Scott Tiner

Scott Tiner

A trained educator, graduating from the Boston University School of Education, Scott is interested in the integration of technology and education. He works at Bates College managing the Client Services portions of Information Technology. Scott directs the Service Desk, which is responsible for the support of all classrooms and computers on campus. He also oversees the campus training programs and specifies and purchases computing equipment for the campus. He stays very active in the AV and IT fields, having presented at both regional, national and international conferences. Scott writes columns and blogs regularly for rAVe [Publications]. In order to continue to develop and strengthen his leadership and management skills Scott has attended the Management Institute and the Leading Change Institute, sponsored by EduCause. He earned his MBA form the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, at the University of New Hampshire. During his time in graduate school Scott developed an interest and expertise in leadership and team building. As an experienced speaker and writer, Scott is always looking for new experiences to share, learn and grow. Scott can be contacted via LinkedIn, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stiner or via email at stiner08@gmail.com

AVIXA Delivers an Inclusive Language Guide

In March of this year, AVIXA released an Inclusive Language Guide through its Diversity Council, supported by TAD and Audinate. I highly recommend you take the time to read the guide: You can find it here. Better yet, I highly recommend you print it off and hang copies of it around your offices, workshops and […]

AVIXA Delivers an Inclusive Language Guide

How To Present a Case Against Layoffs

I recently heard from a friend in higher ed that they had been laid off. This person worked in the AV group as part of the overall IT department in their college. Two things stuck out to me about this layoff: first, that any school would consider laying off parts of its AV team after […]

How To Present a Case Against Layoffs

#DearVendor — Episode 5: Accessibility Support Needs To Expand

In this episode, I speak with Josh Kaufman of Tufts University. Josh gives some great insight into how Tufts used outside integrators as install teams, while the university did design and purchasing in-house. Josh also spends some time talking about accessibility and where integrators and manufacturers can continue to add value in this area. Podcast: […]

#DearVendor — Episode 5: Accessibility Support Needs To Expand

The ‘New’ Workspace Is Really Just Digital Transformation

In my March 2020 blog, written before COVID-19 changed the world, I wrote about “Digital Transformation.” At the time, very few organizations had truly invested in a digital transformation strategy. It was still a buzzword corporate leaders did not understand or were not able to fully implement. Before we move any further, let’s get a […]

The ‘New’ Workspace Is Really Just Digital Transformation

#DearVendor Podcast and Higher Ed: Speaking Directly to the Industry

Several months ago I started a podcast here on rAVe called #DearVendor. The idea behind the podcast is the AV industry is an ecosystem — we are only healthy if all parts of the industry are healthy. In the podcast, I give tech managers (aka in-house integrators) an opportunity to tell manufacturers, integrators, programmers, designers […]

#DearVendor Podcast and Higher Ed: Speaking Directly to the Industry

#DearVendor — Episode 4: Returning After 1 Year

In this episode, I speak with Don Merritt of the University of Central Florida. Don talks about what he is expecting in the year ahead — he is thinking not only about the changes we will see based on what faculty have learned over the past year but also how we need to prepare to have faculty and students in […]

#DearVendor — Episode 4: Returning After 1 Year

Global Supply Chain Issues

In a recent blog, Gary Kayye wrote about the current global supply shortage of semiconductors. Take a moment and read the blog and the linked Wall Street Journal article. They both raise some important concerns about what the next several quarters will bring in regards to this shortfall. Unfortunately, my blog is not going to […]

Global Supply Chain Issues

#DearVendor — Episode 3: Relationships Are Key

In this episode, I speak with Erin Maher-Moran of Johns Hopkins University. Erin gives some great insight into how Johns Hopkins has a hybrid approach to design and installation; she also offers advice about how strong relationships with integrators can be extremely valuable. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

#DearVendor — Episode 3: Relationships Are Key

User Experience Is About to Become Critical

Over the past 14 months, higher ed technology professionals have been scrambling. Whether we were sticking webcams on tripods, placing cameras/mics in classrooms or working with faculty on how to use all of the above — the past year has been more about preparing for tomorrow than for the next six months or year. While […]

