Markets > Higher Education

Even as student enrollment continues to rise, colleges and universities are becoming increasingly competitive in their efforts to attract and retain students, faculty, and staff. Now, more than ever, campuses must be on the leading edge of technology to support new methods of learning, research, and collaboration. EDI, Ltd. is a professional consulting and design firm specializing in audio-visual systems, communications networks, and building security that can assist you in making the right technology decisions for your current and future facilities.

Whether you are integrating new instructional technology in existing spaces, upgrading campus communications infrastructure, or constructing new facilities, EDI can help you save time and lower costs on your next project. Our multi-disciplined professional engineers and consultants are experts in developing requirements, establishing realistic project budgets, and designing systems that deliver maximum value over their lifetime. Our implementation experience augments your in-house capabilities.

Our services include planning, design, and project management related to:

• Technology Master Planning
• Campus Networks (LAN, WAN)
• Wireless (LAN, Voice, Paging)
• Data Centers
• Structured Cabling (Data, Voice, Video)
• Telephone
• Audio-Visual (Distance Learning, Auditoriums, Smart Classrooms, Conference, Research)

• Campus Security Master Planning
• Security (Access Control, Intrusion, CCTV)
• Remote Access and Internet Strategies
• Network Security Consulting
• Technology Relocation Planning and Management
• Acoustics and Noise Control

Click here to download a PDF detailing our Corporate services.

Higher Education Case Studies and Projects

Education City
Doha, Qatar

356,000 Square Feet

The Qatar Foundation is developing a new state-of-the-art university called Education City in Doha, Qatar. Two of the first buildings to be developed for this new campus were the Medical College and the Bridge, Arts and Sciences College. The medical program is operated by Cornell University. This building is approximately 360,400 square feet, and includes teaching laboratories, faculty research laboratories, lecture halls, classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, and other building support spaces. The Bridge Arts and Sciences College is approximately 242,064 square feet and includes general classrooms, lecture halls, teaching laboratories, faculty and administrative offices and other building support spaces. There is also a 155,997 square foot basement level parking garage.

EDI was chosen to provide the data/voice, data center, network, audio-visual, and the physical and electronic security systems design for these two new state-of-the-art colleges.

University of Colorado Law School

The new Wolf Law Building at the University of Colorado-Boulder provides one 100-seat classroom, two 86-seat classrooms, three 50-seat classrooms, a 50-seat distance learning classroom, a moot courtroom, a teaching courtroom, an instructional computer lab, and five seminar rooms. Each room is equipped with advanced audio-visual capabilities including: projection capacities, voice reinforcement system with wired podium and wireless microphones, portable document cameras, assistive listening devices, touch-screen control panels, video conferencing systems, and cameras with CODEC (for distance learning) in the distance learning classrooms and courtrooms.

EDI consulted, designed, assisted with the bid process, and observed construction for the audio-visual, telecommunications (including telephone and VoIP) and wireless LAN systems for this project.

Brown University

Founded in 1764, Brown University is the seventh oldest higher-educational institution in the United States. With some of its campus buildings listed on the National Historic Registry and some built as recently as 2000, Brown has certainly grown and changed over time, both physically and technologically. Proactive planning on the part of the university’s Computing & Information Resources (CIS) staff led the school to seek an engineering company that could provide designs and consultation on the implementation of new technology across the campus. After an extensive search process, EDI was selected to provide analysis, planning, design, and project management for the network upgrade that would take the 239-year-old university to a new level of data networking capability.

EDI began by conducting a complete campus survey of infrastructure and system networks to establish a baseline for the project. Brown is unique in that it has more than 170 buildings on campus – many of which were once homes, but now serve as classrooms or academic offices. To take advantage of existing infrastructure in this widely dispersed arrangement, EDI worked closely with the university to combine their knowledge of the campus’ infrastructure with EDI’s understanding of design – in turn developing a set of best principles to create the new infrastructure. From this, EDI provided the design for a network that included fiber optic cabling so bandwidth could be evenly distributed across the campus. Sixteen distribution locations were established so all campus communication could be aggregated through redundant switches. In addition, each switch has redundant backbone cabling, or dual feed, to both prevent bottlenecks when a high volume of network traffic is traveling through a particular location, and to eliminate a single source of failure in the event that one of the core switch locations or backbone cables is disrupted. Prior to implementation, EDI used network modeling to test the design and identify areas of possible bottlenecks.

