Connecting in the CloudThe Connecting in the Cloud series is an opportunity to come together in an informal, online setting to discuss challenges you're facing everyday. Registered members will participate in a facilitated brainstorming session around a specified topic, similar to an interest group but without the geographical challenges. Upcoming EventsExploring AI in Higher Education: Session 2 with the Leadership and Campus Administration IG December 7 at 1pm ET Please join the ETC Leadership and Campus Administration Interest Group on December 7th at 1:00pm ET for the second installment of our AI series. This session will be a discussion of campus policy and administration topics by thought leaders representing Northwestern University, Pace University, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Register Now
AVIXA Training on PAG NAG December 12 at 3pm ET "I keep EQ'ing the system but it still goes into feedback!" Are you caught in this Ongoing Service Call feedback loop? Learn the mechanics behind feedback as well as learn how to prevent it during the Design phase. Those that join the training session live will be eligible to receive 1 RU credit. Register Now
Past Events
November 9, 2023 Exploring AI in Higher Education Series: Session 1 - Introduction to AI with the Emerging Technologies Interest Group In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool with the potential to revolutionize higher education. College AV/IT departments play a pivotal role in shaping the digital infrastructure of educational institutions, and integrating AI into this environment is no longer an option; it's a necessity. Whether you're an experienced professional or just beginning your journey, this webinar is designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of AI's role in higher education and how it can optimize and transform AV/IT operations within academic institutions. WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub.
November 2, 2023 Accessibility in Higher Education Virtual Workshop Series: Session 1 / Introduction to Accessibility Topics This hour-long introduction is an overview of the many topics that affect our Higher Education AV/IT Community for the various ways a person may need access - be it a cognitive, motor, visual, auditory or speech impairment. Save the date for our future virtual workshops where we will do a deeper dive into accessibility in physical spaces (January 25, 2024), the digital realm (April 4, 2024), and exploring needs and solutions from stakeholders (both institutional and corporate) (May 16, 2024). WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub.
October 26, 2023
Parlé Microphone Optimization Training with Biamp
Please join us on October 26th from 2 pm to 4:30 pm ET for a Parlé Microphone Optimization Training with Biamp. This training covers the process of optimizing the Parlé family of Beamtracking microphones. From determining the appropriate Parlé model by taking physical and acoustical measurements, to seeing what’s under the hood of the customizable Parlé block in Tesira software, this course eliminates guesswork in all phases of a project. Parlé Microphone Optimization focuses on streamlining the design phase and reducing the time needed for commissioning while maximizing system performance. Recording coming soon.
September 28, 2023 ETC 2023 Annual Conference Recap The 2023 Annual Conference Recap session is an open discussion on memorable moments from our workshops, interest group sessions, presentations, outings, and more. WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub.
September 14, 2023 AVIXA Training on Digital Signage Design Principles In today's fast-paced digital landscape, it's critical to leverage the full potential of digital signage. During this session, we will discuss the principles of digital signage design, from the size of the display and text, to managing the content and its distribution. WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub.
September 7, 2023 Leadership and Campus Administration Interest Group: Back to School Check-in
Join the ETC Leadership and Campus Administration Interest Group for a back to school check-in as we enter the fall semester. This session is an open-ended conversation including challenges and opportunities related to budget, staffing, support models, technology, and any other topics of interest. WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub.
August 24, 2023 Tech Talk: Adding Equipment Loan to Your Ticketing System Are you challenged with coordinating Equipment Loan for your institution? It could be general loaning of computing devices, or reserved camera equipment for certain departments. At Roger Williams University, the struggle was real with requesting and fulfilling these requests. Joe Auger shares the scope of what the university needed and the process to identify how to utilize their ticketing system to provide this service. Today, users can request the equipment themselves and staff can fulfill them simply with a couple of clicks in the system. WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub.
