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"This is Not a Drill!"

In the aftermath of recent emergency situations — including tragic university shootings, weather-related disasters, and other crises — college administrators and emergency managers began turning toward network-centric emergency notification syst

'Must-Have' Technologies

Classroom technologies have often also been a double edged sword. They've enhanced learning in some ways, but by connecting teacher and students to a machine instead of directly to each other, they run the risk of diminishing the direct personal interacti

The (Continuing) Days of the Shrinking Budget

As economic conditions change, we see higher education reshaping how we budget and what we budget for. State schools have seen budgets for operations and maintenance fall due to recent tax cuts, and while many private institutions seem to operate under a

Sounding Out Smart Design for Academic Research Facilities

Academic research facilities are specialized spaces and therefore require unique design for acoustics and noise and vibration control, especially when sensitive equipment is in use. Whether inside or outside, common vibration and noise sources — such

Controlling the Future

It doesn't take a 40-page document with the I's dotted and T's crossed, consultants say, to make a huge difference in who will lead your university's future. Instead, it takes a commitment to planning for that leader, period.

Mature Citizens Can Make or Break the Best of Plans

Every now and then, a public project runs into an environmental issue or two when it comes to planning. And the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) folks are ever-present, but very often can be appeased if not satisfied with compromise and assurances that address

Electronic Access Control for Modern-Day Schools

Access control was once a big-city concern, but today, even areas with few foreseeable problems are taking the initiative ahead of time. Prevention and deterrence are the keys to protecting our most valuable asset — our children and young people.

Technology in the Higher Ed Classroom: Online Learning in the 21st Century

This month, while some students are heading back to campus to start their fall classes, others may be heading to their computer instead. With rising costs associated with education, including gas prices for commuting students, online classes and degree pr

No Child Left Inside: New Legislation for K-12 Environmental Education

On Sept. 18, 2008 the U.S. House of Representatives passed The No Child Left Inside Act of 2008, H.R. 3036, which was sponsored by John P. Sarbanes (D-MD) and co-sponsored by 64 others. The act is intended to support local and statewide efforts to expand

Boiler Retrofits Help Increase Efficiency, Lower Energy Bills

Schools across America are facing tight budgets, with escalating energy bills a substantial factor in these budgets. Boilers account for one-third of those energy bills. Older boilers typically have efficiency rates up to 77 percent, but with the retrofit

Understanding, Detecting, and Preventing Fraud

Fraud happens. Sometimes it's big and involves business relationships outside the organization; other times it's small and deeply hidden within the detailed processes of the daily operations. The areas of risk for fraud are diverse, and it most

What if… Visualizing Change in the Learning Environment

As student populations decline, global competition becomes even fiercer, and energy costs continue to rise, these pressures are only going to increase, and colleges are going to need to evolve rapidly to maintain their viability. Because the physical camp

Tell Them What Not to Do

Campus emergency preparedness plans should provide specific and practical action steps for employees to perform in the event of a crisis. However, personnel must be provided with specific information on actions they should avoid during crisis situations.

The Three "D"s of Integration

A more recent hot topic in the school security is "integration." Just consult Google, and you will find that the term "security integration" brings approximately 19,700,000 results! Why such a popular topic? Integration seeks to bridge

No Free Lunch

Or free music, movies, or ringtones, for that matter. Peer-to-peer file sharing programs allowed computer users to swap copyrighted material for free. And swap they did. As the Recording Industry Association of America gets serious about curbing illegal d

Programmed Carpet Cleaning for Commercial Buildings

Maintenance and cleaning of floor coverings plays a critical role in occupant health and safety, aesthetics, flooring performance, and investment protection; therefore, campus facilities present significant carpet maintenance and cleaning challenges. Thos

Integration in 3D

A more recent hot topic in the campus security is "integration." Integration seeks to bridge the gap between fire safety and security. Integration attempts to address years of the disconnected accumulation of products. Integration also holds the

Seeing Clearly: Specifying Energy-Efficient Windows and Glass-Paneled Doors

Gone are the days when merely specifying insulating glass was enough to satisfy a demand for energy-efficient windows and glass-paneled doors. Now, with green building and LEED leading the way, knowledge of glazing, coatings, and framing options is essent

Boiler Retrofits Help Increase Efficiency, Lower Energy Bills

Escalating energy bills are a major factor contributing to the shrinking amount of money available to be put toward the education system. Boilers consume large amounts of fuel for indoor climate control and domestic hot water. With one-third of a college&

Where Does All the Dirt Go?

Floor covering in schools continues to generate discussion as to what may be best suited for students susceptible to respiratory challenges. Recognizing the trend toward dwindling budgets being allocated to school maintenance and operations, floor coverin

Window Restoration

If you spend a few minutes observing the advertisements in any of today's media forums, you'll surely witness the touting of a product being new and better. But is new always better? When it comes to aging windows, new replacements don't al

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