Welcome: Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California -- CENIC

Campus and CVS Usage Guidelines

Campus and CalREN Video Services Usage Guidelines

Using the CalREN Video Services Online Videoconference Scheduler

Scheduling a Videoconference -- A Step-by-Step Guide
Modifying a Scheduled Videoconference
Emergency Scheduling Procedures

I. Campus and CalREN Video Services Usage Guidelines

This document was developed by the CalREN Video Services (CVS) Video Users End Group. The committee represents four segments of California education (K-12, Community Colleges, CSU, and UC). This document is intended to provide a guide to videoconference sites.

The priority use of the network and related equipment is for instructional purposes. Administrative use is encouraged and is an excellent way to reduce travel costs and involve those unable to attend a meeting in a central location. The collaboration opportunities across education segments are limitless.

The effectiveness of this powerful medium is entirely dependent upon the technical and administrative staff that maintain and operate the network, videoconferencing centers, and specialized equipment at each campus. To realize the best possible results from videoconferencing, it is imperative that everyone involved in the system adheres to the following guidelines and procedures.

A. Room Environment and Equipment

The campus must provide a suitable environment for videoconferencing. The space designated for videoconferencing should be carefully considered and the room easily scheduled. If your site is new to videoconferencing and is designing or considering a space for this specialized purpose, there are several factors to consider. Your design team may find it useful to consult with other similar institutions concerning room usage and setup.

The following are minimum suggested standards for the videoconferencing environment:

Room Size:: For what purposes will the room most often be used? Small meetings? Classes? This will determine the optimum size for the room.
Blinds/curtains on windows:: If windows are present, blinds or curtains will allow greater control over the ambient lighting and will prevent any highly directional lighting from creating a "halo" in the videoconferencing camera.
Adequate lighting:: 60 to 80 ft-candle illumination is strongly recommended. [ More information on ambient lighting ]
Minimal ambient noise
Adequate heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) for equipment and participants
Appropriate furnishings: These would preferably include chair and table space for each participant.
A minimum of one main camera and one document camera: This should include the ability to switch between sources. Distance learning applications may require institutions to consider a third camera for capturing classroom reaction.
A minimum of two (2) 25" television monitors
A presentation computer: It is important to provide an integrated computer or computer connection in the room for participant presentations. The computer must seamlessly tie in to the CODEC system. For more information on how to connect to your videoconference equipment, check with your vendor.
Additional microphones based on the size and capacity of the room

Every institution is unique. The items listed above are intended as suggestions only.

B. Maintenance

Maintenance is an individual campus responsibility. Each campus should put forth its best effort to bring its videoconference capabilities back up as quickly as possible in the event of equipment failure. In the H.323 environment, this includes resolving any campus-based network problems interfering with videoconference transmission. Campuses should consider purchasing a yearly maintenance agreement if available.

C. Software/Hardware Upgrades

As CENIC identifies problems of interoperability, software and hardware upgrades will be recommended. It is recommended that campuses provide such upgrades to maintain interoperability and remain part of the systemwide videoconferencing system. Upgrades will be implemented on a systemwide schedule to assure system integrity and compatibility. E-mail notification will be sent any time information becomes available regarding upgrades.

D. Technical Contacts

Each campus must designate at least one trained person as the Technical Contact for videoconferencing.

The Technical Contact should be familiar with networking principles as they pertain to video over IP and should have access to tools that will enable network troubleshooting. Each campus must also assure that the Technical Contact will be immediately available whenever the campus is participating in a videoconference. Pagers/cellular telephones are strongly recommended for technical contacts to avoid time wasted leaving messages in voicemail.

E. Videoconference Administrator Responsibilities

Each campus must designate a Videoconference Administrator (VA). The VA will coordinate and schedule conferences, open the room, turn on equipment, and instruct participants in the use of controls. The Videoconference Administrator will be the main point of contact for all videoconferencing issues, both for other sites and for the CENIC Network Operations Center. The VA may delegate some responsibilities to other individuals.

To be an effective Videoconference Administrator and to full take advantage of CENIC.s services it is important to obtain and utilize a CVS Scheduling Desk account to set up, monitor, maintain videoconferences and view reports. To obtain account information, contact the scheduling desk by e-mail at SchedDesk@cenic.org or by phone at (714) 220-3465.

One of the primary functions of the Videoconference Administrator is the setup of videoconferences. The setup may include a 15 to 30 minute test preceding the start of each videoconference event (meeting, class, etc.). Setup procedures include:

Check-in with the host site to verify connection and audio levels.
Remain available for troubleshooting with the origination site.
Instruct participants in the use of controls and make sure they know who to contact at their location in case of difficulties.

Additional duties for the videoconference origination site include:

Within the first five minutes, confirm each site's video connections. It is the responsibility of the origination site (the site that scheduled the event) to contact the sites that have not checked in.
If the origination site�s VA can not contact a participating site and verify the connection, call the CENIC Network Operations Center at (714) 220-3494 to verify the connection.
The Videoconference Administrator from the origination site must be a liaison with the CENIC Network Operations Center in case of any problems, both during the setup time and throughout the videoconference.

