Video Activities

INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL TRAINING

When units wish to build facilities for formal, high-grade videoconferencing, the technical design issues are immense. Issues that must be addressed include lighting, noise from the air conditioning system, noise from adjacent rooms and hallways, room acoustics, seating arrangements, wall color and texture, sound and video equipment selection and placement, and much more. The parameters used to evaluate these items for videoconferencing are unique and usually unknown to those trying to design the facility. Often, contractors are not familiar with the techniques involved. Many designs are based on ideas attained by looking at other videoconferencing facilities. The best way to evaluate many of the important qualities of a facility is to be on the receiving end of a videoconference from that site. This is almost never the method used so that the bad design features of one location are repeated in the design of another.

By assimilating accurate information and providing standards and recommendations for the design of these facilities, the quality of facilities at UF could be improved. This would apply to new designs as well as problem solving for existing ones. 

Finding information about facilities and services on campus can sometimes be daunting. Faculty or staff usually don't even know where to start. If they don't give up first, they are often sent from one source to another before finding what they need. If an outside party tries to get similar information it is even harder. In the process of preparing this report, the VAC attempted to put together an inventory of video-related facilities. The members of this committee are some of the biggest users of video on and off campus. We were not able to get a complete accounting of what UF has. 

By formally combining information from the units at UF into a virtual Web-based guide to video services and facilities, we would provide easy access to much of this information. Not only could external contacts have a better chance of finding what they need, the information about other units and their facilities would encourage interaction between the units. 

Recommendations Determine and publish standards, provide evaluation results and recommendations of new technology.  Acquire, expand and maintain coordinated documentation and a campus-wide video facilities and services inventory.  Support staff training programs pertaining to the operation of facilities and equipment related to video.  Establish a process to update the University of Florida Planning, Design and Construction Standards to address the impact of evolving technology.