DATE:             August 25, 2008

 

 

TO:                  Don Lehman, Chair

                        Rules Committee

                        University Faculty Senate

 

FROM:            Karren Helsel-Spry

                        University Faculty Senate

 

SUBJECT:       Video Streaming and Web Conferencing          

 

On November 5, 2001 the University Faculty Senate approved the following resolution:

 

Whereas         the function of the Faculty Senate is to represent the faculty of the University of Delaware, and

 

Whereas         the current level of technology available for use by the University community offers the potential for all members of the faculty to observe and interact with Senate proceedings, and

 

Whereas         the current level of technology will result in improved recording of Senate proceedings, be it therefore

 

Resolved        that the Faculty Senate will utilize video-streaming and web conferencing capabilities to enable all faculty to observe and interact with Senate proceedings, and to create better quality recordings of those proceedings.

 

 

After meeting with the Director of Media Services, Carl Asti and Videographer, Paul

Rickards, I have come to the conclusion that the costs for the video streaming outweigh the benefits. 

 

I have listed below the statistics for your review.  The first column is the amount of web-

cast visitors while live; the second column is the amount of web-cast visitors after the

fact, and the third column is the amount of visitors listening to the audio only.

 

 

 

 

DATE

Live Visitors

After Meeting Visitors

Audio Visitors

Oct 1, 2007

5

58

85

November 5, 2007

7

95

202

Dec 3, 2007

1

35

66

Feb 11, 2008

3

37

48

Mar 3, 2008

5

95

107

Apr 7, 2008

6

63

62

May 5, 2008 (Resident Life Issue)

21 

75

62

May 12, 2008 (Continuance meeting w/ Resident Life Issue)

23

N/A

123

 

 

 

The cost for this service is $4,110.00.  In my view, this is extremely expensive for a

service that is not being utilized by the University community.  However, the audio

taping will remain in place for historical record. 

 

Please review the following resolution and indicate your vote on the proposal. Thank

you.

 

 

Whereas,        on November 5, 2001 the University Faculty Senate approved a resolution establishing video-streaming and web conferencing of Faculty Senate meetings, and

 

Whereas,        the number of visitors utilizing this service has been extremely minimal, and

 

Whereas,        the cost for this service seem to outweigh the benefits, be it therefore

 

Resolved,       that the Faculty Senate recommends the disestablishment of video-streaming and web conferencing for Faculty Senate meetings effective immediately