Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU), a public historically Black university in Houston, Texas, chose a TEKVOX technology solution to provide HyFlex, or hybrid flexible, learning to more than 90 of its classrooms.
Founded in 1927, TSU is one of the largest and most comprehensive HBCUs in the United States with nearly 8,000 students and 100-plus academic programs. TEKVOX had previously provided TSU with A/V technology for its Library Learning Center and began A/V tech upgrades for classrooms in 2017. Now they’ve expanded with HyFlex capabilities to facilitate remote learning and more efficiently deploy A/V for on-site instruction.
“TSU is one of the top HBCUs in the country with great curricula and programs, so it’s important for them to stay current with technology as enrollment grows,” says TEKVOX Vice President of Sales, Joshua Joseph. “We have worked closely with them to support their needs and our lifetime software warranty, as well as facilitate any changes in technology they require to expand their remote learning capabilities.”
TSU selected TEKVOX’s Collegiate HyFlex Classroom solution, which outfits each classroom with an award-winning TekFlex-85T Pro presentation matrix switcher and pair of High Definition PTZ cameras, including one with AI tracking for instructors. “Having two cameras in each classroom enables two videoconferencing calls, and AI camera tracking offers real ease of use for participants,” Joseph notes.
Bluum USA served as the integrator for the HyFlex upgrade; they previously worked with TEKVOX at Prairie View A&M University. “Since COVID campuses are starting to understand the importance of remote learning and the ability to broadcast classes without missing a beat,” notes Joseph Cupidore, Bluum USA Account Executive for South Texas. “We can see a future where 80-90 percent of classes will be online, and we’re helping move toward that change in the college experience.”
Cupidore believes the TEKVOX Collegiate HyFlex Classroom solution is ideal for TSU because “it gives instructors the option to record while they’re teaching, and it gives online students the opportunity to fully participate in class. In addition, once the system is installed the customer doesn’t have to do a thing except power it on and off. It’s set and ready to go.”
Cupidore is a fan of TEKVOX’s all-in-one Drop-In solutions. “Other manufacturers sell separate components, but the TEKVOX bundled package approach saves time and money. I can quote one price to a customer for a complete solution. The TEKVOX is awesome to work with, as is their post-sale customer service. Both tech staff and faculty members really appreciate the ability of TEKVOX to monitor and fix the systems remotely in real-time.”
