All Loyola University Maryland students who use GREYCOMM equipment and/or facilities agree to follow the standard procedures identified in this policy.
Checkout Hours*
Checkout center is closed for the semester and will reopen in advance of the Fall semester
*Emergency checkouts are approved by GREYCOMM on a case by case basis.
Loyola ID Cards
Students must present their valid Loyola ID Card each time they check out equipment or use GREYCOMM facilities. No other ID will be accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Students who intentionally furnish false information are in violation of the University’s code of conduct and will be judicially referred. Additionally, they will relinquish checkout privileges for the semester period.
Equipment checkout privileges will be granted following the successful completion of an online policy review. Testing times and location may vary and will be posted.
Equipment Checkout Eligibility
Students who borrow GREYCOMM equipment may only use it for academic purposes and for projects that are part of their communication course assignments. Students must return the equipment in the same condition as when they checked it out and must return it on time. In the case of negligence, abuse, or mishandling, the student is liable for full repair, or the replacement cost, of the damaged equipment.
Checkout privileges are provided 1 of 3 ways:
1: Communication Production Class Enrollment (CM324 / CM353 / CM372 / CM375 / CM383 / Capstone)
Requires proof of production class enrollment, which should be provided by instructor prior to the beginning of each semester. It is limited to a predetermined set of equipment equivalent to scope of course needs.
2: Equipment Certification (certified equipment user)
Certification classes and assessments for use of advanced production equipment, are offered during the semester. Course and assessment dates information will be made available as classes are scheduled.
3: Special Authorization (must be approved by TV Studio Manager)
Special Authorization is valid for a academic year but may need to be validated each year by repeating the certification test and/or producing proof of production class enrollment. Students should not extend their checkout privileges to anyone. If a student is found to have extended their privileges to another person, their checkout privileges will be relinquished for the semester. This violation may also result in a judicial referral.
Delinquency & Fines
If a student violates a policy they will be considered “delinquent.” This means the student will not be allowed to use GREYCOMM equipment or facilities until the conclusion of their delinquency period. In addition to not being allowed to use equipment or facilities, all future reservations the student has made will be canceled. Checkout privileges will be returned to the student at the conclusion of the delinquency period.
Delinquency durations vary upon the specific violation. Consult the policies stated in this document for more information on delinquency duration.
Late Equipment Returns
Late equipment returns will not be tolerated. If you know that you will be late in returning equipment, provide advanced notice or seek equipment renewal. Those who abuse the policy and turn in equipment late will receive the following:
- Warning
- Relinquish of equipment checkout privilege for the semester.
Regardless of the type of equipment checked out (e.g. cameras, audio recorders, accessories, etc.), late fees may be charged for equipment returned after the time allowed by the initial reservations:
$20.00 if late more than 24 hours and less than 48 hours.
$45.00 if late more than 48 hours and less than 72 hours.
Fees may continue to compound in this manner until the value of the equipment is reached or it is late for one week. At the point of one week late, the student will be charged for the cost of replacing the equipment including shipping and may be made delinquent for an extended period of time.
Equipment cannot be checked out to any student with outstanding fines until all fines are cleared.
Disputing a Fine/Delinquency
If a student wishes to petition the department to dispute his/her charges, he/she must request an appointment with the Review Committee through written correspondence with the Equipment Manager who will make arrangements to convene the committee at the earliest possible convenience. All delinquency charges and fines will be considered applicable and valid until the Committee has reached a decision.
The Review Committee will consider the student’s written statement, the police report (if applicable) and/or any other documentation submitted by the student and listen to the student’s oral explanation of events. Oral testimony of witnesses may be offered to corroborate events. Failure on the student’s behalf to check equipment before signing it out is not a valid excuse and the student will be held financially responsible for all missing/broken equipment.
The Review Committee will make the final decision about the student’s liability within a few days of meeting.
The Review Committee consists of the Operations Manager and President at a minimum. Equipment specialists and/or other faculty and staff members may be asked to sit on the committee for certain cases.
Chronic Violations
Repeat offenders of any policy are subject to additional disciplinary action. If a student violates policy more than two times in a semester (including being more than a half an hour late when returning equipment), the student will be considered a chronic violator and will have their checkout privileges removed all their future reservations canceled. The Review Committee will determine the exact duration of the delinquency after examining the student’s violation history and professional conduct.
Broken/Missing/Damaged Equipment
Students should inspect their portable equipment before they complete their rental agreement and leave the equipment room. If a problem is found at that time, every effort will be made to fix, replace, or note the condition on the checkout form before the student leaves. If the student does not take the time to test or check their portable equipment, they are assuming responsibility for any damage that is found when it is returned.
The student user is responsible for any and all damages to the equipment while checked out in their name. “It was this way when I got it” is NOT an acceptable excuse and the student will be charged for replacement of the broken/missing equipment.
Broken or missing equipment with a monetary value less than $25 will result in the student being made delinquent until he/she has paid all fines, in full. The student will receive a written violation citing the broken/missing equipment. Three violations of this manner will result in the student being made delinquent for a period of time to be determined by the Equipment Supervisor.