User Experience Is About to Become Critical

The Challenges of Selling Services

I always anxiously await the arrival of my copy of the Harvard Business Review. While I realize that may sound a bit nerdy, I think it is an amazing resource for anyone who thinks about leadership, management and business operations. In the March/April edition, there is a story called “How to Shift from Selling Products […]

The Challenges of Selling Services

#DearVendor — Episode 2: Lessons Learned During the Pandemic

In this episode, I talk with Jimmie Singleton from the University of Southern California. USC has a student enrollment of over 40,000 students, and Jimmie’s department supports about 280-300 spaces. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

#DearVendor — Episode 2: Lessons Learned During the Pandemic

Inventory and Asset Management

First let me say thank you, with a title like this one, I am surprised anyone is reading this blog. Let’s face it, asset and inventory management is not exactly a topic that sparks interest and debate. Part of the reason for that is that no one really enjoys doing this tedious, boring work. Yet, […]

Inventory and Asset Management

#DearVendor — Episode 1: Welcome to #DearVendor

Introducing the newest podcast on the rAVe [RADIO] network: #DearVendor. For over a year I have been following the #DearVendor hashtag on Twitter. People often use the hashtag to make jokes or express frustration at vendors. Typically, the jokes are about cold calls or relentless emails. As I watched the communication on this over several […]

#DearVendor — Episode 1: Welcome to #DearVendor

AV Is IT

During End User Day of LAVNCH WEEK 3.0 in February (in partnership with HETMA), I enjoyed listening to end users speak about AV security. It was particularly interesting to me since I had just written a blog on how the SolarWinds hack should serve as a lesson to the AV industry. I was tweeting a […]

AV Is IT

Google — Is the Future No Longer Free?

For educational institutions far and wide, public and private, kindergarten to graduate school, Google services have one thing we all love — the price was right! For many of us, that meant it was free. There have always been some premium services that you can choose to pay for if you are a Google school, […]

Google — Is the Future No Longer Free?

Lessons From the SolarWinds Hack

In mid-December, news broke about a massive cyber breach that occurred through SolarWinds software. There is a chance (I hope not) that many in the AV community briefly looked at this, decided it was an IT issue and moved on. If you did, I think that was a mistake — and want to tell you […]

Lessons From the SolarWinds Hack

Lessons From Semester One

Higher ed just lived through what may be the strangest semester we have ever had. At my school, we held in-person classes, and — knock on wood — we were very successful, with limited numbers of COVID cases and no serious cases. Like many other schools, we employed social distancing, lower limits on people in […]

Lessons From Semester One

Zooming Right Along

Skype, FaceTime and now Zoom. Each of the past several iterations of videoconferencing have a few things in common. First, they became part of the consumer lexicon, becoming verbs, in fact. Second, they became popular because of their use by, and availability to the general consumer. Only Zoom, however, grew at what can be described […]

Zooming Right Along

Buy Direct?

Being a technology manager in AV has been a wild ride. For years, many of us have felt like we were crashing the party. At first, we were not welcome at InfoComm, then that slowly changed. Then, when manufacturers started communicating directly with us, visiting us on-site, offering training, etc., integrators were not happy. Then […]

Buy Direct?

Back to Work May Not Mean High Tech Workspaces

Over the past several months, authors on rAVe [PUBS], such as David Danto, have written about the future of the office. This has also been the speculation of newspapers and magazines as of late. In fact, the most recent edition of the Harvard Business Review has a cover story on the Work from Anywhere Future. […]

Back to Work May Not Mean High Tech Workspaces

Higher Ed Updates: December 2020

In the beginning of April and again in May, I wrote updates about the state of higher education for integrators, who may be wondering what their business model would look like for the rest of the year. Paradoxically, it seems like a lot has changed since then, and nothing has changed at all. We are […]

Higher Ed Updates: December 2020

Will There Be a Rise of Home Studios?

