They are the “smart” classrooms of today created with the perspective of the past and a vision for the future.

The Charles P. Fell multimedia classrooms on the second floor of Togo Salmon Hall are equipped with the latest in computers and digital technology that has put the Faculty of Humanities' multimedia program in a league of its own.

The classrooms' retrofitting was funded by a gift from Tony Fell, vice-chair of McMaster's successful Changing Tomorrow Today campaign. Fell is the chair and chief executive officer of RBC Dominion Securities.

The teaching rooms are named in memory of his father, Charles, a 1917 graduate of the University when it was based in Toronto.

Fell's brother, Fraser, who attended the official opening of the classrooms earlier this year on behalf of the Fell family, noted Charles Fell always had an interest in the visual arts and the University itself.

Charles Fell served on McMaster's Board of Governors for 34 years and was University Chancellor from 1960-65.

Fraser Fell said his father had a keen interest in new technology development, saw McMaster acquire its nuclear reactor and was fascinated with the development of television in his day.

“He would be quite ecstatic to see what are in these classrooms today,” Fraser Fell said at the opening ceremony.

Andrew Mactavish, assistant professor of multimedia in the School of the Arts, noted that the outfitting of the state-of-the-art teaching rooms has ensured that McMaster “now boasts the largest university program in multimedia in Canada. Other universities are following in McMaster's footsteps, but it is McMaster University that is leading the way in this new and exciting area of humanities instruction and research.”

Mactavish said the classrooms also represent the Faculty's foresight in embracing new directions in humanities education.
“Facilities like these allow us to provide students a unique opportunity to blend the critical traditions of the humanities with the technical elements of new digital communications,” he said.

High-tech Learning: (Top photo) Students Deborah McIvor (seated) and Houmed Arjomand and Fraser Fell, representing the Fell family, check out the equipment in one of the newly-equipped Charles P. Fell multimedia classrooms. (Bottom photo) Charles P. Fell.

Photo by Shelly Easton