement yet, but we all agreed that we needed "leverage", "synergy", and "world domination" in there somewhere

- Christopher Omega, Dean of Scripting, is putting together a list of class ideas culled from the meeting and everyone's inputs. We will take the most promising ideas and post them in the forum, to see what other people think of them. That should be soon, hopefully, so we can get plenty of feedback before the next meeting.

- Garth Fairlight is going to handle SLU finances, and is collecting donations already. We are hoping to keep out operating costs very low, but it can't hurt to have money in the bank, just to stay ahead of the curve.

- Artemis Tesla will be keeping track of records. He has copies of the chat log from the meeting if you want one.

- So far no consensus on a school mascot. We might need a special mascot committee.


Please keep your ideas coming, people!

I didnt get a group invite and Im wearing the shirt even!
Oh well, Sunday at 7 is again bad for me. Its a sign

Please do not make it a hippo. It's not that I HATE hippos in SL, but... The whole hippo thing is so cashed out it isn't even funny anymore.

I am interested in terraforming. A good example would be Candi Apple's land in Taber. That was a HUGE job. Took lots of water and turned it into land and had a little arm coming off the island. also made moats running around the island. Love to terraform!! Would love to make little pathways going from the different class sites. Check out my little park in Clementina. Let me know if your interested. This sounds likea great project!!!

Sorry, Madox - I thought I had invited you yesterday but I guess it didn't take. Look me up in game. I'll give you a copy of the chat log from the first meeting and we can talk about your ideas.

We're using a little hunk of Gray (southwest) which belongs to Xylor (he gave us his permission of course) and the land is set to allow terraforming - so this sounds like a good start for our facilities (at least for some meetings).

I have the first outline of a large meeting hall (not rezzed at the moment) which i built at the site, but there a lot of water there currently - Love to have you take a look and come up with a layout! I'll contact you ingame!