As we continue to struggle worldwide with the pandemic, I try to keep my eyes open for what is changing in the industry and how we can react to it. I think both about temporary opportunities that we should be working on to keep our businesses afloat and permanent change(s) that will outlive our experiences […]

Will There Be a Rise of Home Studios?

COVID Will Have a Positive Lasting Experience on Accessibility

For years, many of us in higher ed have used the various laws associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act to determine what was required for accessibility in classroom and campus spaces. We thought about things like closed captioning for movies, support for hearing aids and the ability to view a screen properly. However, this […]

COVID Will Have a Positive Lasting Experience on Accessibility

September: An Interesting Month for Trade Shows

In case you were not paying attention during the month of September, a few news stories broke regarding industry trade shows: Sept. 16 — ISE announced it was moving from February to June for 2021. Soon after Sept. 16 — InfoComm announced it was keeping its previously planned June dates. Sept. 21 — DSE announces […]

September: An Interesting Month for Trade Shows

Dear Zoom: Love Letter or Dear John Letter?

Dear Zoom, We began using Zoom three years ago as a corporate replacement for Skype. The technical staff and our faculty and staff absolutely loved it. Slowly, we acquired more and more licenses. Then in March of 2020, COVID hit, and Zoom went from an essential tool to a business-critical application. And that is when […]

Dear Zoom: Love Letter or Dear John Letter?

Simple Can Be Elegant

As technology people, we in the AV world are not immune to being drawn to new, fancy, shiny objects. We know we need to ask the right questions, make sure it fits our needs (or our customers’ needs), but wow, that new tech can be exciting. On occasion, we are also drawn in the opposite […]

Simple Can Be Elegant

A Pandemic Success Story — What AV Can Learn From WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment is a sport that relies on fan engagement and interaction more than any other. A big reason for that is the fact that it is staged. Yes, there is a substantial degree of physicality that goes into it, along with choreography and excellent timing. Yet, in the end, we know it is […]

A Pandemic Success Story — What AV Can Learn From WWE

Recharge Centers: Technology’s Influence on Our Moods and Emotions

According to Kenny Chesney, “We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives, takes us to another place and time,” I know that I certainly do. But can technology do that too? Here are the facts: We know that numerous studies have shown the effect of technology on teenagers, along with the results of […]

Recharge Centers: Technology’s Influence on Our Moods and Emotions

Remote Support Suddenly Sounds Like a Much Better Idea

Back in the late fall of 2019, I first heard of Teleportivity. It was in a demo video that Gary Kayye posted right here on rAVe [PUBS]. My initial thought was that the idea was great, but I wondered about the product’s efficacy at smaller institutions like mine, or even mid-size colleges and universities. My […]

Remote Support Suddenly Sounds Like a Much Better Idea

We Should Be Promoting Diversity in the AV Industry

On infrequent occasions, I write blogs that do not relate directly to technology or AV. I do this because I feel as though I should stick to the things that I know and have experience with. Yet, there are times when something is so important, I feel like I need to say something. Due to […]

We Should Be Promoting Diversity in the AV Industry

Let’s Talk About HyFlex: Fall 2020 Classroom Solution and Beyond

Over the past several weeks, the higher ed world has become more widely acquainted with the term “HyFlex.” For some, it’s a vague word that leads to more confusion than clarity. Let’s take an opportunity to think about it and what type of AV installs and equipment would support a HyFlex classroom. Interestingly enough, this […]

Let’s Talk About HyFlex: Fall 2020 Classroom Solution and Beyond

Strategies for Times of Crisis: How to Survive in the Short Term and Thrive in the Long Term

Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” This quote is reasonably relevant today, as we have all taken a beating from COVID-19. Most successful firms had developed strategies years ago and have been consistently and successfully following them. However, what we’ve experienced the past several months — […]

Strategies for Times of Crisis: How to Survive in the Short Term and Thrive in the Long Term