How to Schedule a Video Conference
This is the guideline for the person initiating the video session, Meeting Initiator, (MI). This person is responsible for notifying participants about the session date and time.
To schedule a video conference, a staff member must first contact the OIT Helpdesk by e-mail to place a work order with the date, start time, end time and locations involved. If an electronic work order confirmation is not received, a follow-up phone call to the OIT Helpdesk should be placed to notify the OIT Video Conference Scheduler. The scheduler can be reached at the OIT Helpdesk 803-935-5550 Option 3. (Outside of the Columbia area call 1-888-802-5219 Option 3.)
Example#1: The first step in scheduling a session is to e-mail the OIT Help Desk. The Help Desk e-mail address is located in the GroupWise Address Book as HelpDesk (all one word). Please include the requested information- date, start time, end time and locations involved.
After the work order has been placed, the helpdesk e-mails the OIT Video Conference Scheduler and the requestor is also copied. Please see the sample work order e-mail below.
Work Order# 18420
Call Type: Video Conferencing
SEVERITY LEVEL: Level 3Requestor: Suzie Q Public – SQP75
Phone #: 803-898-0000
Location: ADMIN
Contact ID: SQP75Failure: VIDEO CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Technician: OIT Video Conference Scheduler
Operator: Michon, Kim
Status: OPEN CALL
Creation Date: 01/24/2005
Creation Time: 3:29:42 PMProblem Description:
Need to setup teleconference for Friday January 28, 2005 at 10:00am with Central Administration, Piedmont, Berkley, Patrick B Harris Hospital and CBSH until 12:00 pm. Is this time available?
Example #2: After placing the work order by e-mail, the staff member will want to call the OIT Helpdesk only if an electronic work order confirmation is not received. When calling the OIT Help Desk, the caller will hear the following: “Welcome to the Department of Mental Health Help Desk, please choose from the following menu selection…for assistance with any other network or software issues please press #3. (The caller then presses #3 on their phone and it rolls the call over to a Help Desk Operator.) “Network Services Help Desk, how may I help you?” The caller then tells the operator that they would like to schedule a Video Conference. Please give the date, start time, end time and locations involved. This is very important in scheduling the teleconference, since several teleconferences can be running at the same time.
If there are no scheduling conflicts with the locations requested, the OIT Video Conference Scheduler contacts the MI (Suzie Q Public in this example) to let them know that their request has been approved.
If there is a scheduling conflict, a negative response is sent and the user maybe alerted to other date that would fit his/her needs. (Example: There is another teleconference scheduled with the same unit which overlaps that timeframe, and you do not have “bumping right” as defined in the Video Conferencing Policies.) You will then be offered an earlier/later start time for that date or a corresponding time slot for another date.
Once the videoconference is scheduled, the user must then contact the facilities’ SPOC (Site Point of Contact). SPOC will ensure equipment security, confirm the Video Conference with the OIT Centralized Scheduler and set-up the equipment at least 30 minutes before the conference begins. See Video Conferencing Policy for equipment locations. It is important that the other participant(s) also reserve their room and equipment at their individual location(s). Each attendee is responsible for his/her equipment setup at their location.
All participating cameras should be on 30 minutes prior to the conference start time.
Remember to keep you audio muted until you want to talk because background noises will activate the video source(s). Background noises like fans, phones, rustling paper, and etc. must be kept to a minimum.
Scheduler will greet guest as they are added to the conference, conduct audio and video checks to ensure proper operation, and conduct roll call to the host of the conference (we recommend 10 minutes before conference start time).
The scheduler will be available a short time after the start of the conference.
At the end of each teleconference, participants are directed to complete the automated Teleconferencing Session Evaluation, found on the DMH Intranet Homepage (lower right).