There’s a new way to find out what’s happening at UFV. The Digital Signage Project is underway, connecting UFV campuses with a central form of communication. Twenty-seven linked TV displays are currently placed at key locations on the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses to provide pertinent information at a glance. Ten more are coming in the summer, including displays in Hope, Mission, and Clearbrook.

Content ranging from program dates to weather and event opportunities can be uploaded by host departments, while university-wide messaging can be remotely transmitted during emergency situations, including campus closures.

Kristi Wood, one of the project sponsors and the Director of Client Experience, IT shares: “It’s about getting the message out there as quick as we can. And in situations like, even just a simple snow closure, or a power outage, there’s a safety concern – we want to ensure that everyone is aware of what their next step is.”

Wood is also envisioning future uses for cross-campus involvement.

“Going forward, I hope we will be working together to start sharing content, sharing events, opportunities and announcements between all of our areas,” she says.

“I think it would just be kind of powerful to start moving employees and students around different campuses more, and getting them out and on campus and sharing those events. It is driven from safety and security, but it has such a great social impact.”

The next phase of the project could also include touchscreen solutions in high traffic areas, helping students navigate from the Office of the Registrar to the library or the campus card office. While not replacing in-person interaction, future touchscreens could offer helpful information to students after hours.

“We want to embrace the self serve options that these displays could provide to the UFV community, especially late nights and on weekends. If you could touch the screen and see where you can get a Safewalk to your car, contact security, I think there’s lots of other benefits to students besides just simple navigation on those displays,” Wood explains.

The Digital Signage Project came together thanks to the work of multiple partners, including UFV’s Safety and Security, Communications, Marketing, and the Centre for Accessibility Services. With this initiative, stakeholders hope to unify all UFV campuses in BC, including members both near and far.

Says Wood, “I’d like everyone to be able to walk into each building across all UFV campuses and know that they can rely on that messaging in the event of emergency, feel safe in each area and know how they can expect to receive emergency communication.”

To learn more about the Digital Signage Project, please visit https://blogs.ufv.ca/itservices/.

If you’re interested in digital signage for your department, you can fill out a consultation form here.