From severe weather to acts of violence, schools across the nation are forced to deal with a variety of emergencies each year. One basic element of an emergency plan is communication, knowing how to get the right information to the right people at the rig
It doesn't take a 40-page document with the I's dotted and T's crossed, consultants say, to make a huge difference in who will lead your university's future. Instead, it takes a commitment to planning for that leader, period.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, in the 2006-16 decade, "total employment is projected to increase by 15.6 million jobs, or 10 percent, slightly less than the 15.9 million jobs, or 12 percent, during the 1996-2006 decade. This slowdown in the gr
Every now and then, a public project runs into an environmental issue or two when it comes to planning. And the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) folks are ever-present, but very often can be appeased if not satisfied with compromise and assurances that address
After years of not being the priority it should be at many institutions, campus safety is being reevaluated because of a single horrific event. Many colleges and universities have finally begun to embrace multidisciplinary threat assessment, even though t
This month, while some students are heading back to campus to start their fall classes, others may be heading to their computer instead. With rising costs associated with education, including gas prices for commuting students, online classes and degree pr
Access control was once a big-city concern, but today, even areas with few foreseeable problems are taking the initiative ahead of time. Prevention and deterrence are the keys to protecting our most valuable asset our children and young people.
On Sept. 18, 2008 the U.S. House of Representatives passed The No Child Left Inside Act of 2008, H.R. 3036, which was sponsored by John P. Sarbanes (D-MD) and co-sponsored by 64 others. The act is intended to support local and statewide efforts to expand
Schools across America are facing tight budgets, with escalating energy bills a substantial factor in these budgets. Boilers account for one-third of those energy bills. Older boilers typically have efficiency rates up to 77 percent, but with the retrofit
As student populations decline, global competition becomes even fiercer, and energy costs continue to rise, these pressures are only going to increase, and colleges are going to need to evolve rapidly to maintain their viability. Because the physical camp
Escalating energy bills are a major factor contributing to the shrinking amount of money available to be put toward the education system. Boilers consume large amounts of fuel for indoor climate control and domestic hot water. With one-third of a college&
Floor covering in schools continues to generate discussion as to what may be best suited for students susceptible to respiratory challenges. Recognizing the trend toward dwindling budgets being allocated to school maintenance and operations, floor coverin
If you spend a few minutes observing the advertisements in any of today's media forums, you'll surely witness the touting of a product being new and better. But is new always better? When it comes to aging windows, new replacements don't al
Planning, designing, and constructing a new school are formidable tasks. Garnering the necessary support to fund these projects may be an even bigger task. What can districts do to improve their chances of success? Make sure that ALL stakeholders are invo
Maintenance and cleaning of floor coverings plays a critical role in occupant health and safety, aesthetics, flooring performance, and investment protection; therefore, campus facilities present significant carpet maintenance and cleaning challenges. Thos
A more recent hot topic in the campus security is "integration." Integration seeks to bridge the gap between fire safety and security. Integration attempts to address years of the disconnected accumulation of products. Integration also holds the
Fraud happens. Sometimes it's big and involves business relationships outside the organization; other times it's small and deeply hidden within the detailed processes of the daily operations. The areas of risk for fraud are diverse, and it most
Gone are the days when merely specifying insulating glass was enough to satisfy a demand for energy-efficient windows and glass-paneled doors. Now, with green building and LEED leading the way, knowledge of glazing, coatings, and framing options is essent
Campus emergency preparedness plans should provide specific and practical action steps for employees to perform in the event of a crisis. However, personnel must be provided with specific information on actions they should avoid during crisis situations.
A more recent hot topic in the school security is "integration." Just consult Google, and you will find that the term "security integration" brings approximately 19,700,000 results! Why such a popular topic? Integration seeks to bridge
Or free music, movies, or ringtones, for that matter. Peer-to-peer file sharing programs allowed computer users to swap copyrighted material for free. And swap they did. As the Recording Industry Association of America gets serious about curbing illegal d