Guidelines and Procedures
As we continually strive to provide the best possible service in support of language instruction at BU, please be mindful of the following Geddes Language Center Guidelines and Procedures.
Films
Watching Films in the Lab
Students, Faculty and Staff may check out DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS titles from the Geddes film collection for individual viewing in the Geddes Lab with their BU Terrier ID. Films may be watched onsite on a first-come, first-served basis without making a reservation.
Borrowing Films for Classroom Use
Faculty wishing to show a film in class may either borrow physical media using their Terrier ID or may request to borrow a digital copy of the film that has been approved for hosting on Kaltura/MyMedia. Physical media may be borrowed for up to five days, depending on the availability of the title. For hosted media on MyMedia/Kaltura, please give five days advance notice to allow time for approval and digitizing.
Streaming Films
For Faculty who wish to have students view films, but do not wish to have students come to the lab for viewing, BU’s streaming services Kanopy, Swank, and Alexander Street provide such a service. For films not available through these services, other streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime may be considered at a cost to the student. Streaming films as part of an event that is open to a public, an audience larger than the members of a course, or to a student group or club is not allowed without obtaining public performance rights.
To inquire about licensed streaming videos, faculty can initiate a request through the Libraries’ Suggest a Resource.
Please see the BU Libraries Streaming Guide for Faculty for more information.
Screening Films
Geddes Screening Rooms, Video Studios and Classrooms are available to screen films as part of a course. Film screenings are only open to students enrolled in the course for which a film is being screened. Geddes does not take attendance for screenings.
Geddes films are not available for film festivals and other non-class related screenings unless public performance rights are obtained. Contact us for more information about public performance rights.
Placing Films on Reserve
Library titles may temporarily placed on reserve by instructors from the BU Krasker Film/Video Library. Instructor copies of films may be placed on reserve at the Geddes Checkout Window.
Computer Lab
The Computer Lab (CAS 537) is open during lab hours to all BU students, faculty and staff. Priority use is given to scheduled classes, and students requiring specific multimedia equipment and software only available in the Center.
The Faculty Workspace (left side of CAS 537) is open during lab hours to all faculty and teaching graduate students in Romance Studies, Modern Languages and Comparative Literature, Classics and African Studies on a first come, first served basis. Please do not bring students into this area.
Printing
Student may print in in the lab via MyPrint, a managed service by IS&T. See http://www.bu.edu/myprint for more details. Black and white printing can be picked up at the lab MyPrint station. Color printing can be picked up in CAS105, the CAS Think Tank. (Scanning and coping is also available in CAS105.)
Faculty may print using MyPrint or via the printer in the Faculty Workspace. Faculty using MyPrint will use their IS&T print quota. Faculty printing to the workspace printer will use a Geddes quota of 500 pages per semester.
Room and Equipment Reservations
Student groups may reserve spaces for club activities using 25Live. For any students needing to borrow equipment for a course project, please have your instructor contact us.
Faculty Reservations for meeting spaces, screening rooms, equipment and services can be made online, by phone, by email, or in person and should be made at least 1 business day in advance. Priority will be given to CAS courses.
For video recording of an event or class, please notify us at least 5 business days in advance. Staff availability, equipment resources, and purpose will determine whether we are able to film a class or event. Non-course related events may incur a fee.
To reserve the Geddes lab for a class session, please notify us at least 1 business day in advance.
Media Conversion and Duplication
For video conversion, duplication and/or processing of any video content, please notify us 3 business days in advance. Please note, fees may apply for services not directly related to a CAS course.
Video Recording
Privacy and Consent Policy for Video-Recording
For any class that utilizes video-recording of students involving equipment and/or services of the Geddes Language Center, we request that the instructor do one of the following:
- Include a brief statement regarding this practice in the course syllabus. A sample statement is as follows: “This course may occasionally use video-recording for assessment purposes. Your instructor will inform you in advance when recordings will take place, the purpose of the recording, and the audience. Students who do not wish to be recorded have the ability to opt-out without consequence (by either being off camera, or completing an alternate assignment).”
- If the semester is already underway and an instructor cannot effectively alter the syllabus, we ask that the instructor inform their students in advance that the class will be recorded, the purpose of the recording, who will view the recording, and allow any students who do not wish to be recorded the ability to opt-out without consequence (either allowing students to be off camera, or complete an alternate assignment). This should be done at the time of the request for Geddes staff to arrange for camera use and/or video processing services
At least one of the above steps is required to ensure that students are made aware of the intent to video-record and have given consent to be video-recorded as part of a class or co-curricular activity involving assistance from the Geddes Language Center.
A similar protocol should be followed for faculty, staff, and other community members who attend events involving video-recording and/or processing assistance from the Geddes Language Center.
Media Release for Video-Recording of Lectures and Events
For any events that utilize video recordings of a lecturer or speaker involving equipment and/or services of the Geddes Language Center, a Geddes Media Release must be signed by the presenter before the event is recorded.
Levels of Services and Support
Geddes staff are committed to assisting all faculty in the support of a variety of instructional and productivity tools as time permits. See our software tools and resources section as a starting point.
Our student employees provide assistance for check-out of audio and video resources, materials and troubleshooting classroom equipment provided by Geddes.
Full-time professional staff in the Center provide assistance for faculty and staff ranging from troubleshooting classroom equipment, to pedagogical consultation, technology training, media production and materials development.
On educational software support, we work in partnership with the support staff in CAS IT and IS&T Digital Learning and Innovation for specific help and instructional needs involving educational and other technical tools.
Contacts
Geddes Classrooms, Screening Rooms, Lab Technical Support:
1. Checkout Window Student Employees
2. Geddes Full Time Staff
3. CAS Information Technology
Audiovisual Recording and Support:
1. Frank Antonelli, Media Resources Specialist
Educational Technology Consulting, including Blackboard, MyMedia and other integrated LMS tools:
1. Geddes Staff (time permitting)
2. Dan Rabinowitz, CAS Information Technology
3. Digital Learning and Innovation
Desktop/Laptop Support, including Outlook Email, MS Office and Zoom:
1. CAS Information Technology
2. IS&T Help Desk
CAS Registrar Classrooms:
1. Learning and Event Technical Services
We welcome you to take full advantage of our services, and look forward to continuing to support your media and instructional needs as efficiently and effectively as possible.