2017 Forecast: Trends Shaping Higher Education

Higher Education TrendsThought leaders share outlooks on what the future holds for the higher education campus, discussing everything from networks to waste collection.

TOPIC: Health Science Facility Design
TREND: Toward Interdisciplinary Design
By Kate Yurko, AIA, LEED-AP

TOPIC: Campus Planning and Design
TREND: Toward Integrating and Extending the Impact of Spaces
By Lynn D. Akey, Ph.D.

TOPIC: Safety & Security
TREND: Toward Product Implementation
By Rodney Chatman

TOPIC: Waste Collection
TREND: Toward Cost Savings and Efficiency
By Emma Skalka and Victor Stanley

TOPIC: Prospective Students’ College Visits
TREND: Toward Combining Visits With Vacation
By Kurt A. Stahura, Ph.D.

TOPIC: Wired and Wireless Networks
TREND: Toward Machine Learning and Time-Sensitive Networking
By Tim Zimmerman

Not Your Parents' Dining Hall: Dining options support special diets.

Technology to Move Outside in 2017

Reverse Transfer: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The College of Western Idaho's Agricultural Sciences Complex has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • nursing students talk while studying in a hallway

    Elsevier Launches VR Simulation Solution for Nursing Students

    Elsevier has introduced Shadow Health Lab with Virtual Reality, a simulation platform that allows nursing students to interact with virtual patients and build clinical judgment skills in a safe, realistic environment.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces 2026 Product Award Winners

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2026 Product Awards! The award program spotlights outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance K–12 and higher-education learning environments.