Distance learning applications may require additional services such as exam proctoring, assignment collection, classroom monitoring, etc. These services should be negotiated on a case-by-case basis by participating campuses.

F. Setup Responsibilities

Campus Responsibilities:: Campus Videoconference Administrators or their designees are required to be present in the receive room during the first five minutes of a test period and remain available during the entire setup time. This requirement is particularly important during multi-point conferences since it is possible for one site's connection to a videoconference to negatively affect sites that had already connected and verified their connection.; The Videoconference Administrator or their designees should supervise the setup of the videoconference and communicate with CENIC NOC staff regarding any problems with the videoconference setup. Each site must provide a voice contact number for use during the duration of the videoconference.
CVS Responsibilities: The CENIC NOC staff will be available for technical assistance during videoconference setup.

G. Hours of Availability

Campus videoconferencing facilities should be available for use during the normal business day, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT, Monday through Friday. Uses at other times may be negotiated between or among participating sites. If equipment is permanently installed in a room, it is suggested the site assign the highest priority for the room�s usage to videoconferencing.

The CENIC Network Operations Center is staffed twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for videoconferencing questions or problems. If you need assistance with an active video, please call the NOC at (714) 220-3494.

H. Scheduling

Still Using The Old Online Request Form?

The new CVS Scheduling Desk puts the power to schedule conferences in the hands of the Video Administrators at each campus. This allows greater scheduling flexibility. Video Administrators who have not yet done so are encouraged to set up accounts for the new CVS Scheduling Desk. For information on how to set up an account visit http://cvs.cenic.org/schedule/index.html.

For Video Administrators who do not have CVS Scheduling Desk accounts, the old request system, known as the CVS OnLine Video Conference Request Form, is still available. However, this system involves a middleman, the CVS staff at CENIC, and therefore includes restrictions and deadlines not encountered with the CVS Scheduling Desk.

The Scheduling section of this document for users of the CVS OnLine Video Conference Request Form can be found here.

The scheduling of videoconference rooms and CVS bandwidth is on a first come, first serve basis. However, to ensure that instructional uses of the videoconferencing equipment have priority, it is strongly recommended that administrative conferences should not be reserved earlier than two months in advance of an event. This will accommodate each campuses need to utilize videoconferencing for courses each semester.

Only the Videoconference Administrator at each site may schedule conferences over CVS. All conferences must be scheduled through the CVS Scheduling Desk.

Reserving a Conference Site:: Videoconference Administrators must contact the appropriate Videoconference Administrator at each site to request videoconference rooms. No room should be scheduled without the consent of each site's Videoconference Administrator.
Scheduling a Conferences:: Point-to-Point Conferences do not require scheduling; however, unscheduled Point-to-Point conferences cannot be guaranteed the same level of troubleshooting support provided to scheduled conferences. The CENIC NOC possesses tools to assist with scheduled conferences that are not available for unscheduled conferences.

Multi-Point Conferences must be scheduled using the CVS Scheduling Desk. As a courtesy to other Videoconference Administrators, it is recommended, that conferences be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance for 1 to 6 sites and 48 hours in advance for 7 or more sites. Some institutions may require a longer lead time for scheduling events.
Setup times:: Setup times are determined by the number of sites involved in the conference and reflect the complexity of testing and verifying that all equipment is operating properly. For multi-point conferences 30 minutes setup time is recommended. Videoconference Administrators are free to schedule any amount of setup time necessary via the CVS Scheduling Desk.
Changes to active conferences:: Without exception, changes to active conferences must be requested through the Videoconference Administrator (as noted on the Online Video Scheduler Conference Description). The Videoconference Administrator is the only person authorized to make a change to an active conference and must do so through the CVS Scheduling Desk or by contacting CENIC's Network Operations Center at (714) 220-3494.
Adding a site:: The originating Videoconference Administrator may add sites using the CVS Scheduling Desk. For information on adding conference participants who are not CVS participants please visit training.cenic.org.
Deleting a site:: Deleting a site from an existing multi-point reservation may be done at any time. As a courtesy, you should contact the site's Videoconference Administrator to let them know you have removed their site from the conference as soon as possible.
Cancelling a conference:: Conferences may be cancelled at any time using the CVS Scheduling Desk. As a courtesy to other users, please cancel events promptly to free up resources.

I. Scheduling Responsibilities

Campus responsibilities include:

Schedule videoconferences.: Campus Videoconference Administrators are required to schedule all videoconferences originating from their campus unless arrangements have been made with another Videoconference Administrator. Scheduling is done using the CVS Scheduling Desk.
Confirm availability of rooms.: Videoconference Administrators are responsible for confirming the availability of videoconference facilities at each participating campus by contacting the Videoconference Administrator from each campus involved. A Videoconference Administrator must obtain permission before scheduling the resources of another campus on the Web, because although a campus site might appear available, their room/resource could be reserved for a videoconference that does not require CVS resources.
Modify videoconferences.: Videoconference Administrators are responsible for making any modifications to scheduled videoconferences as required by participants including removal of sites and cancellations.
Notify participants of schedule and changes.: Videoconference Administrators are responsible for confirming changes with all participating sites' Videoconference Administrators.
Notify other campus Videoconference Administrator of local participants.: Originating Videoconference Administrators are responsible for providing the campus Videoconference Administrators at other participating campuses with the names, department, and number of participant(s) expected at their site.