August 15, 2023 Emerging Technologies Interest Group Roundtable
The ETC Emerging Technologies Interest Group met on Tuesday, August 15 for a discussion exploring connectivity between AV/IT systems and IT Service Management systems. This session featured an open discussion facilitated by guest moderators from the Volteo Group. WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub.
August 8, 2023 Fostering Sustainability in AV: A Conversation with SAVe This session features an educational conversation with Sustainability in AV’s (SAVe) President and Founder, Christina De Bono, and Founder and Secretary, Joe Perez. During this session, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they can be applied to our industry. Additionally, you will learn about two of SAVe’s initiatives that are altering an unsustainable trajectory and empowering collective action - SAVe Certification and SAVe: A Second Life. WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub.
July 25, 2023 AVIXA Training - Conducting a Needs Analysis This engaging session will delve into the construction of a robust framework for requirement gathering and analysis, followed by designing a system that aligns with those insights. Discover how to present these requirements back to clients in a manner that will help minimize confusion and provide clear, attainable goals. July 20, 2023
Instructional Design Interest Group: Empowering Student Engagement Across Learning Environments
In this exciting session, we will focus on the topic of Student Engagement Strategies in various Learning Environments (Active Learning, Lecture Halls, Seminar Rooms, Hybrid, Flipped, Online, specialty spaces). We will explore the following questions and more -- What sorts of activities have we been seeing? What has student feedback been like? What seems to work and what doesn't? How can we support faculty? What sort of technology (software and hardware) and resource (training, personal support) needs have been arising and how do we support more BYO and student-centered activities? What is the learning curve like?
July 10, 2023
Emerging Technologies Interest Group: InfoComm Recap
Did you miss out on InfoComm? Or perhaps you're bursting with excitement, eager to share your biggest takeaways? Whether you want to catch up or share your insights, this is your platform. Don't miss out on the chance to connect. June 8, 2023
Admin and Campus Services Interest Group: End of Year Review... Time to Assess and Plan for the Next
This year, we have strived to return to normal operation levels. That has presented some challenges and many successes in providing support and technologies. Come join the discussion and share your experiences over the last nine months. Take the opportunity to also share about upcoming projects to planned for next year.
May 11, 2023
AVIXA Training Session: How and What to Measure in the AV Workgroup
This was a one-hour training session. Live participants are eligible to receive one hour of RU credit.
This session on How and What to Measure in the AV Workgroup will be discuss:
Training will be led by Noel Bruton. Noel is a UK-based independent consultant and trainer, specializing in the management of technology support workgroups. He is a bestselling author of books in this field. His experience is sought by commercial and public service organizations, conferences, press and broadcast media around the world. He has been in IT since 1979 and advising corporations on improving IT.
May 4, 2023
Women In Technology Interest Group
Mentoring is a key part of our professional growth. Both being a mentor and being mentored can bring so much value and help open doors. But, research shows that people tend to mentor those who look like them or have similar backgrounds. So, what happens when there is no one who looks like you or has a similar background to you in your organization? Who mentors you?
April 20, 2023
DEI Interest Group: Managing with DEI in Mind
The Diversity and Inclusion committee invites you to join a guided conversation with your peers focusing on managing for DEI. We will discuss challenges and concrete examples of practices you can use to improve inclusion and trust with your staff. The session is not only for managers, and we hope to have a rich conversation where folks can share their experiences of what has and hasn't worked in their offices.
If you missed out on this great conversation, you can WATCH NOW in the Member Resource Hub. February 21, 2023 - Instructional Design Interest Group
Universal Design for Learning and ChatGPT - Changing the Way Teachers Teach
Over the past few years, either deliberately or by necessity, faculty have looked at their course goals, source material, assessments and methods for teaching and made changes to improve the learning experience for their students. Join us as we talk about Universal Design for Learning, Accessible Course Design, and the kind of accommodations that are now part of the higher education vocabulary. How have we seen this in practice at our own schools, and what hardware, software or even attitudinal shifts have been adopted?
