5 Reasons to Smile for Campus Webcams

What started out in 2007 as a creative way to showcase a construction project at the College of Charleston has evolved into a network of eight strategically placed webcams broadcasting our campus and city to the rest of the world, 24/7.

Andrew Bergstrom, Director of Web Strategies

Andrew Bergstrom, Director of Web Strategies, offers five reasons to check out the live webcam feeds:

1. They Are Popular.

Since the first webcamera was installed in Addlestone Library in 2007 to capture a time-lapse video of construction on the new School of Sciences and Mathematics building (link), campus webcams have become one of the most popular features on the College’s webpage. Some months, the cams account for nearly 28,000 page views on cofc.edu. (Among the most frequently viewed cameras are those trained on Cistern Yard and Physicians Promenade.

A new web cam will soon be installed soon at Grice Marine Lab on James Island.

2. Your Parents Miss You!

View from the Cistern Yard webcam.

Parents love the webcams, Bergstrom says. “We get letters and e-mails from parents saying, ‘I can see the campus where my son or daughter is, and it really helps provide a connection to them.’”

One mother who accessed the Rivers Green webcam was disappointed when she realized her son’s match was slightly out of the camera’s view. Bergstrom temporarily adjusted the camera’s viewing angle so the mother could watch her son play. She was ecstatic.

That kind of reaction from parents helps explain why several universities have installed “Hi Mom” webcams on their campuses for students and their parents to arrange visual check-ins.

RELATED: See Cornell University’s “Hi Mom” webcam.

If there’s enough interest, Bergstrom says he’d like to designate one of the College’s webcams as the “Hi, Mom!” camera.

3. Reminisce About Your College Days.

Missing campus? Need a shot of inspiration? There’s noting like a virtual postcard of Cistern Yard or College Way to take you back.

But don’t over do the voyeur thing. That’s just creepy.

4. Technology Has Evolved.

Webcam technology has come a long way. Back when the College’s first webcam went up in 2007, the camera was limited to capturing still images, which played back in a choppy feed.

The webcams in use today capture live streaming video 24/7. You know it’s a smooth video feed when the Spanish moss in the frame of the College Way and Green Way webcam sways gently in the breeze.

In case you are wondering, the webcams are used only for entertainment purposes and for promoting the College; the video is not archived. The College’s Department of Public Safety maintains a separate network of security cameras around campus.

5. TV Meteorologists Rob Fowler and Bill Walsh Love ‘Em.

Check out the weather forecast on Channel 2 (WCBD) or Channel 5 (WCSC) on a sunny day in Charleston and there’s a good chance you’ll see a view from one of the College’s webcams. “They use it as the background during the weather reports, Bergstrom says. “We love it. It really helps to promote the College.”