CalREN Video Services responsibilities include:

Review scheduled videoconferences.: CVS staff will review scheduled conferences daily and resolve any known problems.
Provide assistance for scheduling, and technical difficulty.: CVS staff will be available for assistance with scheduling and technical problems. For assistance, contact the the CVS Scheduling Desk at (714) 220-3465 or the CENIC NOC at (714) 220-3494.
Notify participating Videoconferencing Administrators of schedule and technology changes.: CVS staff is responsible for notifying all participating site Videoconference Administrators of any changes made to the videoconference by CVS staff and any changes made to technologies used by CVS.

J. Resolving Problems with Videoconferences

For scheduling problems and/or to be added to an active videoconference, contact the originating Videoconference Administrator.

To resolve problems regarding the scheduling of a videoconference, call the CVS Scheduling Desk at (714) 220-3465. To resolve problems regarding the setup and transmission of a videoconference, call the CENIC NOC at (714) 220-3494.

K. Videoconference Contacts

CalREN Video Services maintains a list of Videoconference Administrators, Coordinators, Engineers/Technicians, and Network Technicians (with responsibility for the gatekeeper) at each campus. If any of your campus contacts change, please contact the CVS Scheduling Desk at(714) 220-3465.

Network Operations Center • Phone: (714) 220-3494 • noc@cenic.org • noc.cenic.org
CVS Scheduling Desk • Phone: (714) 220-3465 • SchedDesk@cenic.org • cvs.cenic.org/schedule

II. Using the CalREN Video Services Scheduling Desk

The CVS Scheduling Desk may be used to schedule a new videoconference, or to modify a scheduled videoconference. Access to the system for scheduling purposes will be limited to the Videoconference Administrator at each campus.

A. Scheduling a Videoconference -- A Step-by-Step Guide

Choose the date, time and sites to participate.

Contact the Videoconference Administrator at each campus to ensure availability of resources.

Click on "Conferences" in the dark blue bar at the top of the page.

Choose "Schedule" and wait for the scheduling box to appear.

Once the scheduling box is up, click on the globe to load the resources.

Choose your resources from the list. Highlight each resource and select "Add" to include it in the conference.

After choosing all of your resources click on the "Date/Time" tab to finish scheduling. Select a date and submit Duration time. Please be sure to include setup time. For example, if the conference is to run from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and you would like 30 minutes of set up time then the duration would be 2 hours, 30 minutes.

When you are finished choosing sites and setting up the date and time, click on "Create Schedule." A confirmation will appear on the screen when the conference has been successfully scheduled.

When a videoconference has been scheduled and confirmed, the originating Videoconference Administrator must notify the Videoconference Administrator at each participating site via e-mail. E-mail addresses for Videoconference Administrators are available for the CSU and CCC.

B. Modifying a Scheduled Videoconference

You may modify a videoconference as it is being created or after it has been scheduled by using the CVS Scheduling Desk.

Click on "Conferences" in the dark blue bar at the top of the page.

Choose "Manage" and wait for the conference list box to appear.

Click on the globe to load conferences, 2007, then the month and date of the conference you wish to manage. If the conference is more then a month away, click on the "Filters" tab to select the desired date range.

Right-click on the conference you want to manage and select "Edit Conference."

When the scheduling box opens, click on the globe to load the resources.

Once you have finished modifying the conference, click "Update Schedule." A confirmation will appear on the screen when the conference has been successfully scheduled.

When a videoconference has been modified and confirmed, the originating Videoconference Administrator must notify the Videoconference Administrator at each site of the videoconference modification via e-mail. E-mail addresses for Videoconference Administrators are available for both the CSU and CCC.

C. Emergency Scheduling Procedures

To add a campus to a videoconference just prior to the setup time or to an already active videoconference, call the originating Videoconference Administrator to get an approval to be added. The originating Videoconference Administrator or their designees are the only people who may add or drop a site on the CVS Scheduling Desk.

Click "Conferences" then "Manage" in the dark blue bar at the top of the page.

Click on the globe to load conferences, 2007, then the month and date of the conference you wish to manage.

Right-click on the conference you want to manage and select "Manage Conference."

When the scheduling box opens, click on the globe to load the resources.

Choose the site(s) you wish to add or delete and click "Add" or "Remove."

Exit; your changes will be saved.

In other emergency situations such as, if after the scheduling deadline, a videoconference thought to be scheduled does not appear on the Scheduler, or when you cannot reach the originating Videoconference Administrator, call the CVS Scheduling Desk at (714) 220-3465 or the CENIC NOC at (714) 220-3494.

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