The definition of transportation demand management (TDM) is rather vanilla: in a nutshell, it's a series or group of techniques intended to decrease parking demand. What about that prompted experts at the Center for Transportation Research at the Uni
This month we talked to Norma G. Kent, vice president for Communications at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Kent discussed the correlation between the recession and community college enrollment and how community colleges can be a pa
When it comes to restrooms and locker rooms, how you divide people makes a big impact on multiple levels. The maintenance crew's efficiency hangs on how you position the partitions between stalls. And users' comfort hinges on everything from the
How do you get everything you want and need in the design of new facilities when the project budget doesn't match the shopping list? The answer comes from the experts who are in the trenches daily. They've seen technology and space
There was a time when barns and sheds were prevalent on Utah State University's (USU) main campus, and cattle were sheltered and fed in places where classrooms, laboratories, and libraries now stand. Through the years, campus expansion and the changing ne
More than ever, security remains a top priority for campuses, despite budget restrictions. When planning the resources for security, you must think about the four core elements to any security program: personnel, technology, facility design, and crime pre
Many of today's colleges and universities are thinking about building a new kind of housing one that's very different from the dorms, residence halls, suites, apartments, or anything else they've ever done before. It's retiremen
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
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
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
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
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
Procuring things the old way takes time and patience. Fill out forms, wait for approval, send out the purchase order, and then wait again for the item. But what if there were a more efficient way? It turns out there is, and it's very similar to the o
Striking a reasonable and effective balance between privacy and security is a serious challenge for institutions today. Security is identified by EDUCAUSE as the top IT concern for 2008. In fact, security has been among the top five issues on the list for
Undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail has become a problem with the Postal Service. The Postal Service states, "In Fiscal Year 2004 [they] handled 9.7 billion pieces of UAA mail at a cost of $1.8B." UAA mail reduces productivity for both they po
As the crisis in the financial markets has deepened, upward pressure on construction prices, in general, and commercial kitchen construction, in particular, has weakened. That will come as welcome news to colleges, universities, and culinary schools plann
In the past, sustainable building design may have been more expensive than following a more traditional construction route. Improvements in both materials and building systems, and a greater commitment to building green facilities, are thankfully changing
Colleges and universities are working harder to bring environmental consciousness and solid green practices to their students through a variety of methods, including building and purchasing choices and campus-wide initiatives. Bringing the green movement
You may be surprised to learn that administrators at Abilene Christian University are testing iPhones and iPod touches with their freshmen as a means of integrating mobile technology into course curriculum and campus life. You may be even more surprised t
Anything you can do I can do better. That's the idea around many campus Ecolympic events. These dorm-to-dorm competitions inspire students to save energy, recycle, and learn about reducing their carbon footprint. What does it take to run one of these
Many colleges and universities have provided on-campus student housing for decades, while other institutions are getting into the housing market for the first time. Developing, constructing, and managing student housing is an effort that requires experien
After years of not being the priority it should be at many institutions, campus safety is being reevaluated because of a single horrific event. Many colleges and universities have finally begun to embrace multidisciplinary threat assessment, even though t
In 2000, slightly more than 33 percent of U.S. college students had cell phones on campus. In the fall of 2004, nearly 90 percent did. The pros and cons of this phenomenon can be debated, but the impact of the cell phone on our campuses cannot be denied.
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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&