Clearly, education is changing on many levels the addition of technology, the advent of online education, the accessibility and ubiquity of information, the comfort level of students and professors in using technology, the delivery of education, th
Security technology and IT have converged, but there are three steps to the process: personal relationships between the security director and the IT director, an IT director to guide the installation of security technology on a campus network, and the IT
Part of the all-hazards planning process involves a recognition of the hazards that must be addressed for your organization's geographic location. No community is immune to these types of threats. Though the risk to most specific communities from rad
The Hillsborough County School District, in Tampa, is the ninth largest in the country. We have created and implemented the following mechanical engineering systems for our school buildings to provide consistent and dependable indoor air quality, reduce c
While most schools have been using video for years now, most are still not using it to its full potential. Centralizing the management and monitoring of video is the first step to its strategic utilization, which provides superintendents and district-leve
Under very tight budget constraints, President Obama released on February 14, 2011 his proposed budget for fiscal year 2012. The programs within the U.S Department of Education fared well, including some new investments for postsecondary education.
In the world of great unknowns one thing is certain; emergencies, natural or man-made, happen. Along with them comes a rapid fire series of questions: Is it best to evacuate or shelter-in-place? How is traffic managed while quickly getting students and st
Time was, science laboratories had few windows and little natural light. The benches were built into the structure. Uncomfortable stools provided seating. Offices were on other floors or even in other buildings. But scientists have changed.
From 2008 through 2009, Dr. Pavel Samsonov, of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, ran an experiment to see if video conferencing was a viable method of teaching homebound high school students.
In the past, signs were often an afterthought to school design. Too often they still are. Whether they are used for identity, directional, or information purposes, signs should be integrated into the overall design.
Campus signage programs have come a long way from the simple signs used in years past to identify individual buildings or areas within a campus. Developing the most efficient and cost-effective program, especially when multiple campuses are involved, requ
If your board room, auditorium, gymnasium or other space has ever been the scene of public protest over an educational facility construction project, or if you have worked tirelessly to pass a referendum only to have it voted down, you can count yourself
Given the nation's current budget deficit, President Obama released on February 14, 2011 his proposed budget for fiscal year 2012. For some sectors, the comment has been that this is no Valentine! But for the education sector, it indicated an overall
What does it take to create school facilities now, that can handle challenges in the 21st century? What will students and staff be doing in 2030 that is different from today, and how will the community be involved? How do you create facilities that will a
NIMS is a flexible, plain English organizational framework designed to provide a common standard for emergency management. It is flexible in that the components of NIMS can aid in the development of plans, processes, procedures, agreements and roles for m
As I sit watching the news I hear about international competition, our students falling behind, the need to upgrade our math and science programs, school consolidations and workforce development. Call it déjà vu (or maybe old age), but I rem
Change is needed in the way O&M work is performed at campus auxiliary functions. Having had the opportunity to visit several dozen campuses in recent years, I have seen various models of how O&M needs are satisfied on assets assigned to auxiliary
To make sure that your dynamic facility program is reflected through dynamic furniture, it's important to have user-driven selections. Involving your architect can add value this process through their understanding of the facility design and construc
The new year has started, and for most of us that means our school district has completed about half of the academic year. Now, the task turns to looking forward to projects that will be designed and implemented during the summer recess. This is also a go
Colleges and universities nationwide are scrambling for building space and for capital dollars. As a result, two significant trends are converging to ease the strain: One is conversion of use taking advantage of existing structures for unintended o
Under very tight budget constraints, President Obama released on February 14, 2011 his proposed budget for fiscal year 2012. The programs within the U.S Department of Education fared well, including some new investments for postsecondary education.