Construction
Sacred Heart University, located in Fairfield, Conn., has officially broken ground on the construction of a $70 million ice arena to be located in west campus. The arena continues a multiyear expansion program that aims to foster personal development, student growth, and student engagement, says SHU President John J. Petillo.
Technology
The University of Louisiana Monroe has partnered with Trox, an education technology solutions company, to install a state-of-the-art active learning classroom for its College of Pharmacy. The classroom is the first of its kind in the state, and it provides opportunities for more active participation, interaction, and collaboration among teachers and students.
Campus Renovation
The Perry School Board of Perry, Iowa, is still accepting construction bids for its $10 million renovation project of Perry Middle School. Before the renovations can begin, the school is pursuing a month-long asbestos abatement project. School Board President Kyle Baxter attributes the reluctance of contractors to submit bids to the renovation project’s tight turnaround time once that abatement is finished.
Teacher Recognition
Classroom observation platform Edthena has established a new way to celebrate outstanding teachers: its new Teacher Leader Impact Award. The organization is encouraging district-level administrators to nominate a teacher who is “making a measurable impact on others and creating positive lasting change,” according to a press release.
Cybersecurity
Ivy League research institution Dartmouth College, located in Hanover, N.H., has selected WootCloud’s HyperContext Security Platform to provide device security and next-generation access control across the entire campus.
Campus Facilities
A virtual tour provider has launched a new service that enables colleges, universities, boarding schools and high schools to host DIY, live, guided tours from within virtual campus tours. Campus 360 introduced the new functionality to enable its higher education customers to take students and their families on visits around campus in real time, but without the necessity of being there in person.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 03/11/21
Campus Facilities
An effort at the University of South Florida has resulted in nearly a hundred classrooms being readied for simultaneous remote and in-person learning. The updates included installation of touchless sound systems and dual cameras.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 03/10/21
Campus Facilities
Athens State University, located in Athens, Ga., recently installed Nureva HDL300 audio conferencing systems in almost 30 classrooms on campus.
University Construction
North Carolina State University is partnering with KWK Architects and Jenkins-Peer Architects for Phase 4 of its five-phase Greek Village Master Plan. Infrastructure work is in progress for a new apartment building and two new townhouse units.
Webinar
VS America, a full-service manufacturer of school and office furniture, will host a webinar on Friday, March 19, discussing the opportunities and obstacles facing students as they return to school. The conversation will feature four panelists and focus on the impact of physical learning spaces on students’ mental and emotional well-being.
Campus Facilities
The Wisconsin-based School Specialty, LLC, has released more than 100 new furniture products underneath two new brands, Classroom Select and Childcraft.
COVID-19 and Schools
Throughout the month of March, Boston Public Schools is expanding the number of students it brings back into classrooms for in-person instruction.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 03/08/21
COVID-19 and Schools
A study in two South Korean high schools found that window ventilation reduced the risk of COVID-19 infection by 55%, while the use of an air purifier shrank the risk by 50%. The combination of the two dropped the risk by nearly three-quarters (73%). Researchers from the Infrastructure Safety department at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) said the use of the air-purifying device worked best when it was placed in the middle of the room, which was sized to hold about 25 students.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 03/08/21
Campus Facilities
At its meeting in early March, the Sheridan County School District 2 in Sheridan, Wyo., awarded a bid for new bleachers to Tutt Construction Inc. of Billings, Mont. The total bid for the project, including delivery and installation of the new bleachers at Sheridan High School, was $147,000.
Renovation
Burlington High School, located in Burlington, Vt., has reopened its doors—on a slightly unconventional new campus. After a whirlwind 10-week renovation process, the downtown Cherry Street building that formerly served as a Macy’s department store is now ready to welcome BHS students and faculty to their new home.
Renovations
The Ann Arbor School Board in Ann Arbor, Mich., approved $63 million in funding for air conditioning and lighting renovations at 13 schools in the district, as well as contracts for future architectural and engineering projects.
Energy
Federal energy regulators have given Oregon State University permission to move forward with PacWave South, an offshore wave energy testing facility.
COVID-19 and Schools
Many universities around the country have designated certain campus residence halls as temporary housing for students in coronavirus-related quarantine or isolation. And some universities are starting to see these spaces fill up quickly.
Flooring
The Mohawk Group has announced the expansion of its Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) line, Living Local, with four new styles.
Renovation
The Encore Theatre Company, a nonprofit theater group in Dexter, Mich., is raising money to renovate its new performance space—a historic school building downtown.