Classroom Services Support

As an office within Academic Technology & User Services (ATUS), Classroom Services collaborates with faculty, staff, and students to provide technical support for multimedia equipment in general-use classrooms (GUCs), television studios, and labs as well as oversees all inventory, maintenance, and checkout activities for the ATUS Equipment Loan Pool.   Classroom Services serves as the principal source for the design and standardization of all classroom audiovisual (AV) technology.  

Classroom Services has three principal priorities:  

  • Install, upgrade, and maintain the functionality of general-university classroom, television studio, and lab audiovisual equipment. Provide emergency classroom and lab technical support for all general-use classrooms and computer laboratories. 
  • Assist in managing the inventory, maintenance, and checkout of portable media equipment. 
  • Support the technical requirements of university special events and videoconferencing that require media equipment (such as laptop computers, webcams, microphones).  

The primary mission of Classroom Services is to provide direct support for classroom instruction.  ATUS defines “classroom instruction” as any curricular activity that provides course credit for matriculated students.  ATUS further defines “direct support” as any service that facilitates the success of classroom instruction through labor or technical support. 

In the case of Classroom Services, examples of direct support would include the setup, maintenance, repair, and removal of specific classroom technologies. 

Specifically, Classroom Services provides direct support for general-use classrooms and labs with the following technologies: 

  • Podium computers 
  • Podium monitors 
  • Projectors 
  • Projector screens 
  • Document cameras 
  • Web cameras 
  • Pan/tilt/zoom cameras  
  • Panorama cameras 
  • Lapel microphones 
  • Handheld microphones 
  • Microphone arrays 
  • Audio amplifiers 
  • Control system processors 
  • Switchers 
  • Media control interfaces 
  • BluRay players 
  • Media cabling 

These priorities allow us to support our core mission of supporting classroom instruction.  Support outside this core mission can be performed if there are available resources and significant lead time. 

Classroom Services may provide consultation to departmental, administrative, and co-curricular technicians and staff on University AV standards, installation procedures, and configuration if time permits.  Funding, maintenance, repair, and replacement of departmental, administrative, and co-curricular AV equipment is the responsibility of the owner.  Support to departmentally, administrative, and co-curricular owned AV equipment beyond consultation may incur an hourly fee unless a prior contractual arrangement has been made. 

Following are some examples of services that Classroom Services would likely charge for: 

  • Purchase, setup, repair, or replacement of departmental teaching spaces (classrooms and labs) and departmental administrative spaces (meeting rooms and boardrooms). 
  • Grant-funded projects  
  • Events that charge an admission fee 
  • Self-supported projects and activities 

Why do we charge?
Classroom Services has traditionally been staffed and funded to primarily provide direct support for classroom instruction.  With only three full-time staff, Classroom Services ensures that the audiovisual equipment in 135 general-use classrooms and labs runs effectively, safely, and accessibly.  This team also manages an equipment loan center that provides access to multimedia equipment for thousands of checkouts to hundreds of students and faculty.

In order to provide direct support to non-general-use spaces (such as departmental classrooms, conference rooms, and presentation areas) additional self-supported staff positions will need to be funded. In some cases we will need to charge for our labor when supporting these spaces. That charge is an approved WWU fee of $50.00 per hour per staff member

What will we do with the fee income?
Fees are used to supplement staffing needs so that we can better assist the audiovisual needs of non-general-use spaces.

Posted: January 27, 2023
Updated: October 2, 2024