Bringing Every Voice Into the Conversation in Large College Meetings

When More People Join the Meeting, Every Voice Matters

Some of the most important conversations at a college happen around a meeting table.

Faculty members exchange ideas. Departments coordinate plans. Committees discuss decisions that affect the wider institution. And increasingly, these conversations include participants joining remotely.

As the number of people in a meeting grows, so does the importance of clear audio. Participants may sit at different ends of a long table or across several seating areas. Someone speaking from farther away may be harder to hear, while remote attendees need to follow the discussion without repeatedly asking people to speak up.

For St. Thomas Aquinas College, the meeting arrangement under consideration involved approximately 34 participants.

The college wanted to explore a conference audio setup suited to a larger group rather than simply relying on a single speakerphone. That meant considering how multiple devices could work together and how the overall setup could accommodate the way people participate in a larger meeting.

Looking Beyond a Single Speakerphone

For a small meeting, placing one speakerphone in the center of the table may be enough. In a larger room, however, the distance between participants and the microphone becomes a more important consideration.

A person seated near the device may be heard clearly, while someone at the other end of the table may be farther away from the microphone's effective pickup area.

St. Thomas Aquinas College initially considered two Nearity A20S units. Following an online product demonstration, the college decided to move forward with three units instead.

That shift meant considering a connected audio setup rather than relying on one central device to serve the entire meeting space.

Each A20S features an array of eight omnidirectional microphones with 360° pickup and an effective pickup range of up to 16 ft / 5 m. Multiple units can be daisy-chained, giving the institution more flexibility to plan microphone positions around the seating area.

For a larger group meeting, this is an important distinction: the audio setup can be considered in relation to where participants sit and speak, rather than being limited to one microphone position.

The goal was to explore a meeting setup that could grow with the room while keeping the meeting experience simple.

From an Online Demonstration to a Three-Unit Trial

The college's evaluation moved forward through an online product demonstration.

Initially, the team was considering two A20S units. After seeing the product demonstrated, it decided to explore a three-unit configuration instead.

The college then expressed its intention to try the expanded setup:

“We want to try 3 units. Please advise.”

This was an important step in the evaluation. The conversation had moved beyond simply learning what the product could do toward considering how multiple units might fit the institution's meeting requirements.

The choice of three units gave the college a multi-device configuration to work with for its larger meeting requirements. Instead of approaching the room as a single-device setup, the institution selected a system that could be connected and planned around the meeting space.

For colleges managing shared meeting rooms, this kind of decision involves more than the speakerphone itself. The number of devices, their positions, the connection between units, and the host computer workflow all contribute to how practical the setup will be for everyday meetings.

The decision was not simply to add another speakerphone. It was to move forward with a more flexible, multi-device approach to conference room audio.

Planning Around the Room, Not Just the Number of People

A meeting planned for approximately 34 participants requires more consideration than choosing devices based on headcount alone.

A long conference table, multiple connected tables, or separate seating sections can create very different audio conditions. The location of each speakerphone matters because participants need to speak within an appropriate distance of a microphone.

With three A20S units, the connected setup can be planned around the room's seating arrangement. The units connect through Ethernet daisy-chain cabling, while the primary device connects to the host computer through USB-C.

This creates a more structured approach to room audio: multiple microphone positions can be incorporated into one connected system instead of requiring each speakerphone to operate as an independent computer audio device.

The final placement should still be based on the actual room. Device spacing, table dimensions, participant positions, background noise, and room acoustics all influence the listening experience.

Nearity's published A20S guidance places larger-room configurations of 3–6 units at approximately 14–20+ people. A meeting arrangement of around 34 participants is beyond that stated reference range. Therefore, the college's three-unit purchase should not be interpreted as a verified 34-person coverage result. A room-specific assessment is important when determining whether the configuration meets the full meeting requirement.

For other institutions planning a similar setup, the lesson is useful: choose a connected audio system around the room and the way people participate—not just the number of people attending.

A More Practical Setup for Shared Campus Meeting Rooms

In a shared campus meeting room, the person hosting the meeting can change from one session to the next. A faculty member may connect a laptop for a department discussion, while an administrator may use the same room for a committee meeting later in the day. The audio setup needs to work without requiring everyone to reconnect or configure multiple devices individually.

With Nearity A20S, the primary speakerphone connects to the meeting computer through USB-C. Additional A20S units can be linked through Ethernet daisy-chain connections, creating a multi-device audio setup around the meeting space. Staff can use the host computer to run their preferred conferencing platform, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, or GoTo Meeting.

This gives the room a more defined setup: position the connected speakerphones according to the seating layout, connect the host computer, and start the meeting. Standard use does not require installing additional drivers.

For St. Thomas Aquinas College, this is another important point for the three-unit evaluation. Beyond checking whether voices can be picked up from different parts of the room, the trial can help determine whether the device placement, cabling, and connection process work for the way staff actually use the space.

The objective is a meeting room that is ready for the next discussion—not one that needs to be set up from scratch every time the meeting host changes.

Look at How the Room Is Used

A faculty committee meeting, an administrative discussion, and a larger departmental meeting may have different seating arrangements and participant needs.

Before choosing a conference speakerphone system, consider whether people sit around one table, across multiple tables, or in separate sections. The meeting layout affects where devices should be placed.

Choose Audio Coverage, Not Headcount Alone

Two rooms with the same number of participants can have different audio requirements.

Room dimensions, microphone-to-speaker distance, background noise, and acoustic conditions all influence voice clarity. A multi-device setup can offer more flexibility, but the number and placement of units should be assessed against the actual room.

Consider How the System Connects

A conference audio system should fit the way staff already use their meeting computers and conferencing platforms.

Check how the primary device connects, how additional units are linked, and whether the setup requires driver installation or complicated configuration for standard use.

Leave Room for Different Meeting Needs

Campus meeting rooms may support small committee discussions one day and larger group meetings the next.

An expandable conference audio system can provide more flexibility for different room arrangements. The key is to choose a configuration based on actual usage requirements and validate it before planning a wider deployment.

Planning a Better Audio Experience for Your Meeting Rooms?

Every meeting space has different requirements. A configuration that works in one room may not deliver the same experience in another.

Nearity A20S offers an expandable conference audio approach for organizations evaluating multi-device meeting setups. The right number of units and placement depend on the room, seating arrangement, and how participants communicate.

If your college or university is planning audio for a larger meeting room, start with the room itself.

Share your room dimensions, seating layout, and typical meeting size with the Nearity team to get a configuration recommendation.

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