POWER UP helps Edinboro University offer accessible charging solutions to students on campus.
Background
Edinboro University is committed to excellence in both academics and campus life. With the goal of developing students to become contributing citizens, the university continuously strives to improve the college experience with state-of-the-art facilities, high-quality professors, a vibrant campus community, and accessibility to all necessary resources.Challenges
Located in Northern Pennsylvania, Edinboro University is a campus with over 500 acres of land. Due to the large size of the school, students began to make requests for technology charging areas around campus. Students expressed a shared sentiment of stress to stay connected throughout the day on campus without having to walk back home to charge a device. In a generation that is always connected — especially on a college campus where students rely on these devices in classroom settings — Edinboro University needed to adapt to the current technology landscape and offer a charging solution for students and staff. In order to better serve their diverse community, the university needed a solution that was accessible, efficient, unobtrusive, and maximized the amount of users at a single moment. To add to their challenge, Edinboro University was looking for a charging solution that could be utilized in a newly created outdoor environment on campus for the community.Solution
Edinboro University contacted POWER UP, the industry’s premium cell phone charging technology company, to assist in their planning and implementation of a campus-wide connectivity solution.“We researched different options and spoke with three different companies regarding charging stations. I called POWER UP because I liked the edgy and modern feel — I immediately envisioned our students using the stations,”- Jessica Gray
The POWER UP team worked closely with the university to identify the best solutions for their community and locations on campus. Through discussion, the team was able to recommend a charging solution catered to the university’s request for outdoor capability, despite the often cold and snowy climate. Understanding the weather trends in the area, a versatile solution was implemented to fit the need for an outdoor charging station. The location of the new outdoor environment is next to the school’s student union, so POWER UP deployed a charging table inside the student union that can easily be moved outside during events. In addition, the charging table is adaptable to the outdoor environment as it can operate either through battery or power cord. While the charging table was an appropriate solution for the outdoor environment and student union, POWER UP deployed charging towers to other identified high-traffic areas on campus. The slim and compact design of the charging towers minimizes obtrusion and congestion. In addition, by placing charging towers in high-traffic areas, the stations will be more accessible and reach more users. POWER UP’s solution caters to every type of device user. The stations deployed at Edinboro University have the capacity to charge a diverse set of devices through standard electric outlets, USB ports, and integrated charging cables. With efficiency in mind, POWER UP’s charging stations offer faster-charging technology than most standard charging options and allows for multiple users to charge devices at once — without affecting the overall speed of charge. Each charging tower allows up to 16 devices to be connected at once, and the charging table can support 21 devices. In addition, the charging table creates further ease with Qi wireless technology for wireless charging. Edinboro University and POWER UP also worked closely in branding the charging stations to adhere to the school’s overall marketing strategy.Results
With POWER UP’s guidance and diligence, Edinboro University successfully enhanced its student experience with new charging stations around campus. The charging stations offer greater flexibility than an outlet installation solution. The compact stations allow the university to move the devices based on the changing needs on campus. This solution has improved the day-to-day experience for students and faculty by providing resources to remain connected throughout the day. Rather than traveling back home or simply not being able to use a device for the remainder of a day, the new stations allow the community to more effectively use their time on campus and focus on their activities. Throughout the life of the charging stations, POWER UP will serve as a guide/advisor to the school’s maintenance team in monitoring the units. The partnership supports Edinboro’s continuous effort to provide the latest services for students and will provide new parts, and advice, at a discounted rate.