All Articles


The Things I Have Learned

I have learned many things in my nearly 20 years in plant services management.

Saving Face

Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking sites are all the rage on college campuses. What does this new technology mean to your school?

Patrolling Academia

Colleges and universities are finding themselves under the EPA microscope.

Making a Buck

Universities are discovering new ways to add some dollars to the bottom line, but turning a profit from auxiliary centers isn't an automatic slam-dunk.

What's Coming Next? Shaping the Future on Campus

Today's campuses continue moving into the future in many innovative and exciting directions.

Social Networking: It's a Good Thing

Social networking is a good thing — if students and educators are properly taught how to be safe. This raises two questions: What is social networking, and how can students and educators be taught?

The EPA Is Studying You

Environmental regulators have targeted K-12 schools. How can you avoid violations and fines?

Harnessing the Sun

Solar roofing systems can provide an important energy source that also helps to address sustainability concerns.

Putting a Lock on Students

Fences may make good neighbors, but locks don't seem to me to be a good way to deal with normal teenagers acting inappropriately.

Our Kids' Future Depends on Us

This is the start of a new year — a year that will likely show increases in school construction, a greater acceptance of "green" applications in general, and a rise in debates about the money spent to upgrade our schools.

Trends in Education

A number of professionals who specialize in school facility issues talk about what is happening in their areas of expertise.

Designing Beds for More Sophisticated Heads: A Modern Campus Success Story

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is focused on providing modern residential facilities for all its undergraduate students.

Instruction Drives Construction

or most educators, the relationship between instruction and facilities is tenuous at best. Many will pass their entire careers adapting how they teach to existing spaces to which they are assigned. Opportunities to shape their environment are typically li

Solar Roofs in San Diego

SDCS has found an innovative way to save energy and cut costs, and they plan to expand it to all of their facilities through time.

Making a Buck

Universities are discovering new ways to add some dollars to the bottom line, but turning a profit from auxiliary centers isn't an automatic slam-dunk.

Nature Teaches Lessons

Norris school facilities emerged better than ever after a tornado's devastation because of a shared spirit of cooperation and community pride.

Designing Healthy Schools Our Children Deserve

Our schools buildings and campuses are cultural artifacts demonstrating the heart of our collective beliefs and dreams. By fostering a culture of monolithic, impersonal school citadels and fortresses, we risk losing the very soul of our communities and th

Bring on the Night

Outdoor lighting can illuminate people and property, conserve energy, and protect the night sky.

Snow and Ice Management Checklist for School Administrators

Snow and ice management is an important responsibility for school administrators.

Final Thought column

Banning tag and other children's activities is not a proper educational response to the problem of litigation.

Vendable Reading

How can schools manage growing collections and shrinking spaces? Automated library storage and retrieval systems provide a nifty solution to a burgeoning problem.

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