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From a Student's Perspective

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

NIMS/ICS: The National Incident Management System/Incident Command System

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

Transparency in the Green Building Process

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

Cutting Energy Costs in Operations and Maintenance

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

Must-Have Technologies

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

College 2.0: Must-Have Technologies Inside and Outside the Classroom

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

Creative Financial Aid

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

Softening Security Can Be a Good Thing

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

Locker Options – Thinking Outside the Box

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

Flu Facts for Schools

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

Digital Textbooks Join the Discourse

Since Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal to reduce education cost, digital textbooks have been receiving quite a bit of buzz. We talked with Neeru Kholsa, co-founder of CK-12, about the changes and advantages digital textbooks bring to school districts.

The Long and the Cost of It

It's common knowledge that schools need to spend more dollars upfront on a project in order to save money over the life of a facility, but current economic realities may send this line of thinking to the back burner. Are schools forsaking long-term s

Leadership Can Be Life or Death

Any institution of higher learning that fails to invest appropriate fiscal resources, time, and most importantly, an appropriate level of priority to these areas is quite simply not as good a school as it should and could be. If student, staff, and visito

Signs of the Times

These days, traditional scholastic requirements, such as fostering academic excellence and molding good citizens, now go head to head on the priority list with heightened security needs, diversity issues, and the need to brand and differentiate to compete

The Lowdown on Residence Hall Flooring

Selecting carpet or tile isn't as easy as specifying the best material when it comes to residence hall flooring.

The Three-Year Plan

In an effort to save undergraduates time and money, some colleges are now offering students a three-year bachelor's degree. While popular in Europe, very few U.S. higher-ed institutions offer this choice to their students. We explore why one college decid

A Good Neighbor

Founded in 1824, Philadelphia's Thomas Jefferson Medical College is the largest private medical school in the United States. When the college decided to add a new building to its urban campus, the administration needed to make definitive design choic

Developing a Critical Mass Communication Plan

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

Laying the Groundwork

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

A Tough Balancing Act

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

Getting the Word Out

Across the country, colleges and universities are installing mass notification systems to inform their campus communities about emergencies, as well as more routine problems such as closings due to inclement weather. Systems run the gamut from easy-to-lea

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