Flat screens debut

Thanks to a recent initiative of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), two flat-screen televisions have been placed in campus dining halls. One of the screens was placed in the Eagle's Nest and the other in Corcoran Commons. The screens feature updates for clubs, as well as general information relevant to the student body.

When the process to implement the flat screens began, the UGBC researched a number of vendors, in addition to looking to other schools that had already installed similar screens. Both Suffolk University and Northeastern University have installed screens around their campuses in highly trafficked areas. "We wanted to work on something that will enhance and replace the paper flier," said Dan Sievers, vice president of the UGBC and A&S '08. Unlike the paper fliers placed around campus, he said, the screen notification system can be programmed to ensure that the messages are removed from circulation in a timely manner.

The screens were a joint effort from the UGBC, BC Information Technology Services (ITS), Media Technology Services (MTS), the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD), and many others, all of which worked to find inexpensive methods and resources to bring the screens to BC. "In the meetings, we came up with new and more cost-effective ways and in the end [the screens] wound up being a low-cost solution," Sievers said.

The idea and planning for the screens began in June, when the UGBC presented the proposition at a board of trustees meeting.

"We present to them the biggest student issues," Sievers said. "We wanted to make it easier for student clubs to operate."

The UGBC sought to improve the way clubs communicate with the student body. In the initial presentation, the UGBC officers used a February 2007 online poll from The Heights that asked the question, "What should the next UGBC administration make as its primary goal?" In the poll, the implementation of the screen system was the highest rank, beating out a push for united social change, reshuffling the UGBC's structure to improve efficiency, extending the UGBC's role beyond programming to improve student life, and serving as a more representative liaison between the students and the administration. The UGBC reflected on these responses in meetings with the board of trustees, who offered positive feedback on the idea. The UGBC was then given the go-ahead to bring the proposition to the Vice President Operations meeting in September. Executive Vice President Patrick Keating made the screen initiative a priority and helped publicize the effort. In addition to meeting with UGBC executives, Keating gave valuable input and asked ITS to make the screens a priority.

In the three weeks following spring break, the UGBC was able to solidify its plans and purchase the screens. The UGBC worked with BC Cable and BC Media Technology Services to wire and install the screens in the dining halls. Because channel 47 on the BC cable network was not being frequently used, the UGBC was allowed to use it for the screens, which are currently wired to this channel. The UGBC design team worked closely with BC Cable to start running the screens. Each slide or message that appears on the monitors is on a timer to ensure students can read the information and can see several clubs' news and events in a short amount of time.

To have a message placed on the screens, the clubs must have it approved by BC Cable. The dining hall flat screens are also wired to the residence halls, where students can access channel 47 to view the messages from their rooms. "Using our cable plant, you don't have to be physically in the dining hall, you can be in your room," said Mary Corcoran, associate vice president of User and Support Services and ITS. One of the goals of the UGBC is to create a new channel, which would be reserved exclusively for UGBC and club updates.

Corcoran said the flat-screen TV endeavor was a two-fold plan. The goal was to install the screens as quickly as possible, thus allowing the UGBC to assess students' reactions and interest. "We want to collect student feedback and then see if it can expand," Sievers said.

Though the school year is coming to a close, president and vice president-elect of the UGBC, Chris Denice, CSOM '09, and Alejandro Montenegro, A&S '09, respectively, will continue to implement the flat-screen program into the next academic year. Sievers said Denice and Montenegro have been attending meetings and, collectively, the UGBC has created applications for a position to be in charge of the flat-screen notification system. "It's important for Chris and Alejandro to work on it, and I know they're committed," Sievers said. The administration has asked that the UGBC formally evaluate what has been put out and make recommendations about how they want to proceed with the system. "It's important to demonstrate that it is something that people think is a good idea, and we have a better shot of improving it," Sievers said.