Hidden from most of the campus community in the lower level of Woodward Hall, Media Technology Services plays a crucial role in the learning and teaching process at UNM.
But if you were to ask the people who work there, they would say majority of the University doesn't even know it exists.
"We bring technology to the faculty," said Bahram Saba, engineering manager at Media Technology Services. "We just want to tell UNM, 'Here we are guys, come and use us.'"
Media Technology Services includes UNM's instructional television, Academic Technology Services and video production as well as videoconferencing capabilities.
Media Technology Services does so much technological work for UNM, its role on campus is often mistaken for the Computer and Information Resources and Technology, also known as CIRT.
"CIRT is computers, we are technology," Saba said.
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The technology department of UNM features a state-of-the-art television production studio and editing facility, satellite uplinks capable of sending signals around the world, two-way videoconferencing equipment and a room full of audio visual equipment used to bring technology to instructors and students.
Academic Technology Services
"What we mostly do here is provide stuff for classes for free," said Ken Asher, staff member at Media Technology Services. "That's what we are funded to do."
The academic support component of the technology services department manages audio-visual equipment for UNM's main campus classrooms, as well as checks out other equipment used by professors, instructors and teaching assistants.
There are more than 120 scheduling controlled classrooms on the main campus that have a TV, VCR and an overhead projector. Academic Technology Services is responsible for all of that equipment plus the dozens of laptop computers, public address systems and various other pieces of equipment checked out from one of its four campus offices.
Instructional television
Media Technology Services broadcasts a variety of courses and educational programs through UNM's Extended University. Classes are broadcast to sites in and around Albuquerque and across the state via microwave technology using transmission dishes behind the Student Union Building.
The technology services department also has the capability to send signals via satellite around the world.
"It's amazing what we can do here," said Mike Gatchell, engineer for instructional television.
There are six instructional television classrooms on UNM's main campus. Those classrooms are connected to a control room inside Woodward Hall, allowing engineers to broadcast signals to various locations across the state including Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Rio Rancho.
Instructional television is also used by UNM to train staff members and employees.
Video conferencing and production
Media Technology Services also has Internet protocol capabilities used in two-way videoconferencing. This allows anyone in the UNM community to speak, face to face, with anyone from around the world who also has access to Internet protocol technology.
Saba said the cost of video conferencing for non-UNM people is $129 per hour, but for staff, faculty and students, they can use the service for only $29 per hour.
Media Technology Services also features video editing, production and transfer equipment and services.
Although Media Technology Services has been under used in the past, Saba, a UNM alumnus, said he just wants the University community to know he and his department exist and to take full advantage of its services.
"This place gave me something, now I want to give something back," he said.