EDI also created specifications and qualification criteria to help Brown evaluate and select the vendors needed to implement the network design. To ensure the project was delivered on time and within budget, EDI provided an on-site staff member to manage the entire process of development and implementation.

With this new design, students, faculty and staff have the ability to access information on the network anytime and anywhere. EDI’s design also provides a solid foundation for Brown’s entire network to move into the future – it was specifically designed for longevity and flexibility as new technologies are developed and introduced over time.

Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN

EDI was brought on board by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) to procure the AV equipment following the initial design of the new science building’s classrooms. EDI designed the building’s $1 million AV system, administered and collected bids on the equipment purchases and oversaw the AV installation process.

The systems designed included over 40 multi-media classrooms with projectors, integrated network computers, laptop inputs, VCRs and laser disc players, digital document cameras and slide-to-video converters. The campus’ display needs called for triple image projection in both sides of the divisible lecture hall for multiple information display. In addition, each of the classrooms has a remote, icon-based wireless control panel – a custom touch panel remote control – which controls all of the AV equipment for ease-of-use by instructors. A conference room, lecture labs and a lecture hall have been equipped with identical equipment. The facility’s new distance learning teaching lab employs IP-based videoconferencing through a T1 network connection to the university’s remote campus at nearby Fort Campbell. By turning the video and audio into regular Ethernet traffic, the campus can use the existing data network to reach Fort Campbell - avoiding toll charges for the long distance call. The system can also connect using traditional ISDN lines.

Agnes Scott College

Agnes Scott is a 111-year-old traditional liberal arts college for women with approximately 1,200 students. The expanded and renovated 70,000 square feet McCain Library is a technology center for the college. This unique 65-year-old facility is one of six building projects in over $200 million of building and capital improvement programs where EDI served as security and cabling consultant. The CCTV, intrusion, emergency call and card access systems for all of ASC’s new buildings are intelligently administered from the central public safety building. The cabling system, in particular, had to be flexible for the campus’ growing IS infrastructure in a very challenging existing environment.

The upgrades and additions included technologically advanced voice, data and media distribution systems. EDI helped the college define their long-range telecommunications goals and plans, as well as establish a standard for both the telecommunications and security infrastructure. The Bradley Observatory is another technologically advanced building benefited by EDI’s telecommunications and security design services. Our campus-wide scope of work included:

• Telecommunications
• Wireless Network
• Voice, Data, and Video Infrastructure
• LAN n Intrusion Detection
• Access Control

Georgia State University Library Transformation
Atlanta, GA

The Georgia State University Library Transformation was a comprehensive renovation of two library buildings at the very heart of campus. The completed project provides easier access to more resources, the newest technology and improved services, a variety of study spaces, an information commons, and a learning commons.

EDI, Ltd. surveyed and assessed the cabling infrastructure in both Library North and Library South, determined what upgrades were necessary to support current and anticipated university library technology, and produced a programming report summarizing the necessary changes and offering a tentative budget for GSU.

EDI’s work included design and construction services for cabling throughout the facilities, wireless access points, and acoustic analysis and recommendations for study carrels, stairwells, consultation rooms, training rooms, instruction laboratories, and media viewing areas. This result is a fully modern university library for GSU.

Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN

This project included both a renovation to the Dairy Barn Auditorium, to bring it up to 21st century capabilities, and an addition to a Tennessee State University (TSU) building that functions with independent systems for entry and security. The owners’ desire for the building addition was to have a classroom for distance learning, seminars, training, satellite, internet, etc. with auxiliary space for offices and an editing lab. The classroom is used for public outreach as well as for university students.

