SVA Cage Policies and Procedures Manual 2014-Technology

8/11/2019 SVA Cage Policies and Procedures Manual 2014-Technology

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The School of Visual rts

MF Social Documentary

C GE POLICIES ND PROCEDURES

As of 09/02/14 Updated 09/02/141

EQUIPMENT CAGEPOLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

MFA Social Documentary

The School of Visual Arts

FALL 2014


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EQ CAGE MISSION 3

EQ CAGE MANDATE 4

HOURS OF OPERATION 5

STAFF 6

POLICIES

EQUIPMENT USAGE POLICY 7

EQUIPMENT USAGE FOR INSTRUCTORS 10

PROCEDURES

EQUIPMENT CHECK OUT PROCEDURE 11

EQUIPMENT CHECK IN PROCEDURE 12

LATE FEES AND SUSPENSIONS 13


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EQ CAGE MISSION

To deliver first-rate customer service while managing allproduction equipment.

1. To manage and steward the security and functionality of allstudios and equipment.

2. To facilitate classes.3. To facilitate student coursework by managing the availability of

equipment for use during all class periods and assignments.4. To provide quality customer service in the form of friendly,

helpful, competent, and responsive administration of the abovegoals.

5. To provide a fun, educational, and professional environment forboth the students and full-time staff of the EQ Cage.

6. To act as liaison to the video production department and otherdepartments with regard to technology issues involving students,faculty, staff, alumni, and equipment.


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EQ CAGE MANDATE

In support of their mission, the EQ Cage is charged with thefollowing responsibilities:

1. To set and manage hours of operation.

2. To manage access to equipment. This includes reservations andscheduling for students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

3. To manage all equipment entrusted to us by any department.

4.

To perform regular inventory, manage equipmentrepair/maintenance, and (if possible) make repairs to equipmentand select classrooms.

5. To prevent and manage loss due to theft.

6. To facilitate technological and educational planning.

7. To create, communicate, and implement policies and procedures,which support these objectives, including: access, reservations,reservation limits, equipment checkout quantities and time limits,code of conduct with the equipment for all students, faculty, andstaff.

8. To ensure that all equipment is used in accordance with thesepolicies.

9. To support technological needs for special events, including butnot limited to: lectures, open houses, festivals, orientations,graduations, and presentations on campus.


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HOURS OF OPERATION

The EQ Cage will operate during the hours of 9am 5pm.During which time the EQ Cage Manager will be present to assistwith Student and Faculty Equipment and Technical needs.

After-Hours AccessAfter hours is regarded as any time after 5pm when the EQ Cage Manageris no longer available.

During this time if any student, faculty, staff member or group wishes topick-up equipment during closed hours they must fill out the equipmentrequest form and check off the option that states they will need after hoursaccess. A passcode will pop up next to that box. Once you submit yourrequest and it is approved, the Equipment Manger will prepare yourequipment and leave it in the after-hours cage next to the EquipmentOffice. You will use the passcode from the online checkout form to unlockthe key box located on the cage. Those keys will unlock the cage so you canaccess your equipment.

*Last minute requests will not be approved.


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STAFF

The MFA Social Documentary Dept will staff the EQ Cage withfully competent and dedicated employees with a pro-active workethic and excellent customer service. The Authorized TeachersAssistants in the EQ Cage will represent only the best that SVAhas to offer.

Current students of all majors at The School of Visual Arts canstaff the EQ Cage. The EQ Cage Manager will supervise them.

EQ Cage Manager:Joseph Eisenstein

Authorized Teacher Assistants:

Sarah Wanio

Megan Orr

Sara Nakissa


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EQUIPMENT USAGE POLICY

The EQ Cage will maintain and update this policy, publish anyand all changes, and make this policy available at all times. Thestudent, alumni, faculty, or staff member who checks outequipment, whose name appears in the top, upper most field onthe checkout sheet and whose signature appears at the bottomof the checkout sheet, is referred to herein as the Borrower.

Equipment will only be released to those qualified to operate it.The EQ Cage manages equipment for students and faculty of all

majors and all staff members. Certain pieces of equipment can onlybe released to those belonging to the majorthe equipment isassigned to. Furthermore, certain pieces of equipment can only bereleased to students and faculty members enrolled in or instructingthe courseto which the equipment is assigned. Qualifications areestablished by:

o Being enrolled in and/or having completed courses that teachthe proper usage of specific pieces of equipment,

o Being enrolled in the major that utilizes that specific piece ofequipment,

o Being an instructor that teaches that specific piece of

equipment,o Being a staff member that is permitted to use that specific

piece of equipment.

