The television monitor in the Caf might be the first of many across campus, said John Tuttle, director of student communications.
The TV is part of an initiative Tuttle calls “digital signage.” With campus signs restricted to six designated posting areas, another form of communication was needed to keep students informed. The TV currently plays a slideshow of information on events, university functions and important deadlines. EagleVision news will be added to the lineup in the near future.
The television in the Caf is a trial run to explore the effectiveness of the digital signage strategy.
“If it’s well-received, then we would like to go back to the administration with a request for additional funding for screens in other locations,” he said.
The estimated $5,500 cost for the Caf television monitor project was financed by auxiliary services, said Don Sims, senior director of auxiliary services. He said this revenue is generated by campus amenities such as conference services, housing, meal plans and the bookstore.
“The project did not directly cost students any additional fees,” he said. “However, some students might have indirectly contributed a small amount because they used the services offered by auxiliary services.”
The opinions of students, however, is crucial to the expansion of this program, and so far, some students are less than pleased. Sophomore Jonathan Solorzano gave his opinion of the TV in one word.
“Useless,” he said. “I feel as if there is no purpose for it.”
Freshman Jessica Caird agreed, saying the TV is a waste of money.
“I’m usually not in a place where I can even see it,” she said. “There are only a small section of tables that are actually near the TV. But no one looks at a TV of slides. People eat and talk.”
On the other hand, junior Grace McGee can see the merits of the television as a form of communication.
“It’s cool because everyone goes to the Caf,” she said. “But you probably couldn’t completely substitute it for around campus stuff because there are people who don’t eat in the Caf.”
The discussion about the possibility of digital signage began about three years ago, according to Tuttle. Pre-chapel announcements were cut to preserve the atmosphere of worship, and IT did not want students to be overwhelmed with spam e-mail through BUBBS. Tuttle and John Beck, dean of student development, began looking at other universities, like Point Loma and USC, and realized they were using digital signage to disseminate information to students.
“We looked at those campuses and said, ‘Oh, this seems to be a good way to reach students with information,’” Tuttle said.
Michael Longinow, chair of the journalism department, was a driving force in the actualization of the new TV monitor, mostly for the sake of EagleVision news.
“The TV in the front entryway of the Caf was aging and needed replacement,” he said. “We also argued that the campus community needed access to EagleVision just as surely as they needed access to a weekly campus newspaper.”
The television in the business building and the installation of cable TV in the convergent newsroom were stepping stones toward the Caf television monitor, Longinow said.
Tuttle said the television monitor in the Caf was meant to be visible, but not annoying or offensive. If the Caf TV proves effective, there would likely be other monitors put up around campus, but their location is undecided.
“It’s a little bit of a challenge because in order to keep cost down, we’re looking at inside locations, like academic building lobbies … but there aren’t that many academic buildings that have lobbies where there is actually a fair amount of traffic,” Tuttle said.
There is a possibility of linking the AS monitor in the SUB to the digital signage network, but this needs to be discussed with the incoming AS administration.
Though Tuttle said the monitor in the Caf was wired with the capabilities to connect to satellite TV and a DVD player, this infrastructure is not expected to be used in the near future.
“We don’t want to turn the Caf into a TV lounge,” he said.