If time permits, let's also talk about ChatGPT - an AI chatbot launched in November 2022 which communicates in a way that emulates real human language when given a prompt. This has worried many professors with the possibility of students using it to cheat. Are we in for another sea change in teaching? There are now many conversations about what kind of assessments to give students, flipping assignments, and instead of fearing AI, to use it as a tool like the graphing calculator or Google Translate before it. What does ChatGPT look like and what kind of implications are there for potentially incorrect or biased outputs? What should we be preparing for and be on the look out for? Many "AI detectors" to be sure, but also different kinds of activities and assignments in classes, as well as ideas for protocols to handle academic integrity violations at both the course/syllabus level and at the University level. Are we about to see a revolution in thinking about what the classroom is for? Will faculty become more explicit about their broader goals than just knowing the material but for their students to become analytical thinkers, better communicators and to develop an appreciation for learning itself?
WATCH NOW December 15, 2022 - Leadership Interest Group
It's December and that means everyone's favorite time of year. "Annual Review Season!!." This session discussion concerned annual review processes, what works, what doesn't. Listen in on the discussion here.
October 27, 2022 Annual Conference Recap
A Connecting in the Cloud session to recap this year's in-person CCUMC conference! We were joined by our interest group leaders to host an open discussion about memorable conference presentations, exciting topics from the interest groups, accounts of the CTS-prep course, new products from the showroom floor, and agenda items from the annual business meeting.
WATCH NOW September 29, 2022
Open Forum: Fall Semester Kickoff
Discussion how projects were creatively completed despite supplier shortages, how faculty and students are adapting to the new hybrid teaching landscape, and what projects we're teeing up for the mid-semester and winter breaks. This is a chance to check in with the higher ed community and to hear from your peers.
September 22, 2022
DEI Training begin held Shannon Dowling, SCUP Fellow, Learning Environments Strategy + Design, at Ayers Saint Gross.
Session Title: Planning + Designing for Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Campus Learning Environments Session Abstract: Over the 2020-21 academic year, Shannon used her position as a Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Fellow to engage with more than two dozen institutions around the topic of welcoming and inclusive physical campus environments. She interacted with 200-plus students to understand their comfort levels in different environments across campus and what design qualities drove feelings of inclusion and belonging. Drawing from student words and work, Shannon created a playbook that gives strategies for campus master plans, facility plans, and building renovations to reinforce the goals and metrics outlined in an institution’s strategic plan around inclusion, belonging, and student success. The playbook serves as a conversation starter: a way to get planners, designers, and university stakeholders to the table and move the needle towards a more supportive physical environment. How can stakeholders across an institution work together to ensure the physical environment is welcoming and inclusive to marginalized students? What values manifest in the built environment, and what metrics can we apply to our projects to assure that our physical campus environments embody the mission, vision, and values of the universities they house? In this session, Shannon will share her process and her research. Using highlights from conversations with students, design solutions they proposed, and strategies outlined in the playbook, Shannon will illustrate how thoughtful planning and design can contribute to a more welcoming, inclusive, and thriving place for students to live and learn.
WATCH NOW July 25, 2022
AVIXA Training: Successful Project Management for Design & Installation This short course will review the entire project management process from initiating to closing. It discusses the importance of identifying Scope of Work, Quality, Time Line, Pricing and Terms and Conditions. It will also touch on planning and coordination meetings, identifying key stakeholders and project managers. Finally, it will briefly discuss Work Breakdown structures and Logic Network Diagrams.
WATCH NOW July 14, 2022
Tech Talk: Ticketing Systems Ticketing systems are a fundamental tool to create, manage, and report on service requests coming into our support areas but they can also present challenges. We will discuss what products our members are using, how they are using them, and any lessons learned from migrating to new systems.
June 23, 2022
Is This Meeting In-Person or Virtual? - Creating Gatherings in a Hybrid World.
Now that things are starting to open up again, how do we design purposeful hybrid gatherings that will educate our faculty and students? How can we motivate our faculty to attend these gatherings which will provide vital information for teaching effectively in today’s classrooms? In this session, we discussed these questions as well as brainstorm how to create gatherings in a hybrid world that are purposeful and meaningful for your attendees.
