Audio/Visual Support Service Level Agreement 2015/17

General Overview

This is a Service Level Agreement (“SLA”) between Mailman School of Public Health Faculty and Staff and the Audio/Visual (“AV”) Department, an arm of the Information Technology Department of Mailman. It documents:

  • AV’s Service Catalog 
  • The responsibilities of the AV Manager and Technical staff as the provider of this service.
  • The AV team’s commitment to general levels of response, availability, and maintenance associated with this service.
  • The responsibilities of the clients receiving this service.

The objective of this agreement is to ensure the best audio/visual service and product quality for all members of the Mailman School and their guests. To this end, it outlines the roles and responsibilities of the primary client vendor partners and defines the standards by which we measure quality and the expectations for performance.

This version of the Agreement is valid from January 1, 2016 and will be updated on an as needed basis to maintain excellent service. It will be formally reviewed every two years. If any member of MSPH feels this agreement is not working to their satisfaction their comments and suggestions for this SLA are more than welcome. Please email suggestions to ibh2103@cumc.columbia.edu.

Audio/Visual Department Standard Services

The Mailman School of Public Health Audio/Visual (“MSPH-AV”) Department manages, supports, maintains, and oversees all AV technology in public classroom, conference, and auditorium spaces at the Mailman School of Public Health. When support is requested, a technician will assist with setup for classes and events. This includes turning systems on, hooking up external laptops, troubleshooting issues, placing lavaliere (clip-on) microphones, etc. In addition, the team is responsible for planning AV upgrades to spaces and providing consultation on AV related projects.

E-Rooms

E-Rooms are equipped with the following: 

  • Computer, connected to a Projector or LCD screen
  • Laptop connection, allowing a laptop to be projected or displayed on the LCD screen. Please make sure you coordinate with the AV manager to bring the proper adapter - this is especially true for Mac users, as each laptop model changes its adapter specifications. Please contact the AV manager well in advance if you are unsure if your setup will work.
  • Sound System, for audio playback
  • PowerPoint Clicker, one per room. If the clicker is missing please notify the AV technician. 
  • USB Ports, to load media and presentations onto computers. It is advised that presenters load their Power Point files and any other media onto computers 15 minutes in advance of the event and check to make sure all media has transferred over to the room computer. Please note: All e-Room computers are equipped with Deep Freeze software – any uploaded content is automatically deleted upon computer reboot.

Portable Projector System

A portable projector can be requested for rooms without a video display system. Your projector request must be indicated in your calendar room reservation request. 

Notice: The AV Department cannot guarantee equipment compatibility with non MSPH-owned technology. If guest technology needs to be used, please plan accordingly -- contact the MSPH-AV at least one week ahead of the event so that compatibility can be assessed. Presenters are strongly encouraged to put their presentations and other content onto MSPH provided computers.

Scheduling Protocols

To ensure events go smoothly and maintain the highest quality, 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. 

Setup          

Ticket Placed 

Recurring Class

1 Month advance notice for the initial class*;
no additional ticket required 

One-off Class

2 Weeks advance notice for 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:

  1. Check to make sure the projector and/or monitor are operating and set up properly.
  2. Turn on computer and log in.
  3. Assist with uploading files to computer,
  4. Make sure requested microphones are available, and help place lavaliere microphone (provided the teacher is present).
  5. 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:

  1. Check to make sure the projector or monitor is operating and set up properly. 
  2. Make sure any requested microphones are available and have spare batteries ready.
  3. Make sure computer is turned on and logged in.
  4. Test any Polycom or Web conferencing connection needed for the event.
  5. 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 lavaliere microphone, how to use 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. 

  1. 30 minutes - 1 hour prior a technician will: Proceed through class setup procedure.
  2. Perform a test call to the Polycom or web conferencing participants for the event.
  3. 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 lavaliere microphone, etc.
  4. 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.
  5. Tech will leave the emergency on call number in the event that there is an urgent issue during the event. 

AV Equipment Troubleshooting

Urgent AV Equipment Troubleshooting

For critical and high priority issues, please contact a technician via the on-call service line at 646-438-5925; a 5help ticket must also be obtained by calling 5Help.

Non-Urgent AV Equipment Troubleshooting

  1. Client places a 5help/Service Now ticket indicating what the technical issue is.
  2. Once the technician has received the ticket, they will schedule a time with the room coordinator to troubleshoot and solve the issue.
  3. If necessary, the AV Manager will schedule and oversee vendor visit.
  4. In the case of user error resulting in a repeated issue, the AV team will work to find a solution that prevents the error from occurring in the future. 

Event Support (Standard Operating Hours)

The AV Department supports event-related needs, such as multiple wireless microphones, computer and projector setups during the normal operational hours of the school semester (8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday).

Events needing after-hours support should coordinate with the AV Manager about the number of hours needed and associated cost of hiring an outside vendor.

If you are unsure about the type or level of support your event might need, please e-mail the AV Manager with your questions and provide the following information:

  • Event Title:
  • Event Date:
  • Time:
  • VIPs:
  • Brief description of the event:

The AV manager will review the information and get back to you for a quick consultation to confirm an appropriate support solution for your event. 

