Colleges and universities across the country and around the globe are finding that it is easy being green when they integrate ecologically sensitive practices into daily campus life. Protecting and conserving natural resources and learning from tho
Choosing the right building envelope involves taking many variables into consideration. Ease and cost of construction, the time frame allowed, the desire for energy efficiency, and even the construction season all come into play. Depending on your school&
Today, there are more than 600 green schools in 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to the Congressional Green Schools Caucus. And it has largely been Individuals leading the "green schools" movement a gras
Today's educational leaders are confronted by a barrage of new and emerging technology options on a daily basis. The challenge becomes, how do educational leaders make decision in times of limited resources on which technology to invest our time, ene
- By Tammy Stephens
- 07/01/09
The U.S. Department of Energy recently released a new resource for implementing a district- or school-wide energy-efficient operations and maintenance (O&M) program, the Guide to Operating and Maintaining EnergySmart Schools. We provide a brief overvi
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 07/01/09
In recent years, professors and administrators have brought technology into a larger role in the college classroom, perhaps in response to what students use outside their classrooms to keep up with classwork and their friends. A closer look at what happen
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 07/01/09
Success is not achieved through creative budgeting or being frugal, it is achieved by simplifying, focusing our efforts, leveraging untapped resources, building in flexibility and being innovative. Focus only on the short-term, and you run the risk of sti
While the research is varied it is conclusive; the use of color can have a significant impact on emotion, which can ultimately influence an individual's working and studying. In fact, studies on emotion and color show a direct link between color and posit
The Modular Building Institute recently commissioned me to provide a report that specifically aligned the modular building industry with the Prerequisite and Credit requirements imbedded in the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC's) Le
If you face a crisis next year, your efforts today will determine how your response unfolds during that crisis. This is particularly true in two areas that are often not fully addressed in school crisis planning integration of the National Incident
In the midst of challenges, information technology organizations have unprecedented opportunities to make a difference for their institutions. Responsibilities and opportunities to do so can be grouped into three categories, with accompanying examples.
The main idea of security is captured in the following areas deterrence (discouraging unauthorized actions), detection (recognizing unauthorized actions), delay (slowing unauthorized actions) and response (reacting to unauthorized actions). If you
Sustainability starts with one idea think blue to be green. In other words, ask yourself: will the choices I make have a positive or negative effect on rain and its aftermath?
NIMS/ICS is changing the way the nation operates, reaching beyond first responders, emergencies, and disasters. Furthermore, post-Virginia Tech and other tragedies, there will be almost no public tolerance for neglecting NIMS/ICS. College and university e
- By Cmdr. Shad U. Ahmed
- 07/01/09
Tough economic times have created an opportunity for many private colleges and universities to get creative while helping their students out. Schools across the nation are trying new programs and ideas that put their students' financial and educational ne
- By Heather Cummings
- 07/01/09
Today's school officials often wish to achieve the best of two goals having solid security while maintaining a warm and caring human environment. These dual goals are actually often complimentary and can usually be accomplished with the right
What options are available for the rest of us? Most public schools have bare bones models, if that. Locker-related crises, usually involving contraband, have led some frustrated districts to toss the lockers altogether. Although such actions may be justif
Preparing for a pandemic influenza (panflu) outbreak is an extremely daunting task. It is essential that all school communities coordinate with other planning groups in preparation of a pandemic outbreak, and to establish operational protocols to help gui
- By Dr. Sonayia Shepherd
- 06/01/09
More and more, we rely in technology for any but especially mass communication. And communication comes in many forms: between schools, between school personnel, between personnel and students, between school administrators/teachers and pare
Depending on the location of the application, the floor you choose for your school may need to meet specific safety, performance, or maintenance criteria. We'll examine some of the most widely used floors for educational settings, in order to guide y
It is common knowledge that when school budgets tighten, the maintenance department is first to feel the pinch. While cutting back on maintenance may seem to be a good economizer, teachers can't teach and students can't learn if the lights are o