Gear is loaned for a maximum of 10 days and must be returned atthe agreed upon due date and time. Including weekends.

All gear must be in rotation at all times.

Students are not allowed to hold equipment indefinitely. Equipmentnot in use must be returned to the cage for circulation.

Extensions are allowed but not to exceed another 10 days.

Gear loaned for thesis projects must be discussed in detail due tothe needs of the project; if the production takes place abroad then


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specific return dates must be negotiated and adhered to. Timemanagement and planning is the students responsibility.

Students must anticipate possible gear needs for each week and/orweekend and request gear accordingly. It is the studentsresponsibility to confirm a shoot is taking place and gear will be inuse. If shoot is canceled gear request must be canceled via emailand returned.

Students requesting gear during a class day, MUST REQUESTPICKUP TIME AFTER CLASS. Gear must not be waiting more than 2hours for pick up, after 2 hours request will be canceled and putback into circulation.

A valid and current SVA photo ID is needed in order to checkoutequipment.

It is the responsibility of the borrower to check for missing and/orbroken equipment and report all problems not on the checkoutsheet. You must know that your equipment is in good conditionbefore you show up on set, both on and off campus. When theequipment is returned to the EQ Cage, the staff will inspect all of itand use your checkout sheet as a guide for what to look for. If your

camera was missing a lens cap when you checked it out, and werecorded that on your sheet, then the EQ Cage staff will see that noteand know that you did not loose it.

The Borrower is solely responsible for all equipment checked out.Crew members are not held accountable and therefore should betrusted by the Borrower. Any late, damaged, or lost equipment by acrew member is still the responsibility of the borrower.

All equipment must remain in the possession of the borrower or his

or her crew at all times. No equipment is ever to be left unattended

or unsupervised. Do not leave equipment in vehicles overnight andnever store it in extremely high or low temperatures.

The Borrower is responsible for compensating SVA for repair or

replacement of any damaged, lost, or stolen equipment while it wasin their care. It is wise to request supplemental insuranceeither onyour own or through the school.


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Borrowers who wish to checkout the same equipment upon its

return may do so if:a. Every item has been returned to the EQ Cage and the check in

procedure has concluded,b. There is no reservation for the equipment by another class,

event, student, faculty, or staff member.c. The equipment is not the last of its kind.

Checkout extensions can only be granted by the EQ Cage Manager.

Borrowers who are late returning equipment are subject to a latefee. Fee may be avoided if the borrowers call or e-mail at least two(2) hours prior to scheduled return time to warn the EQ Cage of thedelay. Calling does not validate a late return.

The checkout and check-in procedures must be strictly adhered to.This helps to guarantee the equipment stays in good condition andthat students have what they need to complete their assignments.

Any Borrower that is found to be in breach of this checkout policymore than three (3) times will be subject to long-term suspension

or a complete ban of checkout privileges. The department chair andEQ Cage Manger will make this decision after a review of theborrowers habits and behavior.

Equipment that is limited or of which only ONE is available cannotbe checked out for longer than the 10-day check out period. Thisincludes limited equipment requested for thesis.

These policies are subject to change at any given time. Notification

of changes made to this policy will be made public with postednotices and emails.


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EQUIPMENT USAGE FOR INSTRUCTORS**This applies when the equipment is not for a class**

1. Instructors must adhere to equipment usage policies, includingcheck-in times.

2.

Your immediate supervisors must approve all requests forequipment.

3. Instructors are encouraged to check out equipment only onMondays through Thursday. To ensure equipment availability tostudents during weekends.

4. If an instructor violates the usage policies two times, they mayhave their equipment privileges suspended.

5. The EQ Cage Manager and department chair must approve anyexceptions to these rules.


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EQUIPMENT CHECKOUT PROCEDURE

The EQ Cage will set and enforce specific procedures to befollowed by all students, faculty, staff, and alumni whenchecking out equipment.

1. Gear requests can only be made online.a. Equipment Request Form:

1. Students must fill out the equipment request formfound at www.mfasocdoc.com.

2. All equipment must be reserved at least 16 hours in advance and no

later than 5:00pm the night before.

3. While all students have equal access privileges to equipment,students who accumulate late fees/suspensions will be given lastpriority to high demand items.

4. In cases where students are working in assigned groups for a classproject, all members of the group are equally responsible for anydamages. If damages are the result of just one member of the group,this must be worked out in the group.


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EQUIPMENT CHECK-IN PROCEDURE

The EQ Cage will set and enforce specific procedures to befollowed by all students, faculty, staff, and alumni whenchecking in equipment.

