Many students pass by the Pioneer Tower, or venture into Grant County’s tallest building without ever knowing what goes on on the eighth floor. Some students take distance education classes or do video projects on the computers in the Hempel Collaboratory. Many more have class in the several technology classrooms on campus, but who maintains all of these facilities? The answer lies on the top floor of the Pioneer Tower, which houses the Media Technology Service Department, formerly TV Services.

Photograph by Krystle Kurdi
Communication technologies major Ashley Snyder sets up her camera for a newscast for University Report April 10. University Report is just one of the technologies covered under the newly renamed media technology services.

These services have been provided since the late 1970s and since then the amount of duties have increased, Colleen Garrity, media technology services director, said. Since its inception the department has been called Television Services, but recently the name has been changed.

“The name Television Services didn’t adequately represent the variety of responsibilities the department has,” Garrity said.

At the heart of the department is the responsibility to provide satellite downlinks, videotape events, videotape duplication and maintain the production facilities, including WSUP and the campus cable system. In recent years the department has seen an increase in file formatting for Power Points and use on the Internet, as well as video based distance education via Web streaming, Garrity said.

“Keep in mind that we have always been providing these services to the university and we like to say that we are one of the best little known secrets on campus,” Russell Hill, media technology services production manager, said.

Hill said a typical day may include helping students videotape a project for a class, taping and setting up audio for a Student Senate meeting and editing video for a department project.

Students from every major can work for media services. Some of their jobs may include checking out equipment to other students, helping manage the campus television station, UWP-TV, and videotaping lectures, Garrity said.

“It’s a good campus job,” David Clay, communication technologies student, said. “I’ve learned how to edit video pretty well, and I’ve met some cool people while working here.”

Every semester media technology services hires 25-30 students and are currently accepting applications for summer employment, Garrity said. Applications can be found on their Web page at uwplatt.edu/tvservices/.