Scheduling Support and Services

To ensure events go smoothly and to maintain the highest level of service, the AV team must be made aware of any class, event, and function needing technical support.

Please place tickets to msph-tickets@cumc.columbia.edu to request technical support.

Make your room reservation here.

Timeframes for Reserving Space

For special events, contact Simon Mak after reserving space to schedule an appointment to review needs for the event.  Please adhere to the following timeframes for notification when planning your event:

  • Recurring Class: 1 Month advance notice for the initial class*; no additional ticket required 
  • One-off Class: 2 Weeks advance notice for a specific class
  • Event / Conference: 2 Weeks advance notice 
  • Live Stream Event / Conference: 3 Weeks advance notice
  • VIP Event: 1 Month advance notice

*Recurring Classes- recurring class technical setups require one-month notice to ensure technician availability and test run-through. Examples: Regular web conferencing sessions, panel discussions, unique equipment sets, etc.

For Other Events

All equipment setup requests must be based on the chart above. If special equipment needs to be purchased, please plan for an additional week, in addition to the two-week notice, to account for order and delivery time.

Third-Party Support: Some events may require additional AV support and setup. In these cases, a third party vendor will need to be hired to assist the event, for a fee. If you are unsure if your event requires third-party support, please contact the AV manager. 

Services by Setup Type

Classroom Setup

Professors or Teacher Assistants should arrive with a flash drive containing the class presentation 15 minutes prior to the event to load and check the presentation on the classroom computer. 

15 – 30 minutes before each class a technician will:

  • Check to make sure the projector and/or monitor are operating and set up properly.
  • Turn on the computer and log in.
  • Assist with uploading files to the computer.
  • Ensure requested microphones are available, and help place lavaliere microphone (provided the teacher is present). 
  • Help with any other technical concerns.

Live Event/Conference

Organizers should provide a flash drive containing all the event media 30 minutes prior to the event start to load and check the presentation on the classroom computer. 

15 – 30 minutes before each class a technician will:

  • Check to make sure the projector or monitor is operating and set up properly. 
  • Make sure any requested microphones are available and have spare batteries ready.
  • Make sure the computer is turned on and logged in.
  • Test any Polycom or Web conferencing connection needed for the event.
  • Instruct presenters and event coordinator on how best to use equipment and facilities, for example,  how far a handheld microphone should be held, where to place a lavaliere microphone, how to use the clicker, etc. 

Special VIP Events

Preplanning: A few days before the event, meet with the event coordinator(s) to review AV needs for the day of.

Event Date: Presenters and event coordinators must arrive 30 minutes before the event with all necessary media on a flash drive. 

30 minutes - 1 hour prior, a technician will:

  • Proceed through the class setup procedure.
  • Perform a test call to the Polycom or web conferencing participants for the event. 
  • Instruct presenters and event coordinator on how best to use equipment and facilities, for example, where a panel discussion table should be located, how far a handheld microphone should be held, where to place a lavaliere microphone, etc.

Unless a technician has been requested to stay through the entire event, the technician will stand by for the first 15 minutes of the event to ensure everything begins smoothly, before leaving. The tech will leave the emergency on-call number in the event that there is an urgent issue during the event.