About 30 years ago a new lighting technology became available without much fanfare, but it only gained popularity after being reintroduced in the 1990s. With induction lighting's obvious benefits of a long lifespan and little-to-no maintenance, are c
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 07/01/08
Election season is in full swing, with party conventions around the corner and nightly news analysis of the candidates' talking points. While being an informed voter is easier than before with instant access to information through the Internet, often
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 07/01/08
When David Warren moved to Delaware, OH, to start his tenure as president of Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) in the 1980s, he had a slight problem: The president's house would not be ready for occupancy for several months. But instead of moving into a
- By Jennifer Maciejewski
- 07/01/08
Gone are the days of independent study with a stack of books and a librarian who glares if you sneeze and hushes if you read out loud to yourself. Those days have been replaced with both small- and large-group collaboration and research from both books an
While evaluating a campus preparedness plan for a client recently, I noticed a common problem. The plan was painstakingly developed with superb detail. But as I reviewed the action steps for each protocol, it became apparent that the voice of the plan cha
- By Michael S. Dorn
- 07/01/08
Read any admissions' brochure or attend an event at a college or university, and you'll likely learn about its link to the community. Many campus grounds are easily accessed; fences are low or nonexistent, there are few security checkpoints, and
Periodic incidents remind us how important school access control is. Are your schools ready for a visit by an individual who intends harm? Meaningful access control is within reach for any K-12 school, though it is more difficult for some schools than fo
Lighting renovations are usually part of an overhaul of a school district's overall energy profile. While the savings available from lighting retrofits is generally small, the payback is fast, usually six to 10 years. By comparison, new energy-effici
- By Michael Fickes
- 07/01/08
Colleges and universities across the nation have been making the decision to allow security officers to carry firearms. This month we talked with Bill Corner, Calvin College's campus safety director. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin College, will
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 07/01/08
Students regularly come to school on Mondays following a weekend, or Tuesdays after a national holiday, or any day of the week when a winter, spring, or summer vacation ends. We concentrate on the first day of school with fervor, programs, and excitement.
True or false? To be officially certified, an arboretum must include a minimum of 250 different species of trees on a minimum of 50 acres. False. The truth of the matter is that there is no official arboretum-certifying body any outdoor space can b
Campus safety concerns extend beyond emergency communications and adequate lighting. Asbestos, lead, mold, and radon pose health risks that must be addressed and remediated.
Fuel prices have been rising steadily in recent years, and these high prices have become a constant topic in the news, and even in our current Presidential election. This month we focused on solutions colleges and universities are employing to compensate
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 06/01/08
The EPA's HealthySEAT software enables districts to track and manage information on environmental conditions in each school.
The lack of priority that many districts place on maintenance has far reaching effects. The obvious is the deterioration of our buildings and equipment, or the voiding of warranties. The less obvious is the negative effect of building conditions on studen
Online university programs have the power to leverage the Internet to transcend distance and time constraints, providing new and expanded ways of teaching, learning, and collaboration on an international level. Unfortunately, these programs can also be th
Anything green grabs the headlines today, so it's no surprise manufacturers lead off the benefits list with metal roofs' earth-saving traits. The actual steel or aluminum itself is typically made from 60 percent recycled materials, according to
- By Julie Sturgeon
- 06/01/08
When reviewing your school district's emergency preparedness plans, how do you evaluate the component that ensures the survival of your information technology (IT) networks? What do you look for? What threats must you prepare today with? How do you s
- By Michael Fickes
- 06/01/08
When it comes to roofing purchases, school administrators typically have two things to protect: the building envelope and the taxpayer pocketbook. The good news is that, for schools throughout the country, new delivery options are streamlining the roof pr
- By Victoria Welling
- 06/01/08
Free! Robust e-mail platform that offers six gigabytes of storage space, familiar Web-based interface, integrated chat and calendar software, superior spam blocking and virus protection, no data backup necessary, and no hardware or software upgrades. All
Most mid-sized and large public K-12 school systems and many independent K-12 schools have had some form of emergency notification system (ENS) in place for several years. Though some institutions of higher learning have also had these systems in place, m
- By Michael S. Dorn
- 06/01/08