What's Next in Learning Spaces?

ZEELAND, MI — The world of higher education is changing rapidly in response to myriad shifts on and off campus, including intense economic pressures, the widening skills gap and ongoing advances in technology. Yet, there is one constant: a universal mission shared by every college and university — equip students for success, in the workplace and in life. Physical learning spaces have never been more integral to that goal. No one knows this better than the students who are on campus every day.

Herman Miller Inc., in collaboration with knowledge partner International Interior Design Association (IIDA), has launched its sixth annual Student Video Contest, inviting students to explore “What’s Next in Learning Spaces?” Using a video camera and their imaginations, students are asked to show how learning spaces should evolve to support the talents they need to excel in the future.

“Learning has no boundaries. It happens everywhere, from classrooms and studios to the places students live and socialize,” says Jeff Vredevoogd, director of Herman Miller Education. “Higher education continues to more intensely focus on student experience, and drive the innovation that will enable students to thrive on campus, and ultimately, in the workplace. The student voice is critical. This contest will help us — as researchers, designers, faculty and administrators — better understand how students use existing spaces and, in their eyes, what will make on-campus spaces even more valuable as they pursue lifelong learning.”

The Student Video Contest is open to students attending two- and four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. Entries will be accepted until 5 p.m. EST on March 27, 2015. Representatives from Herman Miller and IIDA will select three finalists whose submissions best represent creativity, originality and relevancy to the theme. A public vote will then decide the final ranking for the top three submissions. The first place winner will be awarded $2500; second place $1500, and third place $1000. Finalists will be invited to join Herman Miller at the 50th annual Society of College and University Planning conference in July 2015 in Chicago. The students will participate on a panel, share their videos and further explore “What’s Next in Learning Spaces?”

To view contest rules and guidelines, visit hermanmiller.com/studentvideocontest. You can also connect with Herman Miller on Twitter (@HermanMillerEdu), Facebook or Pinterest to catch the latest updates throughout the competition (#SVC2015).

About Herman Miller Inc.
Herman Miller’s inspiring designs, inventive technologies and strategic services help people do great things and organizations to perform at their best. The company’s award-winning products and services generated approximately $1.9 billion in revenue in fiscal 2014. A past recipient of the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award, Herman Miller designs can be found in the permanent collections of museums worldwide. Innovative business practices and a commitment to social responsibility have also helped establish Herman Miller as a recognized global leader. In 2014, Herman Miller again received the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s top rating in its annual Corporate Equality Index and was named among the 50 Best U.S. Manufacturers by Industry Week.

Featured

  • Embry-Riddle Breaks Ground on New Office Building

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced that construction has begun on a new office building for its campus Research Park, according to a news release. The university partnered with Hoar Construction on the 34,740-square-foot Center for Aerospace Technology II (CAT II), which will be used for research and lab purposes.

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

  • Pittsburgh High School Upgrades Athletics Facilities’ Technology

    Plum Senior High School in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently partnered with South-Dakota-based Daktronics through the We’re All Mustangs Here Foundation to upgrade the technology in its athletics facilities, according to a news release. Daktronics designed, built, and installed new LED video displays and finished the project in time for the beginning of the 2025 high-school football season.

  • Howard Community College President Joins National Research Council

    Howard Community College President Daria J. Willis was recently appointed to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on Research and Community College Trends and Issues, according to a news release.

Digital Edition