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Shining Through

Most designers engaged in daylighting design understand how daylighting saves energy and influences architecture, but many secondary issues related to daylighting are less understood — factors that can have a significant impact on performance of both

Master Planning in Developing Countries

U.S. colleges are working with countries that want access to the unique qualities of higher education for their citizens. Accordingly, this global drive toward more competitive and comprehensive higher education systems is attracting significant attention

Pesticides and IPM

Pest control is no longer a simple matter to be left to the maintenance staff, but rather everyone, including the facility manager, key administrators, teachers and others have a role to play It may be helpful for a school to have an ongoing health and sa

Teacher Residency Programs May Have Benefits for Higher Ed and K-12

The University of Denver's teacher residency program in conjunction with Denver Public Schools is part of a national trend of preparing teachers through observing, practicing, and learning about education every day. Graduate students in the Denver Te

What's Next?

A mere decade ago, I did not comprehend the massive changes in many other parts of the world. I certainly did not envision the massive changes in our nation and its institutions of higher learning these changes in other lands would bring. Like many folks,

Analytics as a Planning Tool

Many districts have begun to consider changing school boundaries to increase efficiencies and provide a richer educational experience for all students. However, determining new boundaries and consolidating existing facilities are challenging tasks with si

Sleeping With the Enemy

Changing the behavior of students to avoid infestation by bedbugs may be a losing battle. The best course of action seems to be identifying a small infestation early and eradicating it before it becomes extreme. So, many college and university administrat

The Things I've Learned 2010

As each year closes out, I take some time to reflect on the events of the year and work to find areas where I picked up on something new, learned a new or different way of doing something, or just plain "got schooled," and will apply those lesso

It's on the Move

Mobile technology is on the move as students, faculty, and staff come to campus with their iPads, iPhones, Droid Xs, BlackBerry Torches, and more. This means greater opportunities for education, communication, and good will. It also means additional chall

Changes to School Lunches With New Act and Nutritional Standards

Signed into law in December, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 offers a number of provisions addressing school nutrition and school lunch program operations. In general, the provisions will provide money, support systems, greater accountability an

Green Resolutions

We would like to challenge schools to take on a new resolution this year and, more importantly, see it through. So here it is: As good stewards of education at [INSERT YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE], we resolve to help our district take better take care of ou

What's Your Sign?

The next time you seen one of those brilliant digital billboards along the road, think about the role that technology might play in your school or district. Digital signs are the first step toward school- and district-wide video communications systems tha

LCD Digital Signage: The Writing (and More) Is on the Wall

LCD technology has become an attractive medium for many public places, such as college common areas, to engage an audience in places of waiting or purchasing. The popularity of LCD technology in these applications has grown in part due to the capability t

Shared Services: The Spaces in Between

Who runs your school's bookstore? The Follet Corporation? Barnes & Noble? Or do you run it yourself? The University of Missouri proposes a third option. They have successfully implemented a shared services model that brings profits to all parties

Directing a Successful Capital Campaign in Any Economy

Sure, it's easy to experience success in a bull market but, in a bear market, do you have the nerve to ask for money for a new facility instead of patching the leaky roof for the hundredth time? Here are the rules of engagement for any economy.

It's a Sign of the Times

College campuses are changing. One very visible change is the addition of digital signage networks. Digital signage networks are a network of electronic screens placed in strategic, highly visible locations. The content displayed on the screens can be ind

A Building With a Vision

Big dreams to propel your organization forward are often interrupted by the harsh reality of budget cuts, nay-saying in high places, and the slow but steady erosion created by incremental compromises that add up to huge deviations from the original vision

Finding Opportunity in the New 'Normal'

Those who will be successful are those who have stopped mourning for the old economy, stopped poking it with a sharp stick to see if it moves, and started thinking about what can be done with what we now have. It is much like working through the five stag

Cutting Costs/Maintaining Quality

With proper planning, it is absolutely possible to achieve a desired look for an educational facility while remaining within a finite budget. Furthermore, one can select materials that don't cost much, yet will go the distance in terms of longevity.

Just a Janitor

Any school or school system that fails to specifically train, empower and encourage all of its employees to actively seek to identify potentially dangerous situations and take appropriate corrective actions is wasting precious resources and has serious li

Designing Spaces for Today's Students

Since the late 1980s, college administrators and architects who design higher-education facilities have trained their sights on creating learning environments that support greater student engagement and enhance student collaboration. But only recently has

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