In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and new hybrid work policy at U-M, LSA Technology Services is facing an urgent new challenge: how do we set up effective collaborative environments for LSA departments faculty, staff, and students to connect their communities both in-person and remotely?
In response to this challenge, the College of LSA is funding a Technology Services pilot project designed to help academic units gain easier access to expanded video conferencing capabilities and hybrid technology in LSA buildings. It is a multi-pronged effort focused on four key areas:
- Expanding the Technology Services’ Check Out Centers’ pool of portable loan equipment that departments can “try before they buy”. This will also support departments when they have a one-time need for microphones, Owl cameras, or other video conferencing equipment.
- Providing departments with cart-based video conferencing equipment that will live in specific LSA Buildings so they have video conferencing capabilities until larger conference room upgrades are possible.
- Upgrading the capabilities of conference rooms with existing Audio and Video (AV) equipment by adding cameras, computers, and network connections.
- Identifying conference rooms that currently have no installed AV technology where a basic video conferencing system could be easily added with minimal financial investment.
“LSA Departments are eager to add video conferencing to conference rooms and increase the ways they can include remote participants in meetings, presentations, interviews, and community events,” explained Dr. Monika Dressler, Director of LSA Academic Technology. “We hope this pilot project will be the beginning of how Technology Services can increase access to reliable and functional spaces for our academic units.”
The decision to undertake this pilot was based on several needs that came together at the same time: LSA Technology Services anticipating more spaces would need video conferencing capabilities due to the pandemic, increasing departmental requests as a result of LSA interim flexible work policy, and the Reboot and Reimagine committee’s meeting space recommendations. These recommendations state that meeting rooms should be sufficient for all attendees - however they are comfortable attending, that resources should be set up to support both local and virtual attendees, and that those resources should be consistent across all rooms so that users know what to expect no matter where their meeting is located.
The project team is also exploring improved scheduling technology to help departments make video conferencing technologies available to everyone in their units as they expand collaboration across hybrid teams and to facilitate the sharing of equipment across units within the same building.
Work on the project began in September 2021 and is expected to be completed in June 2022. We are already seeing progress. All the new equipment has been purchased and received. Loan equipment is now available from Technology Services’ Check Out Centers in Mason Hall and MLB. The first of the building-based video conferencing carts are now being deployed. And in the coming weeks, Technology Services will begin to coordinate with departments on conference room systems and the selection of spaces for installation.
Based on the results of this pilot, Technology Services will further assess the feasibility of supporting these types of spaces on a larger scale across Central Campus in the future.
