Audiovisual Equipment Sustainability

In response to the growing concerns over energy consumption and electronic waste at

UCLA, our team investigated how sustainable audiovisual (AV) practices could support UCLA’s

campus-wide environmental goals. Through the past two quarters, we worked closely with

UCLA’s Digital Spaces Department and our stakeholder, Joe Way, to target the replacement

process of 11 classrooms’ AV equipment. Our research included facility tours, rapid surveys,

assessments of potential sustainable AV companies, and expert interviews. Findings revealed

teaching faculty’s dissatisfaction with UCLA’s current projectors, microphones, and speakers. To

procure the most efficient and sustainable AV equipment for our campus, we also used a

sustainability scoring system to evaluate and interview top performing AV companies like

Crestron and PlaceOS, concluding that their technologies and supply chain transparency best

aligns with UCLA’s sustainability goals. Furthermore, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

were central to our research because we did not want to offshore e-waste to third world countries.

The rapid surveys also confirmed the challenges that faculty and students encounter with

UCLA’s current AV equipment.

Based on our findings, we have provided recommendations for UCLA’s planned summer

overhaul. Therefore, our project lays the foundation for future AV improvements both at UCLA

and across other institutions seeking to meet similar goals.

Stakeholder: Joe Way, Executive Director of Digital Spaces

Team Leaders: Chloe Ng-Lee and Tina Su

Team Members: Grace Morris, Danielle Soykin, Zsaby Diana, Isabella De La Rosa, Kim Vu