MiEN Releases White Paper on Community College Space Innovation

MiEN Company recently released a new white paper called “Designing New Innovative Spaces for Community Colleges” to address the needs of community colleges post-pandemic, according to a news release. The eight-page guide by Dr. Christina Counts, MiEN Company VP of Education and Marketing, covers topics like the enrollment drop that these schools have seen since COVID-19, the roles they play in higher education and local workforces, and five suggested key changes that can improve students’ experiences.

“Research shows that today’s community college students are looking for more than a degree. They’re looking for fulfilling educational experiences that will prepare them for professional and personal success,” said Dr. Counts. “We’re excited to collaborate with community college leaders to explore how they can create dynamic, inclusive spaces for future-ready students.”

The white paper discusses how updating, enhancing, or adding learning and social spaces can benefit the overall educational atmosphere of a campus. It also features grant opportunities that support community college initiatives, infrastructure, and workforce training programs. Finally, it highlights two recent projects to serve as a case study in putting the ideas into practice.

Within the white paper, the five suggested changes include, “Invest in customer service professional development and training for administrators; audit process to identify both technology and workflow bottlenecks; check in with students about their college experience; use technology to automate manual processes and help students get answers faster; [and] use data insights to proactively anticipate and meet students’ needs.”

The full white paper is available on the MiEN Company website.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.