UNC-CH Information Technology Services

Smart Zones, teleconference meeting spaces improved

Several Smart Zones in the Carolina Union are undergoing a transition this summer. Smart Zones, introduced in 2007 at the request of the Student Technology Advisory Board, are informal meeting spaces which allow students a place to interact and perform group work.

Three existing Smart Zones will be relocated from large spaces to more intimate work spaces; they will be equipped with a wall-mounted plasma screen for which students can use either their own laptop or an in-house PC. Four existing (and larger) Smart Zone spaces will see new projectors to offer users a larger projection image space. All Zones are outfitted with comfortable seating areas and work tables.

In addition to the Smart Zones on the main floor of the Carolina Union, there are nine Smart Zones located at the Student and Academic Services Building (SASB). The Smart Zones in the Union must be reserved through the Carolina Union Events Planning office, while the Zones in SASB can be occupied on a first-come, first-served basis.

Also on schedule for completion this summer is a new teleconference room located within the Classroom Hotline suite in Peabody Hall. The space is being remodeled for ITS use as well as other campus video conference events and will feature:

• a 14-seat conference room table
• a ceiling-mounted video projector with a fixed screen for meeting mode
• two 50-inch plasma screens
• cameras for video conference mode
• a ceiling-mounted document camera
• an in-house computer
• a DVD player

All of these spaces, as well as numerous other class and meeting rooms across campus, are supported by the Classroom Hotline team – via on-site or telephone assistance. Classroom Hotline support is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and limited support is available Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

For those planning to use a room equipped with classroom technology, the Hotline staff will provide on-site training demonstrations and training manuals about room-specific equipment. To schedule a demo, visit http://hotline.unc.edu, email hotline@unc.edu or call (919) 962-6702.