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Identifying and Mitigating Sources of School Revenue Erosion

Preserving existing revenues is an essential component of the work of school business officials. The broad ranges of activities that can affect school district revenues make identifying potential threats difficult. By understanding the issues that affect

Beyond Bamboo

Life is full of choices. Thankfully, that includes the hundreds of green flooring products available in the marketplace. Facility professionals have much more to choose from than bamboo, including luxury vinyl tile, rubber flooring, tile, wood, and carpet

Shhhhh… Quiet Please

A moment of silence as libraries of old morph from a single-student model to a group learning setting. What technologies and configurations are needed in these new learning commons? College Planning & Management takes a look.

Fire and Life Safety

While the title has changed from fire drill to emergency evacuation drill, the goal of the drill has not. Drills are held to practice evacuating a building when there is no real threat to life safety so that when there is a threat, building occupants will

School Lighting

The average cost of electricity rose more than 40 percent over the last 10 years, presenting a rising cost for today's schools. As a result, many school districts are exploring ways to improve financial performance by investing in energy-efficient bu

Once-in-a-Lifetime Funding for K-12 Technology

The $787 billion Stimulus Act includes $115 billion for education. As much as $80 billion of that money could pay for technology in K-12 schools. Scheduled for disbursement during this year and next, the ARRA K-12 technology money represents a once-in-a-l

Athletic Sponsorships Are Poised to Explode

Partnerships, interactive marketing, and social media are converging to change the face of advertising — and that's a gift for many university athletic departments seeking ways to keep the dollars flowing.

Coming Attractions: BIM for K-12 Facility Managers

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has stormed into the nation's design and construction world. The Government Services Administration (GSA) requires BIM for government buildings. The Army Corps of Engineers requires BIM for its projects. In July, W

The Larger Context: Institutions and Sustainable Communities

The 1987 Brundtland Commission report, Our Common Future, presented a model for successful economic development in which the importance of identifying and minimizing the adverse impact of economic development on the environment is addressed. At the heart

Sustainable Schools Inspire a Green Generation

With the increasing disconnection between natural and built environments, students in high performance schools experience how healthy, green building can create a more symbiotic relationship between the natural world and constructed spaces.

Carpets and Floors

Floor care is one of the most expensive tasks a school facility may have. Reducing the frequency of these tasks, while keeping the location healthy, can help lower cleaning costs and stretch budgets significantly. Here are some recommendations from severa

Public Access Defibrillation: Establishing an Institution-Wide Program

AEDs have become so commonplace that the public expects access to the devices in most places. In fact, laws, regulations, or other legislation may eventually require the placement of these devices at specific locations. A centralized program is necessary

Libraries: The Enduring Structures of Learning

Traditionally, libraries are chosen as important venues because these majestic buildings represent knowledge. On occasion, libraries have also served as community gathering locales where individuals converge and, in the face of injustice, make their voice

Fundraising Options: Finding New Audiences

When it comes to fundraising, universities have not tapped out all of their revenue streams, as several campuses are proving. Breaking into new audiences to reach students and patents isn't a cakewalk, but if you go with the myth that young people aren't

Roof Restoration: An Attractive Option in a Tough Economy

When a roof begins to show signs of fatigue or potential failure, it's easy to assume that a replacement is in order. In easier economic times, facility managers would proceed accordingly. But today's tough economy is encouraging many to conside

School Lighting: Think Relight, Not Just Relamp

The current stock of more than 83,000 college and university buildings presents significant opportunities to save energy and "go green" by improving environmental sustainability. The simplest change involves replacing these lamps and ballasts wi

NYC Cause and Effect

The economy may be causing schools to tighten their belts, but many companies are stepping up to the plate and helping to fill the gap. Over the past few weeks, I've been hearing about a number of exciting projects that have gotten underway, all gear

The Bidding Process

Your bid/proposal preparation must be made with a view to purchasing the best service for the lowest expenditure of resources. Cheap is not the same as cost effective.

The House Tries Again to Appropriate Funds for School Construction

Have you noticed that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), aka the Stimulus Bill, contains no direct grant funding for school construction? While there is substantial construction funding in the form of bond and other programs in the Stimulu

Greener Schools Mean Better Health

A significant obstacle along the way has been the perceived economic challenges associated with building green. The vast majority of these challenges have been debunked or resolved, but understandably much of the dialogue around the topic of green schools

Designing the Healthy Residence Hall

What makes a residence hall a healthy place to live and learn? When creating student living environments, campuses must adopt a holistic view of how building elements impact the physical and emotional health of the students living there.

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