Modernizing Classrooms At UNLV With Lecterns
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, expanded its campus by adding a state of the art facility that would need furniture to connect its professors and staff with technology.
According to Frank Alaimo, UNLV’s AV/IT Systems Specialist, “Hospitality Hall is a holistic union of academic program, physical space, and AV technology.”
Hospitality Hall, UNLV’s newest addition, is made up of traditional and active learning classrooms. It also has an instructional kitchen and a PGA Management learning center.
“UNLV’s long-held vision one day to build an academic facility solely dedicated to its top-ranked hospitality program is now a reality,” Alaimo said. “The spacious common areas, advanced technology, and flexible classrooms provide the ideal setting for students to master both the theoretical and practical elements of the hospitality industry. Students with a passion for hospitality will find no better place to learn than Hospitality Hall, located in the heart of the UNLV campus, just blocks away from the greatest laboratory in the world—the Las Vegas Strip.” 
With UNLV’s new academic hall, it was no surprise that furniture previously used on campus would no longer be suitable for its modern, contemporary design.
“Many of the lecterns in our older buildings are custom made pieces of furniture that are needed in a retrofitted capacity and are not exactly conducive to teaching and learning. They are big and bulky and provide an unwanted separation from the students, not to mention they have quite a few miles on them.”
According to Alaimo, receiving feedback and hearing what instructors liked about Spectrum’s lecterns, were contributors when selecting the Honors and Freedom XRS Lecterns for classrooms in Hospitality Hall. 
“The modern look and feels as well as the large worksurface and height adjustability were primary reasons for the instructor’s choice,” Alaimo said. “We have a particular set of standards at UNLV and Spectrum’s flexibility provides us with options. Spectrum is continually changing the products they offer with the needs of the users. This provides us with many options during the design phase of a classroom space.”
The 93,500 square foot facility also needed furniture that would support its AV/IT equipment and with the amount of AV/IT equipment that is typically used, UNLV was able to customize the Honors and Freedom XRS Lecterns to their needs.
“Our classrooms have a considerable amount of equipment in them,” said Alaimo. “The lectern contains a PC, Blu-Ray player, auxiliary connectivity, control processor, wireless microphones, storage drawer, and more. All of that equipment requires a considerable amount of power and cable management. In a lectern that moves up and down, it is a bit of a challenge. But we worked with the engineer team at Spectrum and they provided us with custom cutouts in the rack cube that assisted us with that. We love the fact that if I need something, I can get it. If I ask for a custom option, they provide it to us without question.”
For over 50 years Spectrum has been producing furniture that can be made “right for you” and works to continually improve its products.
“The University of Nevada Las Vegas has long been on the cutting edge of collaborative learning environments, centralized remote monitoring and management, and technological support for student and faculty experiences,” said Alaimo. “Spectrum’s products are solid, innovative, and flexible.”