Maintenance, Facilities and Classroom Information

For most maintenance requests, please use the Service2Facilities website to make a request through Facilities, Operations and Development (FOD). 

For emergency requests ONLY, call 614-292-HELP (4357).

For HVAC problems, please check the Denney Hall thermostat listing [.pdf]. The problem could be caused by the thermostat controlling the temperature in your office which may be located in a neighbor's office.

Heating-Cooling Transition – FOD maintenance personnel conduct season heating-cooling transitions in April and October.  FOD works to ensure a seamless changeover, but weather variations may cause unanticipated fluctuations to interior temperatures.

Trash and recycling should be placed in the large, side-by-side trash and recycling bins in the hallway, main office (Denney Hall room 421), and/or staff lounge. The larger bins are emptied daily.

For custodial requests, please contact the Housekeeping Manager, Tod Linton by phone (614) 398-6460 or email tod.linton@gwcols.com

To make a project request or other FOD request (e.g. for signage), visit the Facilities, Operation and Development Request website.

To schedule a department meeting room please see our Departmental Calendar page. To reserve non-departmental classroom space, please contact our front desk staff at english@osu.edu.

For Denney Hall building hours (and hours for other buildings across campus), visit the Registrar's scheduling page, scroll down to the heading "Classroom Pool Information," and select the appropriate semester building schedule link.

If you have an urgent need (e.g. there's a squirrel in your classroom), call Classroom Services at 614-688-4357 (HELP).

If you're experiencing an issue that can wait until your next class period to be addressed (e.g. there's a bug in a particular program on your classroom computer, the projector is a little finicky), you can request onsite assistance from Classroom Services.

Computing: In Room, Wireless and Wired Connection

When you first enter the room, the screen should be off; you can turn it on by pressing the Display: ON button on the wall panel below the screen. There is an installed computer in each room which works with the built-in soundbar/camera, keyboard, and mouse. If its login screen doesn’t appear automatically you can bring it up by pressing the PC button on the button panel.

(Be aware that the button panel has a surprisingly long delay after each button press during which it doesn’t respond to any other button presses. You should hear a soft audible beep for a successful button press.)

While there is now a dedicated computer (Windows operating system) in each room, you still have the capability of projecting to the display with a laptop, either wirelessly or via HDMI. To use HDMI, press that button on the wall panel.

To project wirelessly, you’ll use Creston’s AirMedia software. Begin by opening a web browser and going to the URL noted in the bottom-left of the screen. That page should prompt you to click the “Start Presenting” button, then launch the appropriate software, or give you a prompt to download it if you never have before. Once the software is open, follow its prompts to connect and disconnect, including entering the code displayed just below the URL on the display.

Note for Mac users: AirMedia will give you instructions for how to connect that may not work for you, because Mac changed the process in the most recent system updates. If AirMedia tells you to click on a menubar icon that doesn’t exist, instead:

1. Go to the display’s URL as usual
2. Open System Preferences
3. Open Displays
4. Click the “Add Displays” dropdown in the lower-left of the window and select the matching URL (likely the only one listed)
5. Enter the code on the display
6. To disconnect: return to Displays and open the Add Displays dropdown again, selecting the same URL to uncheck/disconnect

Audio/Visual

The in-room camera will dynamically focus based on the number of people in the room. This is supported by the app Huddly (this is for informational purposes only; it shouldn’t be necessary to adjust the app.) You can control the audio levels using the control panel in the computer’s system tray (lower-right of the screen, for people who don’t use Windows frequently).

Note: the camera is only available for the in-room PC. If you are connecting via HDMI or AirMedia, you may have access to the soundbar as a speaker in Zoom — look for the URL in the speaker selection list — but likely not the microphone

Turning on the projector

To turn on the projector, press “Display Power” on the black panel in the front of the room. If nothing is displaying, ensure that the correct input is selected on the panel. PC will project the in-room Dell computer; HDMI will project a personal device connected via HDMI cable; and VGA will project a personal device connected via VGA cable.

Microphones

Microphones should be used for any kind of large meeting. Even if you have great projection, it is still very difficult to hear in the back of the room. If you have remote attendees on Zoom, you will need to use the room microphones—otherwise, the Zoom attendees won’t be able to hear you.

We have four microphones, with more on the way:

• 1 Wired handheld mic
• 1 Wireless clip-on lavalier mic (these do not get used very often)
• 2 Wireless hand-held mics (more should be coming soon!)
• 3 floor stands.
• 1 tabletop stand

The wireless mics are all located inside the black cabinet. They can be set up in stands in various places throughout the room. Please ensure speakers are using them appropriately (speaking into the mics from a reasonable distance, pointing at their mouths, etc.)

While the wired and wireless mics all have good sound quality, the wired mic is slightly better over Zoom, so I recommend making sure that the primary speaker is using the wired microphone.

To use the mics for ONLY in-room amplification:

• Push “Mic Mute” to unmute the mics. (If the “Mic Mute” light is red, mics are muted.)
• Control the volume level with the Mic Volume + and - buttons on the wall panel.

The wireless mics will need to be turned on individually. The wired mic is on all the time and just needs to be un-muted. Extra batteries for the wireless mics are located in the DMP.

