As the crisis in the financial markets has deepened, upward pressure on construction prices, in general, and commercial kitchen construction, in particular, has weakened. That will come as welcome news to colleges, universities, and culinary schools plann
In the past, sustainable building design may have been more expensive than following a more traditional construction route. Improvements in both materials and building systems, and a greater commitment to building green facilities, are thankfully changing
Colleges and universities are working harder to bring environmental consciousness and solid green practices to their students through a variety of methods, including building and purchasing choices and campus-wide initiatives. Bringing the green movement
You may be surprised to learn that administrators at Abilene Christian University are testing iPhones and iPod touches with their freshmen as a means of integrating mobile technology into course curriculum and campus life. You may be even more surprised t
Anything you can do I can do better. That's the idea around many campus Ecolympic events. These dorm-to-dorm competitions inspire students to save energy, recycle, and learn about reducing their carbon footprint. What does it take to run one of these
Many colleges and universities have provided on-campus student housing for decades, while other institutions are getting into the housing market for the first time. Developing, constructing, and managing student housing is an effort that requires experien
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
In 2000, slightly more than 33 percent of U.S. college students had cell phones on campus. In the fall of 2004, nearly 90 percent did. The pros and cons of this phenomenon can be debated, but the impact of the cell phone on our campuses cannot be denied.
In the aftermath of recent emergency situations including tragic university shootings, weather-related disasters, and other crises college administrators and emergency managers began turning toward network-centric emergency notification syst
As economic conditions change, we see higher education reshaping how we budget and what we budget for. State schools have seen budgets for operations and maintenance fall due to recent tax cuts, and while many private institutions seem to operate under a
Academic research facilities are specialized spaces and therefore require unique design for acoustics and noise and vibration control, especially when sensitive equipment is in use. Whether inside or outside, common vibration and noise sources such
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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&
It's a dilemma many campuses struggle with: exactly what do you do with the old furniture? Institutions like Georgetown University, the University of San Diego, the University of California system, and Stanford University, to name a few, have turned
College administrators are putting an increased emphasis on improving their ability to communicate with students, staff, and visitors quickly and effectively. It's no wonder academic institutions across the country large and small are o
About 30 years ago a new lighting technology became available without much fanfare, but it only gained popularity after being reintroduced in the 1990s. With induction lighting's obvious benefits of a long lifespan and little-to-no maintenance, are c
Next time you look around your campus kitchens, take a special glance at your appliances. Your foodservice appliances are big-ticket items. These expensive implements make your staff's lives easier and your foodservices run smoothly. What does it tak
When David Warren moved to Delaware, OH, to start his tenure as president of Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) in the 1980s, he had a slight problem: The president's house would not be ready for occupancy for several months. But instead of moving into a
Read any admissions' brochure or attend an event at a college or university, and you'll likely learn about its link to the community. Many campus grounds are easily accessed; fences are low or nonexistent, there are few security checkpoints, and
True or false? To be officially certified, an arboretum must include a minimum of 250 different species of trees on a minimum of 50 acres. False. The truth of the matter is that there is no official arboretum-certifying body any outdoor space can b
The perils and pitfalls of the search process could consume an entire volume, but based upon our experience as both candidates and search consultants, there are three common junctures at which the process often becomes derailed.
While evaluating a campus preparedness plan for a client recently, I noticed a common problem. The plan was painstakingly developed with superb detail. But as I reviewed the action steps for each protocol, it became apparent that the voice of the plan cha
Colleges and universities across the nation have been making the decision to allow security officers to carry firearms. This month we talked with Bill Corner, Calvin College's campus safety director. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin College, will
Free! Robust e-mail platform that offers six gigabytes of storage space, familiar Web-based interface, integrated chat and calendar software, superior spam blocking and virus protection, no data backup necessary, and no hardware or software upgrades. All
Most mid-sized and large public K-12 school systems and many independent K-12 schools have had some form of emergency notification system (ENS) in place for several years. Though some institutions of higher learning have also had these systems in place, m
Baltimore's Morgan State University is positioning itself to meet this challenge by evaluating all marketing efforts and determining which are going to work and keep us within our budgets. One of the ways we are doing this is through the use of mobil
Maintenance professionals play a critical role in an institution's environmental program, and the procedures and tools at their disposal continue to evolve as new products and equipment or improvements to existing offerings become avail
Campus safety concerns extend beyond emergency communications and adequate lighting. Asbestos, lead, mold, and radon pose health risks that must be addressed and remediated.
Fuel prices have been rising steadily in recent years, and these high prices have become a constant topic in the news, and even in our current Presidential election. This month we focused on solutions colleges and universities are employing to compensate
Online university programs have the power to leverage the Internet to transcend distance and time constraints, providing new and expanded ways of teaching, learning, and collaboration on an international level. Unfortunately, these programs can also be th
Anything green grabs the headlines today, so it's no surprise manufacturers lead off the benefits list with metal roofs' earth-saving traits. The actual steel or aluminum itself is typically made from 60 percent recycled materials, according to
Purdue University Residences is providing the privacy option with a new 365-bed, two-building, 163,000-sq.-ft. complex at the center of campus that provides each student with a private bedroom and bathroom. When the new residence hall opens in 2009, Purdu
Large storms remain just one of many disasters that campuses must be prepared for. Other disasters that require the same amount of attention and training include pandemic illness, fire safety, active shooter incidents, and bomb threats. Each of these situ