April 22, 2004

NUTV to be used for instruction

Four channels added to most campus buildings

By Mindy Hagen

Four NUTV channels have been added to most campus buildings, allowing academic departments to use the programming as instructional tools.

Director of Technology Support Services Wendy Woodward said the four educational-based options — which include two C-SPAN channels; NU Channel 1, which lists activities on campus through a feed to Plan-it-Purple; and TV-5 USA, a French-language channel — have garnered positive feedback since they debuted March 25.

Previously, only residence halls had access to NUTV. Now, any academic building with a switch network connection can broadcast the four channels, Woodward said. Most of Northwestern’s buildings, especially the ones with SMART classrooms, contain the required networking capability, she said.

Members of the French Interdisciplinary Group, an umbrella organization comprised of faculty members attempting to create links between Northwestern and France, worked with TV-5 USA and Information Technology to ensure the French-language channel was included, said French Interdisciplinary Group Co-Director Michal Ginsburg.

“We took the initiative to make this happen as part of our mission to create collaboration between Northwestern and France,” said Ginsburg, professor of French and Italian.

Ginsburg said she hopes French language professors will use the channel during lectures. The channel also is available for viewing in the French Interdisciplinary Group’s lounge in Crowe Hall, which features newspapers and magazines from France.

Woodward said other faculty members and departments are welcome to contact her if they have ideas of other academic-based channels to add to the current available options.

Mindy Hagen earned a bachelor’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism in the spring quarter.