Students can expect technological improvements in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center within the next month.
Additions and changes include an updated audio system, brighter projector, new control panel, and portable computer system.
“It’s a heavily-used, high-profile room on campus that deserves to have some upgrades to modernize it to work more efficiently and have a few more capabilities than it currently has,” said Gerry Hunt, chief information officer.
Much of the equipment is older and needs updates, Hunt said.
“We’re doing a complete overhaul of the audio system. It will improve our ability to mix the audio together and to tweak it as necessary to improve the acoustics in the room,” he said.
The projector screen at the front of the room will be updated to a wide format screen, Hunt said. Officials also are adding more flexibility with technology, he said.
“We are adding the ability to wirelessly project from a computer,” he said. “You can connect to our wireless video system and sit anywhere in the room and project wirelessly.”
The brightness on the projector needs improvement, Hunt said.
“Because the shades are right behind the projector screen, the lighting can bleed out the screen when you’re projecting something,” he said. “We’re going to put a laser projector in there, and it’s going to be considerably brighter.”
Hunt said the control panel for the technology in the Great Hall has limited capabilities.
“We are putting a touch panel with more intuitive controls so that whoever is using the room can easily adjust what sources they’re displaying and what the volume levels are and so forth—a very intuitive touch panel,” he said.
If a portable computer is needed in the Great Hall, Hunt said officials bring in a laptop with many cables.
“We are getting a lectern that is built so that it has a glass top, and in that glass top is the computer itself. It’s a touch screen computer that has a built-in document camera, full Windows 10 capabilities, and it also operates wirelessly, so it can be moved anywhere in the room,” he said.
The new upgrades are being paid for out of the IT budget, he said.
“What I try to do with my IT budget is partner with other units on campus whenever there’s a need to do some upgrades,” he said. “We’re going to collaborate and try to figure out creative ways to budget for these sorts of upgrades.”
IT officials were unavailable Monday to confirm the cost of the upgrades with Student Publications.
Hunt said he hopes the upgrades will be completed next month, but officials are waiting on confirmation from a vendor to do the installations.
Camryn Sanders, psychology graduate, is the director of finance for Miracle Marathon, an organization that uses the Great Hall for many events. Miracle Marathon is a philanthropic organization that benefits Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
“In just the first year of Miracle Marathon, we have hosted more than 10 events in the Great Hall, utilizing everything from the projectors to the audio systems, with some of those events having over 100 people in attendance,” she said.
Upgrading technology in the Great Hall will benefit students, Sanders said.
“I believe that upgrading the Great Hall would be a great use of university money since it is a space that virtually every student and organization on campus will use at some point in their time here,” she said.
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