Classroom Equipment

Faculty Computing Services installs and maintains all classroom audio-visual equipment (everything electric in the room except the computer). Our Media Engineering department works with departments to install new classrooms according to the University's Classroom Design Guidelines and meeting the University's Classroom Minimum Standards.
 
Each fall the University's Classrooms Committee ranks new classroom installation requests and updates as many classrooms as our budget permits. The Committee includes representation from Academic Scheduling, Physical Plant, the Provost's Office, the Dean's Office of HCLAS, Faculty Computing Services, the Help Desk, and Events Management's audio-visual services. If you would like to request a classroom equipment upgrade, please contact Media Engineering at (463-5990) and let us know what you need.
 
If you have an emergency problem with the equipment in your classroom, you can solve many computer problems immediately by using the eHelp Desk services which will be available this fall (2009) from our sister department, the Help Desk. If you have trouble finding or using an application on the computer, this would be the place to get help! In addition, Faculty Computing Services staffs a Classroom Emergency Hotline at 463-6894 which you can call at any time. We can solve some projector problems remotely and immediately. In addition we can send a technician to help you in your classroom. Please be aware that it may take 10-15 minutes to reach you and troubleshoot a problem in your classroom. It is up to you whether you wish to take that time out of your class or move on if we cannot help you solve the problem immediately over the phone.
 
If you DO have a problem, however, we encourage you to report it to us, as that may be what prevents the next instructor from having the same problem. We do regularly visit all technology classrooms and test the equipment several times a semester. However, in heavily scheduled rooms, despite preventative sweeps, you, the instructor, may be the first to discover a problem, and if you let us know about it we can warn the faculty who will follow you until we can get the problem resolved, hopefully as quickly as possible. We resolve most classroom equipment problems within a business day.
 
We encourage every faculty member who is planning to take advantage of any technology-enhanced classroom to check out the technology before they use it. According to the University's standards, all classrooms upgraded since 2005 are as similar as possible. However, there may be small, unavoidable differences between rooms, and you undoubtedly will want to work the kinks out of the task of using the equipment before you spend precious class time on it.
 
In addition, please be aware that you will need to log in to the University network on any in-class computer that you intend to use. (Most technology-enhanced classrooms also do have a laptop hookup, if you intend to bring your own laptop. Only the Help Desk can resolve password problems, so make sure your Hofstra account is in good order before you use a Hofstra classroom, and if you need assistance with logging in or your password, contact the Help Desk for help.