Microphone troubleshooting:

If the microphones don’t seem to be amplifying your voice…

• Check to make sure that the Mic Mute button has been pressed, and the red light is off.
• Try turning the mic volume up (labeled buttons).

If you’re getting feedback from the microphones…

• This should hopefully be less of a problem since the new equipment install in November 2022, but below are some troubleshooting steps just in case:
  • Try moving around the room—often feedback happens because the mics are too close together or too close to a speaker.
  • Try turning the mic volume down.
  • If you’re using two wireless microphones, make sure they are far from each other. If they need to be close for some reason, try alternating when each is turned on.

Holding a hybrid event or meeting

As of November 2022, 311 has two in-room cameras to use for hybrid meetings. We strongly recommend using Zoom as your videoconferencing platform in this space. Below are instructions for using the in-room equipment for a hybrid meeting:

Starting your meeting and choosing your camera

• Open up Zoom and start your Zoom meeting
• There are two cameras in the room—one mounted above the computer cabinet, which points towards the audience, and one mounted in the middle of the room, next to the windows, which points towards the podium.
• When you go to select a camera in Zoom by clicking on the arrow next to “Stop Video,” you’ll see that both cameras have the same name: HuddleCamHD G2. The first HuddleCam listed is the one that points towards the audience, and the second HuddleCam listed points towards the podium. Click on the camera that you would like to use.
  • You can switch cameras during a meeting if you would like.
  • If you are recording a Zoom meeting, you will only record video from whichever camera is selected at a given time.

Adjusting the cameras

• The camera that points toward the podium currently has two presets: one that shows the entire front of the room (preset 1), and one that is zoomed in on the podium (preset 2). The camera that points towards the audience has one preset: a wide shot of the back half of the room (preset 1).
• To switch between presets on the camera pointing toward the podium, use the remote that is at the front of the room and follow these steps:
  • Point the remote at whichever camera you would like to adjust, from a fairly close distance. (This is especially important for the camera mounted in the middle of the room, pointed at the podium—you will have to take a few steps away from the podium, towards the camera, for the signal to be picked up.)
  • Press the number of the preset that you would like, and then hit the “Call” button to recall that preset. So, for instance, if you want to go from the wide shot to zoom in on the podium, you would press 2, Call. You will need to hold down Call for a couple seconds.
  • If you need to further adjust the camera position, you can do so using the Zoom controls, and the pan and tilt buttons. A word of caution: the “Zoom slow” controls are quite easy to use. However, the pan and tilt buttons are a bit touchy, and tend to go from not moving the camera very much at all to moving it quite fast. But if they do move really fast, don’t worry! You can always go back to a preset (see instructions above).

Selecting the microphones as the audio input device for your meeting:

• To make sure you’re using the in-room mics as your Zoom microphone, click the arrow next to “Mute/unmute” and select AV Bridge as your microphone, and Crestron speakers as your speakers.

Projecting from your own device

If you’re using your own device, we recommend that you put your device on top of the black cabinet or the podium. If you need a wireless presenter remote to advance your slides, please see the DMP.

If you do use your own device, you will not be able to use the in-room cameras/microphones—you will have to use the built-in camera and microphone on your computer, or use USB webcams and microphones available from the DMP.

To use the projector with your own device:

• Connect your device via HDMI or VGA to the side of the black cabinet. Cables are provided.
• Push “Display Power” on the wall panel to turn on the projector.
• Select the source you are plugged into – HDMI or VGA – on the wall panel.
• Volume for any audio is controlled via the knob on the wall panel.

If your device is not projecting and the Display Power light is lit and not flashing, you may need to adjust the mirroring in your device’s video settings.

Projecting from a flash drive or information stored online using the in-room computer.

The computer is a Dell desktop in the lower part of the black cabinet. If you need to use a flash drive or other USB device, plug it into one of the USB ports on the desktop or on the monitor.

If you need a wireless presenter remote to advance your slides, please see the DMP.

• The in-room computer should always be on. If it’s not, you can turn it on from the desktop in the cabinet.
• Push “Display Power” on the wall panel to turn on the projector.
• Select the source “PC” on the wall panel for the in-room computer.

When leaving the room:

• Shut off all wireless mics
• Replace any wireless mics and remotes inside the cabinet and lock it (leave the key in the lock.)
• Turn off the projector using “Display Power” on the wall panel.
• Make sure “Mic Mute” button is lit.
• Shut off all lights.
• Make sure all doors are closed.

If you plan to (or would like to) use the new a/v in these spaces, I encourage you to check them out in advance in order to familiarize yourself (and to download/install AirMedia if you’re projecting wirelessly). When using the tech, if you have both in-person and remote attendees, please be mindful of both audiences and speak toward the soundbar and camera. Also be mindful of the fact that, just as in full-remote situations, cross-talk can be very difficult for remote attendees to follow, so do your best to take turns. When we tested out the equipment, we found that most of our difficulties using the space were attributed to first-time use, cross-talk across the physical room, etc. Finally, please remember to turn off the display via the wall panel, and turn off the wireless keyboard and mouse when they aren’t in use so we can preserve battery life. (The keyboard has a toggle switch on the back right, and the mouse on the underside.)

For assistance with the technology in the space, please contact ASCTech at 614-688-4447 / asctech@osu.edu.