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 mjones@1105media.com.

Featured

  • Carnegie Grants R2 Status to East Texas A&M

    East Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas, recently announced that it has been designated a Research 2 (R2) institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, according to a news release. The R2 designation took effect on February 13.

  • Illinois Elementary School Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

    Heather Hill Elementary School, part of Flossmoor School District 161 in Palatine, Ill., recently broke ground on a new addition to the school focused on student support and security, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers for the expansion as part of a longer-term facility planning and modernization initiative.

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • Kimball International Debuts Health & Education Experience Center

    Kimball International recently opened a new facility at its corporate headquarters in Jasper, Ind., that will act as a hands-on showroom for a variety of its furniture products and solutions, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot Health & Education Experience Center was originally designed by Gensler as the headquarters for Kimball International’s National brand.