1. Bring all of the equipment up to the EQ Cage area. Wait patiently offto the side for your turn if there is a line.

2. Place one item at a time onto the counter. The EQ Cage Manager willthoroughly check each piece of equipment as it is returned. This willtake time so remain patient.

3. Do not leave the EQ Cage area until everything has been checked in(unless EQ Manager directs you otherwise).

4. You must leave enough time at the end of your shoots or at the endof your class for lights to cool down. Do not return hot lights.

5. Remember if something is broken or missing, you will be charged.This is why you must check the equipment when you borrow it.


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FEES AND SUSPENSIONSThe EQ Cage will set and enforce late fees and suspensions inorder to maintain the quality and availability of all equipment toMFA SOCDOC students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

LATE FEES/SUSPENSIONS:For every day that a student is late with their gear, they will be chargeda $30 fine. Their account will be suspended, not permitting them tocheckout any gear until the fine is paid at student accounting. This includesminor items such as memory cards, card readers, etc. Students may returntheir gear and capture their footage afterward but memory cards/cardreaders must be given back the same day. If you know you'll be capturing

until after I have left for the day, please request the cage access code sothat when you're finished, you can leave the cards in the storage cage nextto my office and I'll pick them up the next morning. If you have anyquestions or possibly find yourself in a situation that may cause you to befined/suspended from equipment use, talk to me in advance and we will tryto work something out before any problems arise.

Suspensions may result from the following:Failure to pick up equipment at specified time without proper notice.Failure to return equipment within a reasonable time (will be issued fine).

Negligence on the part of the borrower (e.g. misplaced, unattended)Damage of equipment.Taking another students reserved equipment (bannable offense).Un-authorized entry into EQ Cage, leading to suspicion of theft (bannableoffense).

**Infractions will be added to list as it becomes necessary**

Damaged Equipment:1. The fine for damaging SVA equipment is equal to the cost of repair.

2. If the equipment cannot be repaired by the EQ Cage Manager on-campus, it will be sent to an outside repair shop. A statement of the costswill be provided to the student including costs for parts, shipping, andhourly rates for labor when applicable.

3. It is recommended that students sign up for colleges student insuranceto help cover possible damages.


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4. If the repairs can be completed by the EQ Cage Manager on-campus, the

fine will include the costs for parts and a labor rate of $40.00 per hour.

Lost/Missing/Stolen Equipment:1. The fine for lost, missing, or stolen equipment is equal to the cost of fullreplacement of the equipment.2. This includes any and all equipment checked out from the EQ Cage orcontained in the labs on campus.3. It is recommended that students sign up for colleges student insuranceto help cover possible damages.4. Receipts for the replacement equipment will be provided upon request.

Equipment Left Unattended:1. When equipment is found left unattended around campus, all students,faculty, and staff are encouraged to bring it back to the EQ Cage.2. The borrower who left the equipment unattended will be issued a 1-weeksuspension. This applies even if a crew member is responsible for theinfraction. Equipment responsibility falls under the student who signs outthe equipment.3. Proof of the value of the equipment will be provided upon request.

Suspensions:

1. If a student is found to be in blatant disregard for the policies andprocedures set forth by SVA, that student will be subject to a review bytheir appropriate Department Chair, EQ Cage Manager and all otherappropriate authorities. The EQ Cage Manager in all such instances willrecommend suspensions.

2. Three or more fines/suspensions issued to the same borrower mayresult in the EQ Cage Manager requesting a review of that borrower.

3. If the staff finds a borrower to be in violation of the EQ Cage Policies andProcedures and that a penalty is necessary, he or she will immediately

report to the EQ Cage Manager.

4. If you owe equipment to the Cage, your account status will be put onhold and your checkout privileges will be suspended until the equipmenthas been returned.

6. Penalties can ONLYbe waived by the EQ Cage Manager or staff.


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FRONT CAGE LOCKER POLICY Its first come first serve. If you see an empty locker with a lock attached, that means its

available for equipment storage.

Stop by the Equipment Office and let us know youre interested inusing a cage locker for storage.

Well remove the Equipment Office lock and youll replace it withyour own lock.

Youll have locker privileges until 5:00pm the next day. If you have not removed your belongings by 5:00pm without proper

communication to Equipment Office staff, maintenance may bealerted for locker clipping, your SVA gear will be checked back in,and any other belongings will be stored temporarily in the facultyoffice. This will result in a suspension from Equipment Officeprivileges.

The cage locker storage will only be available during EquipmentOffice service hours.

* There are only 7 storage units so we must be considerate to all who mayneed it.

Documents

SVA Cage Policies and Procedures Manual 2014-Technology