Oregon University System leverages power of video to provide highest-quality education to its students

One of the primary goals of the Oregon state university system is to ensure that graduates are prepared to meet the demands of today’s global economy.  This is an enormous task in itself and it becomes even more complicated when coupled with a student population spread across a rural area.

To meet this challenge, the Oregon University System, which comprises seven universities, 18,000 students, and 5,000 staff and faculty, is leveraging interactive video communications technology.  While distance learning is the main application of the University System’s video conferencing network, it is also used extensively for administrative purposes including meetings, administrative and professor interviews, and student job interviews.

Video in Action

“Our goal is to provide the most complete educational experience to every student through the use of video conferencing technology,” said Lynn Weingardt, video conferencing network engineer for the Oregon University System.  “We must be able to meet the unique and diverse needs of each department.  Whether they need to communicate between campuses or half-way around the world, we must ensure that the connections happen.” 

The University System is currently using Polycom’s ViewStation® 512 group video conferencing systems to facilitate its distance-learning program and is in the process of deploying Polycom’s ViaVideo™ desktop video communications appliances.

The Polycom systems are used frequently for conventional distance learning applications like the Health Science University’s masters nursing program.  The program is based at the main campus in Portland, but students in outlying areas are able to attend the classes via video, allowing them to earn their degrees without traveling long distances.

The equipment is also leveraged to facilitate face-to-face communication in unique situations.  For example, when a director from Louisiana State University traveled to Oregon to direct a drama, but was still required to teach his classes in Louisiana, he used the University System’s video conferencing technology to stay connected.  Video conferencing is also used internationally for students presenting dissertations to other countries.

“There have been many cases where the university needed to interview an applicant or a student needed to interview with a potential employer and travel was not feasible,” said Weingardt.  “Instead of a telephone call as the only alternative, we were able to facilitate face-to-face meetings through video.”

Making the Connection

Reliability, ease-of-use, and cost were the University System’s main considerations when selecting a video conferencing vendor.

“The systems had to be easy for the distance-learning faculty to use, as the entire syllabus is designed around the technology, and they had to be extremely reliable in order to develop user confidence in the system,” said Weingardt.  “And, as is the case for any publicly funded institution, cost is always a factor.  We receive our funding from the state of Oregon, so there is a lot of competition for it.  We evaluated a number of solutions and chose Polycom systems because of their proven reliability and reasonable price.”

Looking to the Future

The University System is committed to leveraging leading-edge technology to deliver the highest quality education to its student population.  It is currently making plans to expand its distance-learning program and is also working to involve K-12 schools and community colleges in the network.