Although LED (light-emitting diode) lighting technology has advanced rapidly through the past decade, it has not become a practical alternative for general ambient lighting until this year. Universities are now using LED overhead lighting virtually anywhe
These Generation E students ("E" for feeling they are Europeans, sometime more than Spaniards) were singing the same woes as many urban, suburban and rural American citizen students. Like too many 11- to18-year-olds in public institutions, who i
As your school year ends, it would be a good time to look at your fire losses for each building in your district and reflect on not only what types of training need to take place to reduce the risk of these fires happening again, but to also look at what
Administrators at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), a private university with 11,396 full-time students, are committed to campus sustainability. At the same time, they struggle with an issue that plagues many administrators across the country: a
As your school year ends it would be a good time to look at your fire losses, and look at not only what types of training need to take place to reduce the risk of these fires happening again, but to also look at what went right as far as training and buil
Kalamazoo Central High School has been named as the winner of the first annual "Race To The Top Commencement Challenge" contest sponsored by the White House. The school's prize: President Barack Obama is graduation speaker for the K-Ce
Universities and medical institutions can either be enhanced or compromised by their surroundings. A successful larger community provides the institution with a healthy, safe, and attractive context, helping to improve the campus's own environment, securi
As school districts are searching for sizable tracts of land that seem to be increasing in cost daily, and with bus transportation costs soaring, prioritization of land characteristics and access considerations for school sites will be ever more essential
Administrators and facility managers recognize the impact substandard conditions can have on student, faculty, and staff health and performance. Dozens of studies have found links between student performance and such indoor environmental factors as temper
A dedicated school intercom system is considered by many to be a life-safety device. It is the method by which day-to-day operational messages are distributed, but also serves as the facility's emergency communications system. Some schools have decid
As your school year ends, it would be a good time to look at your fire losses for each building in your district and reflect on not only what types of training need to take place to reduce the risk of these fires happening again, but to also look at what
Sometimes and depending on the issue school administrators and parents don't see eye to eye. When it comes to school drop off and pick up, however, both groups agree that safety is of the highest priority. And, while creating a safe tra
School districts are increasingly opening schools for multiple community functions that foster learning and neighborhood cohesion. As a true partner in the vitality of the community, schools provide spaces for PTA and Scouting organizations and other comm
While the better a school building's mechanical systems perform, the better the students perform, directors of facilities in most school districts are faced with the challenge of keeping their educational spaces at reasonable temperatures while keeping HV
In newspapers this past week were a number of interesting (and troubling) articles on the growth or demise of higher education as we know it. One of the articles that caught my attention was asking the question, "Is higher education
At one time, the only way people could communicate was person to person, the mail, telephone and, perhaps, the new-fangled fax machine. But, outside of emergency responders, and stock market gamblers, has there been any appreciable gain in the quality of
Interactive whiteboards are a pretty impressive piece of technology. More than just a dry-erase surface, the board works like a computer screen that runs all the latest software while allowing Internet access. Teachers write on the screen via a virtual ke
Technology has changed the way students expect to receive and share information. Just as it has revolutionized social communication, technology is flooding the world of education. While instructors may misjudge students' digital competency in the cla
Navigating postal regulations is like reading a treasure map: It can be difficult to know which end is up or even where to start, but once you reach the treasure (for school districts, the treasure is postage savings), you realize the journey was well wor
America's Schoolhouse Council (ASC), a national consortium of educational architects, planners and designers, conceived the demonstration program, dubbed "Flip This Classroom: Learning Environments Matter." Inspired by the Dunn & Dunn L
These three little known fire and life-safety tools fire curtain, smoke vents and stage curtains must be present and in working order if a fire marshal shows up and wants to inspect your theater or auditorium stage.