Amariani Garcia
Lantern Staff
Digital signage has begun its first phases at the El Dorado and Andover Campuses by adding flat screen TVs on both campuses.
Digital signage will be an easier way for Butler to communicate events, weather warnings, marketing material and general education about Butler to not only students but also everyone who enters the building, according to Vice President of Digital Transformation Bill Young.
The TVs will allow Butler to send mass communication to students.
“It allows us to send out mass alerts,” Young said. “So let us say there is bad weather coming and we can send an alert on Grizzly Safe and all the TVs will flash a weather alert that way if you do not have your cell phone you still see a warning. “
Students are also allowed screen time for whatever reason as long as it goes through marketing, as it already does. Three thumbtack boards will still be located at the El Dorado campus for students to place flyers the old-fashioned way, allowing students to be interactive with both boards.
Young explains that students will be allowed to advertise once the TVs are up and running.
“We want to make sure that students, staff and faculty are as well informed and have all the information you need as often as possible,” Young said. “Our goal is to increase interaction and communication institutionally and in IT that is our main goal.”
There are three phases to digital signage. The first phase is interior signage; in total, there are 69 total, 19 of which are in Andover. During the second phases, classroom signage will be added. Schedules beside classroom doors will be updated as needed. Next, the third phase will compact exterior signage and wayfarers that will have interactive features.
Christina Byram, deputy CIO at Information Services, dreams of digital signage going to the next level and becoming interactive to students and anyone else entering the building.
“We are trying to find a way to make things easier for the student and for anyone entering the building,” Byram said.
Digital signage has many ambitious goals, and according to Information Technologies, they hope by next semester to update the digital signage TVs will be interactive with the students, with a touch screen feature and exterior signage.