WATCH NOW InfoComm Recap
Open discussion for those that attended InfoComm, and for those of you that missed it.
WATCH NOW May 5, 2022 Interest Group: Emerging Issues
Connecting in the Cloud session to discuss the past, present, and future of connected, studio-style classrooms.
We were joined by members who have installed these kinds of rooms at their schools as well as manufacturers who design products for building these rooms.
April 14, 2022
Tech Talk: Digital Signage
Digital signage can be a great tool to get messages out but it can also present challenges related to installation, maintenance, configuration, and content management. Measuring the effectiveness of the content and choosing optimal locations can also be difficult.
WATCH NOW March 24, 2022
Designing for UX "Designing for UX" In this session, we learned how UX research and design techniques can help you better understand user needs, and create a great user experience. Attendees explore how to gain an understanding of what is involved in UX research, including conducting interviews, evaluating systems, and analyzing systems using principles of good design.
This AVIXA training on "Designing for UX" was led by Chuck Espinoza and worth 1 RU credits for anyone that attended live. 4K Video: What You Can See, What You Can't and What You Need to Know
Ask any three industry professionals, “which display do I need for this application?” and you’re likely to get four different answers! March 8, 2022 Interest Group: Women in Technology
Celebrating International Women’s Day by joining the discussion in the CCUMC Women in Technology Interest Group. We reflected on the theme #BreakTheBias with questions:
February 24, 2022
Managing Student Staff With resources becoming more limited, it is vital that we seek new ways to meet the never ending demands. Student staff is one resource that many of us are tapping into. Students are eager to learn about technology, and provide the extra hands need to complete work.
Open Forum: Spring Semester Kickoff
Hopefully, you have survived the start of the new year and got your Spring semesters off and running. To kick-off the 2022 Connecting in the Cloud series, we will have an open discussion focusing the steps you had to take to get classrooms updated, operational, and online for the Spring Semester.
We will discuss project management, staffing, and budget challenges you had to overcome, or address a new focus for hybrid or converged learning. What adjustments did your university or college have to undergo in response to the “Covid Fraternity” that has hit the States these past few months?
January 20, 2022
Led by Chuck Espinoza those that attended the live training received 1 RU credit.
One of the best tools any manager has, is their staff. Honing that tool requires more than just good leadership and technical knowledge. It requires mentoring. It requires interpersonal skills. It also requires a plan. In this session, we will discuss some of the techniques Technology Managers can use to diagnose and train their AV staff, and develop a training plan for their AV department. From onboarding to ongoing performance, your staff will make your mission and vision come to life, if they are trained properly and motivated by your example!!! September 30, 2021
Industry Perspective: Supply Chain This roundtable discussion focused on equipment shortages, delays, and supply chain struggles in the technology world. This discussion was not recorded to help promote candid conversation from both our institutional and corporate members concerning the topic. September 23, 2021
Tech Talk Series: Virtual Water Cooler
Our next connecting in the Cloud is part of the Tech Talk Series on September 23rd at 2pm ET/11am PT. Join us at the virtual water cooler for a back to school debrief.
August 12, 2021 Connecting in the Cloud: Returning to In-Person Classes Those who have not previously returned will have an opportunity to share their plans, concerns, and hopes while those who have already returned will be asked to “share one lesson they’ve learned”. Topics may include, but not be limited to, new support structures (including remote support), technology updates, staffing challenges, office configurations, keeping equipment clean, and student employees.
