Computer Registration Involving Student Participation

Exhibit Under Construction

Ask a Michigan alumnus who graduated between 1975 and 1999 about CRISP, and you will most likely see a twinkle of remembrance flash across their face. What exactly this twinkle represents—horrific memories of eternal lines and malfunctioning terminals, or fond nostalgia for the series of routines that became rites of passage for all Michigan students across departments and class years—depends on who you ask. Nonetheless, there is a discernable spark of recognition, often followed by a story about a system which became a unique, if quirky, facet of
Michigan students’ experiences for over 25 years.

Virtual Media

The most fascinating and lively information about CRISP comes from accounts by people who interacted with the system in different ways and who can reflect on the social contexts in which it was designed and used. The exhibit will therefore employ digital audio in the form of short oral histories contributed by alumni, staff, and faculty as its focal point. The exhibit will be web-based, and will feature visual records of CRISP from the Bentley Historical Library, as well as text to provide narrative structure to the audio components of the site. Although the exhibit is web-based, it contains elements such as tours and annotated archival research guides which promote a connection with the physical resources available for learning about CRISP at Michigan.

CRISP Galleries

The CRISP exhibit will be structured according to three major themes. For now, these themes are called “galleries”. Galleries can be thought of as either single web pages, or a series of pages within a single application or frame. The galleries each investigate a distinct theme, providing visitors with a rounded sense of what CRISP was, how it worked within the university community, and its significance today. Gallery content can be found in the links on the right.