It's time to let the cat out of the bag. The Lynx, of course.

Lynx links faculty with new instructional technologies. How? by having certified students assist faculty at no charge, either in the privacy of their own offices on their own computers or at the Academic Technology Center, Room 124 CCC Building.

The service is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Cornell Information Technologies. "The specialty of our program as a whole is in the thoughtful integration of available technologies to facilitate the teaching goals of Cornell's faculty," said William Hughes Seidel '07, Lynx consultant.

The Lynx program was created in 2001 to provide assistance for faculty to use instructional technology in their courses. Faculty who want to explore instructional technologies or learn to use a specific one can call on Lynx, as can faculty members who have small-scale projects (15 hours or less) that use instructional technologies.

Lynx students are trained and certified following a comprehensive curriculum delivered by the Academic Technology Center staff in collaboration with Cornell University Library and other university service providers. The curriculum includes a variety of software technologies (from PowerPoint and basic Web page design to digital video and QuickTime VR) as well as development of communication and teaching skills. Certification requires demonstrated proficiency in both technical and interpersonal communication skills.

In selecting students for the Lynx positions, program coordinator Marge Wolff ranked emotional intelligence above technical skill and sought to represent a wide cross-section of the university.

"Technical skills can be taught," explained Wolff. "It's much harder to teach, for example, the self-confidence you need to work with someone in a position of authority, or the patience and listening skills that a good consultant needs.

"Moreover, the students enthusiastically look forward to working with faculty."

"I have had a great experience working with Lynx students as support for the adult participants in my summer Cornell Adult University courses in Digital Photography and Web Page Design," said Barry Perlus, associate professor of art. "Although classroom support may not be the main purpose of the Lynx program, the experience illustrates how well-trained the students are in working with adults who have widely differing levels of computer experience. The students demonstrated excellent communication and interpersonal skills on top of the appropriate foundation in computer software technology. The students were personable and mature, and that went a long way toward assuring a good learning experience for the adult class participants."

Faculty who want to work with student assistants should visit http://lynx.cornell.edu/ and contact Marge Wolff at (607) 254-3544 or mal6@cornell.edu. Students interested in the program should also contact Wolff. To meet the Lynx students, visit the Academic Technology Center's open house Friday, Jan. 27, and Monday, Jan. 30, in the Academic Technology Center, Room 124 CCC from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.