Broken or missing equipment with a monetary value greater than or equal to $25 will result in revocation of checkout privileges. The student will be made delinquent for a minimum of two business days, and all their future reservations will be canceled. The delinquency will continue until the issue has been resolved and/or if the student has paid all fines, in full. If the equipment was broken due to student misuse, the student will not be able to use that type of equipment for the remainder of the semester or until they can prove (through applicable equipment testing) that they know how to correctly operate the equipment and all fines have been paid.
Students honesty in regards to broken/missing equipment is important. Attempts to deceive the staff about the conditions and/or circumstances of the damage are a violation of code of conduct policies and may result in the student being judicially referred.
Stolen Equipment
Any student who loses equipment or has it stolen must submit a written, signed and dated statement describing the conditions in which the theft occurred. Additionally, students must file a Loyola Police or equivalent report in conjunction with the written statement. Failure to submit these two reports to the Review Committee will be considered negligence and render the student fully responsible for the entire cost of the stolen equipment.
Equipment replacement cost will be submitted to the review committee along with the student’s written statement and police report (if applicable). A copy of the report will be provided for the student. If the review committee concludes that the theft occurred due to student negligence the student will be responsible for the full cost of replacement and applicable fees/fines including the cost of standard shipping and will be made delinquent for an appropriate period of time based on the severity of the issue (to be determined by the review committee). The student must pay the charges, in full, to the Equipment Supervisor. Once all fines have been paid and the delinquency period has concluded, the students checkout privileges will be restored.
Reserving Equipment
In order to reserve and check out equipment students must have equipment checkout certification. This must be validated each year by viewing a video about checkout policy and presenting proof of enrollment in an GREYCOMM production course.
Equipment reservations can be made up to five days in advance. Checkouts less than 24 hours in advance will not be honored. Reservations are limited to availability and students may only check out one type of equipment per reservation. Students are limited to one reservation per calendar day. During times of high demand, students may only be allowed to check out equipment once a week and should plan their projects accordingly.
Portable equipment reservations may not be made over the phone and are non-transferable to other students. Equipment must be picked up and returned by the student who made the reservation.
Equipment may be reserved for a maximum of 24 hours Monday through Thursday and if reserved on Friday, for a maximum amount of 72 hours over the weekend. Students who reserve equipment on Friday are required to return equipment Monday at noon. During times of high rental traffic (i.e: mid-terms/finals), equipment rental times may be extended, depending on availability. Students may pick up their reserved equipment at the equipment room. Equipment is due back no later than the agreed upon date.
All equipment reservations that have not been picked up within 30 minutes of the scheduled time will be canceled. The unclaimed equipment will then be made available for students to check out (first come, first serve).
Equipment Checkout Procedure
GREYCOMM has the right to test the student’s knowledge of the equipment and has the right to refuse the release of equipment to students who cannot demonstrate their ability to operate the equipment properly.
During each checkout the student signs a checkout form agreeing to the following:
- The student will use the borrowed equipment only for academic purposes and only for faculty‐approved projects as part of his/her course assignment.
- The student received the equipment in good condition (unless otherwise noted).
- The student accepts responsibility for the security of the equipment and accepts liability for loss, non-return, damaged or confiscated items left unattended.
- The student will keep the borrowed equipment secure and protected from excessive heat or cold, excessive moisture, dust and shocks (i.e. equipment should NOT be left in a car all day or overnight).
- The student will not make any changes alterations, modifications or repairs to the equipment.
- The student will pick up the borrowed equipment by presenting their Student ID and will pick up equipment during the agreed upon and operational hours on Saturday.
- The student will advise the Equipment Supervisor of any change:
- in his/her contact information within 72 hours of such change being effective.
- of any damage or loss and will submit the required written statement describing the situation in which the damage and/or loss occurred.
- If it is determined by the Review Committee that damage or loss of equipment was caused by student negligence, the student will pay GREYCOMM the full replacement cost or cost of repairs of the checked out equipment including the cost of standard shipping rates. The student loses the right to use any GREYCOMM equipment until the outstanding case is resolved.
- In the case of theft not caused by student negligence, the student will be exempt from paying for the equipment, as long as a police report is submitted together with the written statement describing the event.
Students who encounter problems after checking out the equipment must report all malfunctions, broken equipment and/or technical difficulties at the time they return the equipment. The student should immediately submit a written statement describing the conditions in which issue(s) occurred to the Equipment Supervisor. If proved that that student used the equipment properly, the student will not be held responsible for the normal wear and tear of the equipment as long as the issue is brought to Greycomm’s attention.
Extended Equipment Checkout
Students who want to request equipment in advance must fill out this form. This must be completed at least 7 days prior to production date.
Expired Reservations
If a student allows their reservation to expire due to no show, their account will be made inactive for one full week. All future reservations will be canceled at that time. If a student cannot use their reservation, their MUST cancel it via phone or in person. This policy is applicable to both equipment and facility reservations.
