Part of the all-hazards planning process involves a recognition of the hazards that must be addressed for your organization's geographic location. No community is immune to these types of threats. Though the risk to most specific communities from rad
Intentionally Christian, purposefully urban, and purposefully multicultural, North Park University in Chicago anticipates more enrollment growth in the future. While a diverse, urban campus have helped the University, a restructuring of tuition and financ
Colleges and universities nationwide are scrambling for building space and for capital dollars. As a result, two significant trends are converging to ease the strain: One is conversion of use taking advantage of existing structures for unintended o
Under very tight budget constraints, President Obama released on February 14, 2011 his proposed budget for fiscal year 2012. The programs within the U.S Department of Education fared well, including some new investments for postsecondary education.
Active Learning Classrooms at the University of Minnesota create an interactive learning experience for students in a variety of courses. Varying in size from 27 to 126 seats and outfitted with large round tables, each of which seats nine students, ALCs a
Under very tight budget constraints, President Obama released on February 14, 2011 his proposed budget for fiscal year 2012. The programs within the U.S Department of Education fared well, including some new investments for postsecondary education.
In the world of great unknowns one thing is certain; emergencies, natural or man-made, happen. Along with them comes a rapid fire series of questions: Is it best to evacuate or shelter-in-place? How is traffic managed while quickly getting students and st
Change is needed in the way O&M work is performed at campus auxiliary functions. Having had the opportunity to visit several dozen campuses in recent years, I have seen various models of how O&M needs are satisfied on assets assigned to auxiliary
Time was, science laboratories had few windows and little natural light. The benches were built into the structure. Uncomfortable stools provided seating. Offices were on other floors or even in other buildings. But scientists have changed.
Campus signage programs have come a long way from the simple signs used in years past to identify individual buildings or areas within a campus. Developing the most efficient and cost-effective program, especially when multiple campuses are involved, requ
The world of higher education keeps changing and College Planning & Management is there to take note. What will 2011 bring to the campus? Our panel of experts looks into their crystal ball for answers.
College and university security directors are taking up four relatively new video technologies to enhance security: Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, intelligent video technology, megapixel cameras, and integrated door alarm and card access control systems
Most designers engaged in daylighting design understand how daylighting saves energy and influences architecture, but many secondary issues related to daylighting are less understood factors that can have a significant impact on performance of both
U.S. colleges are working with countries that want access to the unique qualities of higher education for their citizens. Accordingly, this global drive toward more competitive and comprehensive higher education systems is attracting significant attention
The University of Denver's teacher residency program in conjunction with Denver Public Schools is part of a national trend of preparing teachers through observing, practicing, and learning about education every day. Graduate students in the Denver Te
A mere decade ago, I did not comprehend the massive changes in many other parts of the world. I certainly did not envision the massive changes in our nation and its institutions of higher learning these changes in other lands would bring. Like many folks,
Changing the behavior of students to avoid infestation by bedbugs may be a losing battle. The best course of action seems to be identifying a small infestation early and eradicating it before it becomes extreme. So, many college and university administrat
As each year closes out, I take some time to reflect on the events of the year and work to find areas where I picked up on something new, learned a new or different way of doing something, or just plain "got schooled," and will apply those lesso
Mobile technology is on the move as students, faculty, and staff come to campus with their iPads, iPhones, Droid Xs, BlackBerry Torches, and more. This means greater opportunities for education, communication, and good will. It also means additional chall
LCD technology has become an attractive medium for many public places, such as college common areas, to engage an audience in places of waiting or purchasing. The popularity of LCD technology in these applications has grown in part due to the capability t
Who runs your school's bookstore? The Follet Corporation? Barnes & Noble? Or do you run it yourself? The University of Missouri proposes a third option. They have successfully implemented a shared services model that brings profits to all parties
Sure, it's easy to experience success in a bull market but, in a bear market, do you have the nerve to ask for money for a new facility instead of patching the leaky roof for the hundredth time? Here are the rules of engagement for any economy.
College campuses are changing. One very visible change is the addition of digital signage networks. Digital signage networks are a network of electronic screens placed in strategic, highly visible locations. The content displayed on the screens can be ind
Big dreams to propel your organization forward are often interrupted by the harsh reality of budget cuts, nay-saying in high places, and the slow but steady erosion created by incremental compromises that add up to huge deviations from the original vision
Those who will be successful are those who have stopped mourning for the old economy, stopped poking it with a sharp stick to see if it moves, and started thinking about what can be done with what we now have. It is much like working through the five stag
Since the late 1980s, college administrators and architects who design higher-education facilities have trained their sights on creating learning environments that support greater student engagement and enhance student collaboration. But only recently has
Higher education is facing enormous challenges. Diminishing financial support, heightened public accountability, prolonged economic recession, and numerous other issues confront our institutions. Competition is fierce, and the need for operational efficie
In recent years, many college and university police and security organizations have changed or at least refined the way they monitor and manage access to campuses and campus buildings in an effort to improve crime prevention.
The effects of stress on human performance are well documented and should be taken into account when developing emergency preparedness plans; conducting training sessions; and when planning, coordinating, and evaluating emergency drills and exercises.
If a building has been constructed or renovated using PCB-containing caulking, PCB impacts may not be limited to the caulking itself. Through natural mechanisms such as weathering, leaching, or deterioration, PCBs may be found in the materials adjacent to
Auxiliary services need to be more than budget-neutral these days, but what is the best way to turn a profit? Keeping them in-house? Outsourcing them to the pros? Or a hybrid of the two? Experts hash through the options
and the answers may surprise
Do more and do it with less. Manage more data and do it efficiently. Reduce waste to be more environmentally friendly without sacrificing quality. These are only a few of the challenges facing college and university administrators and staff. Enter the mul
Whether your campus is small and intimate or large and sprawling, visitors require a signage system to find their way around. A campus wayfinding system must strike a precarious balance between being effective, accessible, correct, current, complementary,
An increasing number of our buildings and systems have reached or outlived their projected life expectancies. We have long been crying that we need more dollars to deal with the exponentially growing backlog of capital needs, whether upgrades or renewals.
sing Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, our approach is to find out why the pest is present. All the pesticide in the world can't prevent pest problems pesticides just treat the symptoms. While IPM is not anti-pesticide effective pestic
Colleges house EOCs in campus police or public safety buildings, a classroom or training facility, physical plant management building, or elsewhere. Campuses typically set criteria for activating EOCs, designate alternate sites, and coordinate response po
As part of College Planning & Management's recent maintenance survey we asked the question, "What is the one best piece of advice you would give to other maintenance professionals to assist them in doing their job?" After all, who knows
If your department has a plan, this is a reminder to dust it off and ask staff what they think their roles are. If they hesitate or simply don't know, take the time to start a review. Start off small; break the review process down into small monthly
Limited state funds are available for education. The dropout/non-completion rate is soaring. The current workforce is retiring and by 2018 two-thirds of jobs will require a higher level of education. The American education system, once touted as producing
The technology and materials associated with windows and doors is certainly not as cutting-edge as advancements in a building's HVAC, security, or audio-visual systems. While perhaps unheralded by those outside the building industry, recent improveme