Echo360 Recording

The option to request an Echo360 recording is available when a room reservation request is made. For ARB 440 please email the AV Manager to schedule a recording.

Management and Maintenance

Rooms will have quarterly scheduled maintenance calls for upkeep, gear inspection, and any necessary repairs. These visits will be coordinated with room managers for availability.

In the event of an emergency maintenance visit, AV will do its best to get the equipment back up and running while not interfering with classes or events. Please be aware that room repairs are subject to external factors such as shipping times, vendor scheduling, and room availability.   

If technology needs to be removed for repairs and this impedes on the functionality of the room or a service, AV will notify the department room manager of the inconvenience and provide updates on resolutions to the issue.

Public Vs. Private Spaces

The MSPH-AV distinguishes between public and private spaces. Public spaces are accessible to all members of MSPH for scheduling classes, conferences, or functions. Private spaces are spaces utilized by a single department, and/or not accessible to the entire MSPH community.

Public Spaces

All public AV Spaces will be managed and maintained by the AV Department. Costs of upkeep, maintenance, and upgrades are paid from the AV Department budget. 

Private Spaces

Departments with private spaces equipped with AV technology will have a staff member in place to communicate and deal with issues in conjunction with the AV Department related to their spaces.

The AV Department will coordinate and assist with equipment issues, but the costs of upkeep, maintenance, and upgrades will come from the Department's own budget.

Departments must consult with the AV Department before any new audio/visual technology gets removed or installed in a private department space. This is to ensure equipment is compliant with CUMC network policies and AV’s standards. 

Audio/Visual Installations

Installation of permanent audio/visual technology in a public classroom, office or conference space must go through the following process:

Planning & Approval (1-2 Months)

Rooms must meet the following criteria to be approved for AV installation: 

  1. The space is a part of the MSPH Public Spaces Pool. 
  2. A reasonable amount of time has passed since the room was last upgraded. 
  3. The installed technology will be regularly used for any of the following: classes, student functions, faculty meetings, conferences, etc.

Following approval of the above criteria, the AV manager will meet with all clients involved in the upgrade process to discuss the requirements for their space. The AV manager will draw up a technical plan and provide a quote for the space. Large projects will likely require bids from three vendors.

Once this plan has been reviewed and approved by all involved, the purchasing of equipment will commence. 

Installation (3 Weeks)

The AV Department, in conjunction with facilities will install all equipment and test/troubleshoot any issues. Whenever possible, installations will be scheduled during non-class days or over long breaks. 

Review (1 Week)

The client will be given a showcase of the new equipment and its functionality in order to confirm that it works as described and is to their liking. At this point any changes to the room will be made with remaining funds in the budget, or the client will need to have the opportunity to resubmit for A/V upgrades.   

Our Commitment to You

General Service Levels

The goal of the AV Department is to assign, acknowledge, and begin working on “Normal” incidents and service requests within 8 business hours of receipt. An incident is any interruption in the normal functioning of a service or system.

Initial Response

  1. Requests for support will be fulfilled based on priority categories (Critical, High, Medium, and Normal) that are determined by urgency and level of impact. This is based on an honor system; please accurately state the priority level of your request.
  2. Response is defined as a “good faith” effort to communicate with the customer using the contact information provided by that customer. Response may be via phone or voice mail, e-mail, or personal visit.
  3. Service Level response times to service requests are measured once a request is submitted via 5help email, phone, or the ServiceNow issue tracking system. Other forms of contact may affect the ability of AV technicians to meet the requests in a timely fashion. Examples include:
    1. Direct emails to individual support personnel
    2. Direct phone calls to individual support personnel

Status Definitions with Initial Response Times

  • Critical - Within 30 minutes: Catastrophic inability to complete job duties. Example: Microphone is not functioning; projector is not displaying image.
  • High - Within 2 business hours: Loss of a major job duty. Example: Laptop connection in a classroom is not functioning.
  • Medium - Within 4 business hours: There is a problem to be solved, but customer is still functional and has other options available. Example: Projector image is discolored.
  • Normal - Within 8 business hours: General request for audio/visual setup. Example: User needs a projector inspected for a class setup the next day. 

Your Commitment to Us

The following requirements apply to clients receiving AV Support:

  • Clearly communicates the requirements of an AV setup.
  • Uses ServiceNow to place AV requests for classroom or events in the required time frames.
  • Helps to avoid user impairment of spaces: returns rooms to the state in which they were found. If you believe equipment was accidentally broken or tampered with please report it via a 5help ticket.
  • Cooperates with AV technician’s suggestions on how to use gear to the best of its ability.
  • Understands there is a reasonable delay period when troubleshooting technical failures in a class or event. 

Notices

Due to the open nature of the MSPH spaces and ease of user interaction with the technology, rooms are prone to user impairment. Troubleshooting, repairs, and delays are not welcomed but are unfortunate realities of the environment. Users can avoid disruptions by planning classes and events with backup plans in mind.  The AV manager and technicians are glad to provide alternative solutions to any problem you might envision at your class or event.

There is currently a standardization of equipment and operations in progress. Your input as to what is effective and ineffective is welcome, in order to help improve AV at the Mailman School of Public Health. Please email your comments and suggestions to the AV manager, Ian Headley at: IBH2103@cumc.columbia.edu.