Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

MiEN Releases White Paper on Community College Space Innovation

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/10/25

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

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Classical building columns display digital data streams

    The Campus Nervous System: Why Facilities Risk Is Now a Leadership Issue in Higher Education

    Facility performance now intersects with safety, compliance, on-campus experience, institutional reputation, and financial resilience. That places it firmly on the leadership agenda.