The largest hurdle for colleges is to get the student population to provide their cell phone numbers in order to receive first-hand alerts. Without access, security officials must rely on individuals to forward messages or multiple systems that come at a
In response to the United States' "failing" public schools, portfolio districts have been loudly championed as a new approach to school reform. A number of school districts in large cities have implemented this approach. Despite this, there are
From the point of view of sustainable practice, a campus is a group of buildings and a landscape that operate together. When we connect sustainability to the idea of campus planning, it is essential that we look at the broader picture; not only at the imp
Imagine
if a school could be designed and constructed to produce as much energy on site as what is consumed from the electric grid; electricity and gas bills at 10 percent or less of that of a typical building. No water bills for site and landscapin
When it comes to green cleaning, many administrators and custodial crews are now sitting back, comfortable that they understand it and have properly implemented it in their facilities, making their schools much healthier with a reduced impact on the envir
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