Merrill Community Schools, a district that serves over 800 students in Saginaw County, MI, faced tight budgets, inefficient building systems, and rising energy costs. But although the district wanted to make infrastructure improvements and cut its utility
Virtual campus tours are one of the first sources for many prospective college students to find information about not only the school itself, but also the experience of being on the campus and the image of the school. Students often go online first to fin
Although a green roof can eventually pay for itself by reducing heating and cooling needs and by providing other benefits, these only occur if the roof is properly maintained. This usually involves several steps: pre-installation consideration and proper
Twelve years. That's the time that it took administrators and staff at California's Santa Clara University (SCU) to turn their vision for a new library into reality. And it's not just a library. The new, privately funded Harrington Learning
President-elect Barack Obama used his message of change in his successful campaign for the Oval Office. Change is a way of life, especially in our rapidly changing modern world. Change not only occurs every four to eight years in the White House, it happe
It can be argued that energy efficiency has impacted the roofing industry more than other aspect of the construction industry. Codes have been developed, organizations formed and regulations established all addressing the issue of energy-efficient
In 2006, presidents of nearly 50 colleges and universities signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), an agreement to reach climate, or carbon, neutrality on each campus. By August 2008, more than 500 presidents had
The repercussions of the current economic downturn are being felt far beyond the real estate and financial markets where the problem originated; the school construction industry is certainly no exception. Budget deficits are standing in the way of schools
Now schools and universities installing new restrooms or redesigning old ones are viewing them with a lot of old-fashioned practicality in mind. Instead of expensive, luxury fixtures, more educational facilities are turning to sensible, long-lasting produ
While taking care of their number-one resource, facility administrators must stay on top of advances in processes and procedures in order to best serve their clients. Implementing state-of-the-industry standards is sure to help you advance custodial and m
For most colleges and universities, signage is an ever-changing element of the campus landscape. As departments move and facilities are added, directional and informational signs must adapt. Changes to signage often occur piecemeal. New signs are typicall
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that there will be a 22 percent increase in the number of jobs requiring postsecondary education by 2020, and we can expect a deficit of 12 million skilled workers unless access to higher education is improved. Yet coll
Anyone who does it knows that keeping a school in running condition is not an easy task. Multiply that by the number of schools in a district, and the job is that much more difficult. Here is a look at some districts' custodial and maintenance standa
Four years ago, Robert Spitz started lobbying the Taos school board for surveillance cameras at the district schools. He was especially concerned about security at the high school. Not only were they trying to avert the usual mischief that high school tee
It's a dichotomy that will never disappear: universities operate in a culture of openness and decentralization while their IT departments want to keep everything as closed as possible and run a very strong network layer. Today's IT departments b
Campus officials should give careful consideration to the roles assigned to students. While hundreds of thousands of student workers perform invaluable functions at their colleges and universities every day, it is important to work towards appropriate bal
Administrative and office space can inspire, calm and communicate a variety of qualities. However, it sometimes doesn't get the attention it deserves.
The Dalton School, a school with grades K-12, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side, recently completed a complete renovation of its central dining and student commons. To better serve over 1,200 student and faculty lunches, the design needed to sol
As we look forward to a new administration in the White House and the possibility of a new look at school reform and No Child Left Behind, one of the inevitable topics of discussion is bureaucracy in our public school system. Bureaucracy developed out of
National economic problems are impacting local school districts as states cut back on aid and taxpayers resist increases. On top of the summer's spike in fuel costs, these problems are forcing school districts to make difficult spending decisions. Bu
Ohio University in Athens is a special place, with beautiful facilities and friendly people. But it also has barriers that prevent easy access to a number of areas and buildings. The University is dedicated to change not only to address the letter