DEI spotlight - Classroom Technical Services

Classroom Technical Services (CTS) is an internal sales organization (ISO) within the Office of Classroom Management (OCM) that provides inclusive and equitable Audio/Video (AV) Technology for all students, faculty, and staff. 

CTS aligns with ASR’s DEI Vision Statements through inclusivity, accountability, people-centered practices, and administrative equity in ways that directly affect our academic spaces. It is important to CTS to continue developing initiatives so that we can maintain the efforts needed to further accessibility within our classrooms. CTS has a few recent DEI initiatives that we are proud to highlight:

• We added professional development time to our FY24 rate plan for our engineers and technicians. This adjustment sets aside dedicated time for staff to attend conferences, participate in seminars, pursue research, and obtain professional certifications. These activities not only support the University’s mission but also enhance development opportunities for our team.
• We also did an equity-focused and comprehensive review of CTS product procurement. CTS participated in an AV vendor selection process with Purchasing Services, leading to the selection of several new UWide AV vendor partners. CTS established an inclusive and open selection process to determine primary suppliers for our anticipated product lines. CTS also collaborated with internal partners, including UMarket and the Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD), to evaluate their supplier value.

Moving forward, CTS will conduct an annual pricing review to allow vendors to submit competitive proposals, ensuring ongoing value and equity in our procurement process–providing better reliability and consistency for our clients. If you would like to learn more about these initiatives, please reach out to ctstech@umn.edu.