EDI reviewed the existing AV program and budget, coordinated the AV and security systems planning with other architectural and engineering activities, created construction documents, provided bid assistance and contractor selection, and reviewed installation for both AV and security systems.

Georgia Southwestern State University
Americus, GA

EDI worked with the architect to ensure the 3,000-seat arena would support the camaraderie that surrounds the games and would also be acoustically appropriate for future presentations, performances and ceremonies. In addition, EDI designed the connectivity system for TV and radio broadcasting from within the arena, the house sound reinforcement systems, and video presentation system which showcases a huge 18 x 24-foot screen.

The new facility also houses several smart classrooms, meeting rooms, and conference rooms. The cable TV systems designed by EDI allow the university to send and receive video and audio throughout the facility.

In order to comply with the GBR budgetary process managed by GSFIC, EDI prepared an equivalent bid for the contractor that provides an allowance to purchase all audio-visual equipment towards the end of construction. This ensured that the school received the most up-to-date equipment for the best price, rather than purchasing equipment before construction was completed.

Georgia State University Recreation Facility
Atlanta, GA

EDI provided structured cabling and security systems consulting, design, procurement assistance, and construction observation services for this facility. The 161,000 square foot facility includes basketball courts, squash courts, racquetball courts, a weight room, an exercise room, a natatorium with an eight lap pool and a leisure pool, an elevated running track, and an administrative suite including several multipurpose rooms.

The Owner expressed a desire for sophisticated security devices including biometric palm readers, card readers, CCTV cameras, recorders and related monitoring and switching equipment, emergency call boxes, time delayed exit door alarms and other security related systems.

• Support Infrastructure
• Door Hardware
• Network Hardware
• Security Panels
• Cameras /Camera Mounts
• Management PC / Software
• Card / Biometric Readers
• All conduit/back boxes for cabling
• AT&T One Card Readers
• Turnstiles
• Entry Gates and infrastructure
• Telephones / PBX
• Keypads
• Emergency Call Stations
• PC’s for employees
• All CCTV equipment
• Intercom systems

University of Richmond
Richmond, VA

The University of Richmond is a traditional, liberal arts university with prestigious Schools of Business, Law and Leadership. In order to support the use of advanced technology in the classroom, UR and EDI developed a set of requirements for the new campus network that addressed performance, management, and security. We developed an RFP for equipment, installation services, and annual maintenance. EDI also provided other services including:

• Fiber to the desk analysis for the new E. Claiborne Robins School of Business
• Audio/Visual Equipment RFP Review
• Network Secutiy Implementation

University of Richmond Makes Yahoo! List of Most Wired Colleges Click here to read more.

Comprehensive List of Higher Education Clients

• Agnes Scott College, Atlanta, GA
• Auburn University, Auburn, AL
• Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN
• Bainbridge College River Regional Center, Bainbridge, GA
• Berea College, Berea, KY
• Board of Regents Office of Information and Instructional Technology, Atlanta, GA
• Brown University, Providence, RI
• Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA
• Dillard University, New Orleans, LA
• East Georgia College, Swainsboro, GA
• Emory Center for Outcomes Research, Atlanta, GA
• Emory University, Atlanta, GA
• Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• Florida International University, Miami, FL
• Floyd College, Rome, GA
• Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA
• Furman University, Greenville, SC
• Gainesville College, Gainesville, GA
• Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University, Atlanta, GA
• Georgia College of Tech Engineering, Savannah, GA
• Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
• Georgia Perimeter College, Atlanta, GA
• Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, GA
• Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
• Gwinnett Technical College, Lawrenceville, GA
• Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA
• Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
• Education City, Doha, Qatar
• Southern Catholic College, Dawsonville, GA
• Spelman College, Atlanta, GA
• Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN
• The Art Institute of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
• University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
• University of California, Los Angeles, CA
• University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
• University of Georgia, Athens, GA
• University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
• University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

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