Cool tools for communicating on campus

Lynn Alberta

Are you looking for that new or innovative way to promote your event or conference, or even to remind students about course registrations and other important deadlines? Ever wonder how you could best reach your target audience on campus?

Among the newer — but lesser-known — communications tools at the University of Ottawa are InfoKiosks, the Web survey tool and Claudio towers.


One small group used a more unorthodox way to ‘take down’ the information from Claudio towers . . . they were caught trying to steal the posters by Protection Services.

Claudio towers, named after Claudio Brun del Re, the Physical Resources University’s project manager responsible for their installation, are increasingly popular. These three-panel, cement and metal triangular towers are located in eight key locations on the main campus. Weighing — literally — a tonne each, they were installed in 2000 to help campus visitors with directions during the Association canadienne-française pour l’avancement des sciences conference.

“Claudio towers give our events high visibility all over campus,” says Christel Binnie, director of communications for the vice-president, research. She used them recently to advertise the Frontiers in Research Lectures. “We can reach students, faculty and staff with one medium.”


	InfoKiosks attract thousands of visitors.

Similarly, InfoKiosks are 14 computer terminals strategically located across campus. Managed and booked through Computing and Communications Services (CCS), these terminals can be customized to display information specific to a service or faculty. For instance, the kiosk in Lamoureux Hall can be programmed for a career fair geared towards students of the Faculty of Education.

“Several thousand people use the InfoKiosks every month,” says Jim Kohan, the University’s manager of web quality. “Having customizable buttons means that timely information can be targeted by location, and you can get more exposure for your Web content.”

Voxco is a new tool that creates online surveys. Users can book a survey through Institutional Research and Planning; however, programming a survey is not an easy task and requires the expertise of a trained Webmaster. CCS can put you in contact with a Webmaster if you don’t have access to one. Beyond its obvious application to assess training needs or garner feedback on services, Voxco can also be useful for researchers.


Poll question: Would you like to use the Web survey tool?

Danny Albert of Protection Services, recently used Voxco to administer a survey on campus transportation issues. “The cost of producing our survey using Voxco was half that of what an external survey company would have charged us and I didn’t have to compile all the data,” he says. “The great thing about this tool is that you have the answers as soon as they are entered by a respondent.”

To decide which tool best fits your needs, contact the marketing and communications officer for your unit or visit the Brand site.