Equipment Check-In/Returns
When equipment is returned to the equipment room, check-in must be performed by an authorized equipment manager. Absolutely no equipment may be left outside of the Equipment Room. If there is no one in the Equipment Room to check-in your equipment, you must return it at a later time.
Students returning equipment should present their Loyola ID and be present for the duration of the check in. Equipment and cabling should be returned in an orderly fashion similar to the state in which it was received and free of foreign materials. Students who return gear in a disordered state will be asked to organize the equipment and will be cited a violation for mistreating equipment.
Any problems or issues with equipment should be reported during the check in. If a problem or issue is found by the checkout specialist that has not been reported by the student, the student will be held responsible for the damages/missing equipment.
Returned equipment cannot be checked in until all gear is present and accounted for. If equipment is checked in with pieces missing, the student assumes financial responsibility for the replacements.
While students may have someone else return equipment on their behalf it is not advised. Financial responsibility for the equipment will remain with the student who checked it out regardless of who returns it. Students who return equipment on someone else’s behalf may not dispute fines or fees placed on the borrower’s account.
Facilities
All facilities (editors, studio, etc.) must be “picked up” within fifteen minutes of the reservation start time, otherwise the reservation will be canceled and the facility will be available for other student use. Students must provide a valid Loyola Student ID and may not use any other form of identification. No exceptions.
Any student who allows their reservation to expire, due to no show, will be subject to the consequences stipulated in the “Expired Reservations” section of this policy. Like portable equipment, facility reservations and checkouts are non‐transferable. Students who check out facilities must be present at all times. Students may not checkout a facility and then pass the use of it off to someone else.
Facilities Available for Student Use
The GREYCOMM facility functions mainly out of the Media Lab in the College Center. The department’s facilities include classrooms, editing suites, and voice recording room, not all of which are available for student use.
The television studio is subject to availability. Any student who reserves the space must clean it up at the conclusion of his/her session and be out of the studio within a half hour of the start of a class. Students enrolled in the following Communication courses may use the television studio, when available, during studio operation hours: (CM375 / CM383). Certified Greycomm club members.
GREYCOMM’s voice room, located in M014M, is also a classroom and subject to availability.
Students may not reserve the space during times where related classes are held. The space must be cleaned at the conclusion of the student’s session and students must be out by end of reservation time.
M021 an M024 are classroom computer labs, equipped with Adobe Creative Suite, These labs are only available as overflow during times when the room is not in use by a scheduled course. Communication majors and any student enrolled in a communication course that utilizes this lab may use these computers.
Responsibility
Students are responsible for the equipment and presentation of a space while it is under their reservation and are financially responsible for any damaged, tampered, altered, lost or stolen equipment. Facilities should be returned to their organized arrangements with no trash, papers, or tapes left behind. If a student leaves the facility in an unacceptable condition or is not using the facility/equipment properly, the student will be made delinquent for two full business days and all future reservations will be canceled.
Facility reservations can be made up to one weeks in advance. Reservations are limited to availability and must be made in person. During times of high demand this rule will be strictly enforced.
Food and Drink
Food and drinks are strictly prohibited from any of the labs, studios or workstation with the exception of water in a closable container. Any student found with unpermitted food and/or drink must leave the lab, studio or workstation immediately. He/she will may given a written violation and will have his/her reservation for that day canceled and potential future reservations canceled.
Personal Property
Students are not allowed to leave their belongings unattended in any of the facilities. Greycomm staff is prohibited from accepting personal belongings from students and may not ensure their wellbeing for any duration of time.
Personal Media Storage
Hard Drives
All students using an editing/recording facility must use an approved hard drive to store their files on at all times. Long term saving and writing files to computer lab workstations is not recommended. Students must supply their own drive for video production classes. Acceptable drives have an USB connection, spin at a minimum of 7200rpm, are not partitioned and are compatible/formatted for Mac or Windows Operating Systems.
Greycomm does not provide technical support for unapproved drives.
Memory Cards
All students using Greycomm equipment must use an approved memory card to store their files on at all times. (include link to approved memory cards)
Greycomm does not provide technical support for unapproved memory cards.
Headphones
It is the responsibility of the student to supply their own headphones. GREYCOMM does not supply headphones with equipment. All students using the computer labs must use headphones.
It is recommended that the student do research and purchase headphones of high
quality. Low quality headphones will not allow the student to mix or record properly, as certain frequencies will be inaccurate causing your recordings to sound “bassy” or “tinny.” These will be the headphones that are used for all field audio and studio recording and mixing sessions, so choose carefully. Full size stereo headphones that fit around or on the ear, and do not have emphasized bass or noise cancelling are strongly recommended.
Notifications
Announcements and notifications of changes in policy or business hours will be made on the doors, bulletin boards and online (ask.greycomm.tv) Students should read these signs and online notices to keep themselves updated especially when nearing a semester/holiday break as checkout procedures and hours of operation are likely to change.