Doing More With Less…Products That Work
by Yavapai College/Computer Comforts
Most colleges are feeling the crunch of today’s economic climate. As unemployment rises, many people have decided to return to school. The community college system is also becoming a more popular choice for students on a budget. With increased enrollment and promises of Federal funding, you would think colleges have hit the jackpot! Although this may be true in the long run, the immediate needs are creating many challenges on campus. Doing more with fewer resources has become a common theme.
One of the resources under a great deal of stress is the electronic classroom, technology enhanced. With a limited amount of space, most campuses are looking for ways to better utilize these classrooms. Advancements in technology have blurred the lines between a general purpose classroom and a computer lab. Multipurpose classrooms or flex-labs have become very popular. These are rooms that can be quickly converted from a computer lab to a general purpose lecture environment.
Yavapai College has been working with
Computer Comforts to create these multi-use classroom environments over the
past four years. Computer Comforts helps colleges create flexible learning
spaces. Yavapai has chosen the patented Hide-Away LCD solution for both student
and faculty. These innovative tables allow an LCD monitor to be hidden away
below a hinged tabletop lid. Not only does Hide-Away technology help better
utilize a limited resource—classroom space, but it also simplifies classroom
scheduling. Now, any class can be offered in any room.
Tom Aldridge, manager of Presentation Technology Support Services (PTSS) at Yavapai was looking for a customized solution that offered the same flexibility for the faculty/instructors. Tom designed his lecterns using the Hide-Away LCD feature, combined with custom cut-outs, to manage all of the electronic teaching tools. Tom explains:
Our standard instructor workstation configuration consists of the following essential components:
- Dell PC Crestron
- MPC-M25 Media Presentation Controller
- Kramer VP-729 Presentation Switcher/Scaler
- Samsung SDP-860 Digital Presenter
One of the great things about the Computer Comforts Hide-Away lectern is the integrated 14-space 19-inch equipment rack. We mount the presentation equipment listed above in the rack and then use a variety of products from Middle Atlantic to secure it all. Accessories are stored in a UD3 drawer and idle hands are kept at bay by a SECL-3 hinged Plexiglas security cover.
Being able to keep the technology safe, secure, and
standardized helps us cut down on equipment costs from damage and theft. The
simplified layout and configuration offered by the Computer Comforts Hide-Away
lectern also allows us to reduce time, effort, and travel spent on training
users. As we move toward more standardization, the rule of thumb for our users
is becoming: if you can operate the technology in one space, you can operate it
in any space.
With a limited staff responsible for over 120 presentation technology equipped environments on eight campuses throughout an 8,125 square mile county—Yavapai County is bigger than the state of Connecticut, doing more with less is the norm. With the quality designs offered by Computer Comforts, products like the Hide-Away lectern make the standardization and deployment of presentation technology at Yavapai College efficient and effective.
Additional information about Computer Comforts can be found at www.computercomforts.com.
