• Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo has the support of Seal Education to expand digital transformation and improve integration between face-to-face and distance learning (EAD) modalities
• official video details project milestones – including robust datacenter infrastructure with an investment of R$ 1 million, high capacity Wi-Fi internet network and interactive screens
Traditional institution of higher education, founded in 1915, the Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo (UNASP) today offers more than 50 options for undergraduate courses, including face-to-face and distance courses. In its three campuses located in the capital of São Paulo and in two cities in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas (SP) – Hortolândia and Engenheiro Coelho, where the rectory is also located –, the institution currently serves 22,000 students, with around 1,000 professors (in its most masters and doctors) and 2,400 employees.
In order to maintain its high level of excellence with the Ministry of Education (MEC), which awarded it the maximum score (5) in the Institutional Concept indicator, the educational institution invests in scientific research, which allows students to reproduce the knowledge acquired in the classroom. class and put them into practice through extension projects. Part of this philosophy is the implementation of advanced technologies capable of favoring learning and knowledge sharing, especially in times of blended learning, when face-to-face and distance learning (EAD) modalities need to occur in an integrated manner.
Traditional teaching institution in the interior of São Paulo founded in 1915, UNASP invests in technology to support learning in times of blended learning (credit: Reproduction / Seal Sistemas)
Since the second half of 2022, UNASP management has been investing in new solutions to ensure the best possible result in connectivity and immersion for its students, aiming to guarantee the same level of interaction and learning for all – from those who attend the University Center in person to those who attend classes remotely. It was with this objective in mind that the institution entered into a partnership with Seal Education, a branch of Seal Sistemas focused on end-to-end solutions to accelerate the digital transformation of education.
“We have implemented and placed on the radar several technologies that facilitate the routine of our university ecosystem and enhance the experience of teachers and students, inside and outside the classroom. The consulting firm Seal Education has been fundamental in this sense, whom we refer to not as a supplier, but as a strategic partner that supports our digital transformation”, says Jonathas Saura Menegatto, CIO of UNASP.
Datacenter and high-capacity Wi-Fi
The first major project, carried out last October, involved the implementation of a robust Lenovo datacenter infrastructure, with an investment of around R$ 1 million. with an equipment on premise, housed in UNASP facilities, the project centralized data processing in the rectory, with 24/7 availability, in addition to adding security and performance guarantee for all users, especially students. In addition to this implementation itself, the Seal Education team also supports the educational institution with maintenance and support services.
After the successful application of the datacenter, the partnership between UNASP and Seal Education resulted in new projects. One of them was the implementation of a high-capacity wireless network structure, developed by Extreme Networks, which has Seal Sistemas as one of its main partners in Brazil – considered the largest integrator of advanced technologies for the entire supply chain in the market. national.
The decision to install a new corporate and educational Wi-Fi network, covering the rectory and the three UNASP campuses, was influenced by the proximity and great involvement of Seal Education engineers, all certified by Extreme Networks. In the case of the university center, which has large facilities, the biggest challenge related to wireless internet is correctly configuring the signal density – taking into account aspects such as the material used in the construction of the walls and the thickness of the glass in the doors and windows. , for example.
“These factors are important, as it was necessary to ensure that internet access was of good quality and secure every day, regardless of simultaneous events on campuses that could affect the quality of the connection, especially for students residing in our facilities”, says Menegatto, from UNASP. The Engenheiro Coelho unit, for example, hosts two religious services on Saturdays with an average of 2,600 people each. On the São Paulo and Hortolândia campuses, each weekend service has an average quorum of 1,500 people.
Even with all these challenges, the consultative work of Seal Education engineers met all of UNASP's needs and reduced the chances of connectivity failures to zero. The result was a high-capacity wireless internet infrastructure that was shielded from any network and security impact from parallel events.
Boost to blended learning
Other initiatives arising from the strategic partnership between UNASP and Seal Education involve different advanced technologies dedicated to teaching. One of them includes the planned implementation of 100 BenQ interactive screens by the end of 2023. These are visual equipment that support teaching during and after physical or virtual classes, as teachers can share the content of the screens instantly.
In this way, it is possible to greatly reduce the time spent by students with calls aimed only at clarifying doubts – which occupy, on average, up to 15 classes per year, according to UNASP. The result, therefore, includes gain in time and performance for the student and greater productivity for the teacher and the institution.
The university center also envisions telepresence technologies, with four Polycom broadcast cameras already acquired from Seal Education to enhance the live display of classes in master's courses. With 4K resolution, the technology enhances the quality of the teacher's framing and is compatible with the Zoom and Teams platforms. In addition, an LED screen was installed at the MAB (Museum of Biblical Archeology), a building made entirely possible with donations, which will be inaugurated on the Engenheiro Coelho campus.
“UNASP has been an important laboratory of innovations aimed at expanding the quality and scope of teaching with the support of increasingly accessible technologies. For us, it is a great satisfaction to support the digitization of such a traditional institution and, at the same time, so connected to the new trends that help to democratize education and today allow bringing quality education to thousands of students, regardless of where they are physically” , says Emerson Felipe, Commercial Director at Seal Education.
EN 
PT 
