COVID-19
Two new reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conclude that COVID-19 is spreading on college campuses due to congregate housing, the increase of social gatherings, and disregard for mask wearing.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 09/30/20
Cleaning
Imagine a Roomba with a plastic pillar on top, roaming through a room dispensing disinfectant onto chairs, table-tops and other surfaces.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 09/28/20
HVAC
A building’s HVAC technology can help decrease the transmission rate or mitigate the risk of exposure. Thus, schools must consider their HVAC system as part of their overall COVID-19 mitigation strategy, in addition to social distancing, cleaning, screening, signage and operational practices.
As part of a phased ramp-up in its return to full operations, Northwestern University Athletics and Recreation has installed filtration systems in the locker and weight rooms and other high-traffic spaces in its athletic facilities.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 09/21/20
Media Centers
If the global pandemic sidelined your plans for creating a very inviting, collaborative, nurturing media center space, get your vision back on track with these five success tips.
- By Christina Counts
- 09/21/20
Software
SchoolStatus, which produces a mass notification and communication software-as-a-service platform for schools, has added functionality to enable contact tracing reporting and tracking.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 09/14/20
Reopening
Residence hall staff and graduate students at the University of Michigan are on strike due to lack of coronavirus health protections on campus. The grad students and residence hall staff began separate strikes on the same day, Sept. 8.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 09/10/20
Reopening
Bradley University is requiring the entire student body to quarantine for two weeks because of a spike in COVID-19 on campus, officials announced this week. The temporary quarantine is in effect until Sept. 23.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 09/10/20
Podcast
In this episode of Schools In Focus podcast, I speak to Belinda Oakley, CEO of Chartwells K12 and Seth Ferriell, CEO of SSC Services for Education, about school food service during a pandemic.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 09/08/20
Reopening
New York City public schools are set to reopen on Sept. 10. However, the city’s teachers, principals, and staff say schools are unprepared to reopen and are pressuring Mayor Bill de Blasio to delay the start of in-person instruction by several weeks.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 08/19/20
HVAC
AI can change its instructions to your HVAC equipment based on the number of students in a room, the time of day, changes in weather throughout the day, and more, all while ensuring a comfortable environment for your building occupants.
Products
A company that produces technology for the food industry has developed a "welcome center" that schools can use to automate student and staff check-in.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 08/18/20
Cleaning & Sanitizing
Will a more methodical, well-thought-out approach be implemented for disinfectant use or, will they be once again randomly applied, essentially using a “hope for the best” mentality? Let’s hope application is not random, and here is why. In the U.S., disinfectants are considered “pesticides” by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and rightly so.
HVAC
A Florida company with an office in Purdue Research Park has introduced a technology it said would help schools reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 08/12/20
Episode 5
Stu Rothenberger, Principal at DLR Group, discusses flexibility on a campus scale, the need for long-term resiliency plans, tackling equity issues, and creating smaller interaction spaces in a post-COVID19 learning environment.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 08/12/20
Safety and Security
Many of the CDC’s guidelines can be met through the use of technology, and schools should be investing in and implementing technology solutions that not only helps them adhere to CDC guidelines this fall, but bolsters their overall school safety now and in the future.
Access Control
A company that produces physical security products is repositioning its products to address the needs of facilities under new restrictions. The offerings from LenelS2 cover touchless access, occupancy management, enforced access control and screening solutions.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 08/03/20
Healthy Schools
An education technology company that produces training has compiled a set of videos to help districts prepare for school reopenings.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/28/20
Facilities
Emphasis on single sleeping unit spaces will probably dominate in residence hall design in coming months and years, along with common areas that encourage physical distancing, wider entrances and kitchens that allow for one-way traffic patterns. Those are the predictions of student housing design experts at KWK Architects.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/28/20
Technology
What does it mean for a learning space to support the use of technology? It means the space has been intentionally designed to make it easy for teachers and students to seamlessly use any technology they might need, without having to disrupt a lesson or cut into valuable learning time.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 07/27/20
Safely Reopening
Chicago Public Schools is conducting several virtual meetings this week to gather feedback on the district’s reopening plans for the fall. The first one was held Monday morning
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/27/20
Planning
Here are five ways that K-12 school districts can keep their learning space design projects on track in a world where social distancing rules and shutdowns interfere with normal operations.
- By Manuel Cordero and Dr. Christina Counts
- 07/22/20
Maintenance and Operations
As universities begin to welcome students back, directors of college recreational centers will need to develop plans, policies and protocols to maintain a safe and healthy environment. The many “moving parts” that make up college recreational center operations present some unique challenges for maintaining a safe and clean facility.
Dr. Brian Benson, a family physician and his wife, Kaley Benson developed a symptom-screening software for schools called Cleared4School.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/21/20
"ViralBarrier" from Precise Tooling Solutions is intended specifically for K-12 and higher education use.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/20/20
School districts should conduct comprehensive threat vulnerability assessments that not only focus on existing measures already in place, but also encapsulate a thorough review of operational safety and security focused policies and procedures.
Furniture and Equipment
U.S.-based Hy-Lite said its new panels are made of architectural-grade acrylic blocks that allow light through while protecting privacy.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/14/20
Reopening Schools
Rural school districts in Wisconsin have asked the state to begin school earlier than usual citing concerns that the pandemic has interfered with student progress.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/14/20
Los Angeles Unified School District and San Diego Unified School District announced they will not reopen for in-person classes next month due to increasing COVID-19 cases.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/13/20
Life Safety
The inclusion of storm shelters, safe rooms and best available refuge areas are steadily increasing, especially due to recent code changes in the heart of the United States. By specifying commercial rolling doors and shutters that meet strict wind load and flying projectile requirements, classroom pods, cafeterias and gymnasiums can maintain a welcoming appeal while able to transform into a safe space within seconds.
- By Heather Bender
- 07/13/20