July 22, 2021 June 22, 2021 June 17, 2021 June 8, 2021
June 3, 2021 This Leadership Series discussion focused on what steps institutions are taking to react to budgetary or personnel challenges that may have resulted from the past year. May 25, 2021 This Leadership Interest group discussion explored the topics including of mentorship and burnout. May 20, 2021 Hybrid learning and work-from-home have demonstrated that the “A” in AV is more important than the “V.” As we return to campus in support of high-flex instruction, audio engineers and technicians discuss the challenges they have faced and how to overcome them on an enterprise level. Roundtable discussion explored concerns from installation needs to supporting both on-prem and remote participants. May 11, 2021 Topics of the conversation was Labor Challenges in the Times of COVID. How are you dealing with staff turnover? Is class enrollment or teaching approaches at your institution dictating how you provide support moving forward? What challenges are you facing with new staff training and on-boarding? How do you budget for staff if you have no budget? May 6, 2021 At this session discussed how institutions handle repair and installation schedules, and allocating the necessary resources, budget and staff time to do so. April 27, 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion This discussion was hosted by chair Kayden Kassof and esteemed helper Kathy Dooley. Conversation focused on mental health amid the plethora of things happening in the world. This session was not recorded to help create a safe space for all CCUMC members to have a place for productive conversation and community building. April 22, 2021 April 8, 2021 March 18, 2021
February 18, 2021 Open Discussion This session we'll host an open discussion as we kick off the spring semester. October 29, 2020 Join us for open discussion sessions every other Thursday through the end of the summer. Topics will flow based on what folks want to discuss and can include leadership and administration, technical solutions, hardware considerations, and more! If you have a question or want to share something you've been working on, please join us. September 17, 2020 Join us for open discussion sessions every other Thursday through the end of the summer. Topics will flow based on what folks want to discuss and can include leadership and administration, technical solutions, hardware considerations, and more! September 4, 2020 Join us for open discussion sessions every other Thursday through the end of the summer. Topics will flow based on what folks want to discuss and can include leadership and administration, technical solutions, hardware considerations, and more!
August 21, 2020 Join us for open discussion sessions every other Thursday through the end of the summer. Topics will flow based on what folks want to discuss and can include leadership and administration, technical solutions, hardware considerations, and more! August 6, 2020 Join us for open discussion sessions every other Thursday through the end of the summer. Topics will flow based on what folks want to discuss and can include leadership and administration, technical solutions, hardware considerations, and more!
July 23, 2020 Join us for open discussion sessions every other Thursday through the end of the summer. Topics will flow based on what folks want to discuss and can include leadership and administration, technical solutions, hardware considerations, and more!
July 9, 2020 Possible topics could include: planning for Fall (staffing levels, student workers, office layouts, legal issues), remote vs. onsite services, engaging with remote teams, and ongoing support for professional development.
June 18, 2020 For part two, we want to focus on the less technological aspects of the fall semester. Possible topics could include hybrid classroom logistics, social distancing and classroom seating, sanitizing electronics, signage and communication campaigns, thermal sensors and screening, etc. Remember that these are freeform, member guided discussions, so please don't hesitate to bring your own questions and topics to the group! Hosts: Emerging Technologies Interest Group - Jim Spencer, University of Notre Dame and Trey Herb, University of Florida
June 4, 2020 Join us for the second “Connecting in the Cloud” session on Thursday, June 4th where we'll discuss how technology is rising to the challenge and enabling hybrid classrooms and safer learning environments. What will your classrooms look like in August? Hosts: Emerging Technologies Interest Group - Jim Spencer, University of Notre Dame and Trey Herb, University of Florida
May 21, 2020 Host: Joe Way, University of Southern California
February 13, 2020 Our next topic is Managing Student Workers and will explore concepts like recruiting and retaining a diverse student workforce, managing training and performance review, and rewarding well performing student employees without budget for pay raises. If you have experience with managing students or are currently having difficulties with student employees, please consider joining us. We hope to have a rich dialog among members so we can learn from each other and possibly create a best practices guide for the future June 6, 2019 Our first topic is Sustainability of Installations: Hidden Costs of the Future and will explore questions like: how do you deal with it?, how do you make a business case upfront for sustained funding?, and how have you been successful? If you have experience in this area or are currently experiencing these problems, pleas join. We hope to have a rich dialog among members so we can learn from each other and possibly create a best practices guide for the future. |
