Carroll University

Since its founding in 1846, Carroll University has provided students unique learning opportunities to live a life of purpose and meaning. It draws upon its Christian tradition to prepare all students for vocational success, lifelong learning and service in a diverse and global society.

THE CHALLENGE:

Standardized on Crestron, Carroll University has trusted its range of solutions to meet the rapidly changing environment of higher education for years. In response to COVID-19, Carroll University needed to expand the capabilities of their classroom technology to better serve their faculty and students. 

THE SOLUTION:

Leveraging their existing Crestron touch screens and control systems, Boyang Wang, Assistant Director of Academic Computing & Instructional Technologies at Carroll University, and his team collaborated with Automation Arts to update 150 remote-learning classrooms across 21 buildings. New cameras and microphones were added to the system integration to facilitate a better audio and video experience for the students outside the classroom, as well as a better in-room experience for faculty to control this new technology.

THE TECHNOLOGY:

Carroll University has been standardized on Crestron for years, with Crestron DigitalMedia™ Presentation Systems in each classroom to handle audio and video streaming. The built-in Crestron AirMedia® wireless presentation technology makes it possible for teachers and students to display their computer screens to the class without having to pass around a cable. In addition, a Crestron touch screen provides an easyto-use interface for faculty to control all of the technology in the room seamlessly. With the shift to remote learning, Wang and his team wanted to support faculty members by offering technology that would establish confidence as they taught their classes online. With new cameras and microphones, voice pick-up and video quality were improved to create a better virtual learning experience. While new accessory devices were added to the system, the volume control and other settings were easy adjustments for faculty, as the system is managed from the same user interface that they have grown familiar with.

With the shift to remote learning, Wang and his team wanted to support faculty members by offering technology that would establish confidence as they taught their classes online. With new cameras and microphones, voice pick-up and video quality were improved to create a better virtual learning experience. While new accessory devices were added to the system, the volume control and other settings were easy adjustments for faculty, as the system is managed from the same user interface that they have grown familiar with. Crestron Fusion® software has been valuable for Wang and his team, as it provides day-to-day alerts if equipment goes offline and helps manage the systems long term to track product lifecycles and prepare for technology refreshes. “Crestron Fusion has enabled us to catch major issues and be proactive in our management of the classroom technology,” explains Wang. “We had a water leak in some of the rooms and were alerted to the issue by the Crestron Fusion server, since the leak cut the power to the projector.

Another new addition to campus is the Carroll University Esports Center Sponsored by Automation Arts, which will offer students both competitive and recreational gaming opportunities. Crestron DM NVX® AV-over-IP technology distributes Esports video flawlessly throughout the space with zero latency. With 12 student gaming stations in the space, along with two large displays and in-ceiling speakers, students can always be kept in on the action. “Our goal was to be able to project any of the student station screens onto our wall-mounted displays and push the same content to the internet for live streaming,” explains Wang. “Crestron DM NVX delivers the flexible and expendable switching experience we were looking for, as well as headroom for future expansion.” Carroll University is planning to extend the immersive experience beyond the esports lounge by routing the DM NVX system to adjacent areas in the Campus Center to display live gaming content.

RESULTS:

Crestron has grown with Carroll University to meet the evolving needs of their students and staff, and has been the go-to solution during the pandemic. Crestron has helped unite the in-classroom technologies and deliver an engaging space for students to utilize outside of their classes. “The A+ Partner Program and Crestron warranties have provided us with great tools and strategies that have helped us expand our systems while we adapt to the growing needs of our campus,” says Wang.