Facilities

Financial stability: How colleges are trying to assure survival

The University of New Orleans, a public institution, announced last week it will furlough full-time employees and may also layoff some positions to close its "significant structural budget deficit."

Campus sustainability: Where the U.S. lands in the world rankings

Each school was graded on attention to climate change, clean energy, water conservation, waste recycling, green transportation and sustainability education and research.

3 ways campus bookstores can adapt to new habits

While the role of the bookstore has shifted, it hasn't lessened, says Lacey Wallace, research analyst at the National Association of College Stores.

Leveraging Energy Savings Performance Contracting for Sustainable Campus Revitalization

Date & Time: Monday, December 16 at 2 p.m. ET

Join Laura Carpenter from the Department of Energy's State and Community Energy Programs and Mike Hines, Director of Education Initiatives at Trane, for an insightful 30-minute Ed Talk on the transformative potential of Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) as a strategic tool for revitalizing aging campus infrastructure.

Peer Collaboration: Achieving Campus Innovation and Success

Date & Time: Thursday, September 26th at 2 pm ET

Peer collaboration between colleges and universities is a very useful tool for facilities and finance leaders to help innovate their campuses. This webinar will showcase how several prominent higher ed leaders take advantage of regular meetings with peer institutions to share ideas and successes.

Meeting Where Gen Z Is: Modernizing Student Living Experiences with the Latest Trends

Date & Time: Wednesday, September 18th at 2 pm ET

In this Ed Talk, an industry expert will highlight the smart living technologies reshaping on- and off-campus student living that Gen Z have come to expect from colleges and universities. We'll explore the growing trend towards flexible living arrangements and how these new technologies can empower institutions to create student-centric environments that foster community and innovation.

5 ways to turn underused space into a vibrant environment

Our old school cafeteria was sitting unloved, waiting for someone to come along and repurpose it into a more useful, engaging space for the modern learning environment.

How to attract new facilities talent on college campuses

Here are some fundamental ideas university leaders should consider as they frame their approach to the campus facilities workforce challenge.

How one small private school will power 50% of its campus with solar energy

Following seven years of negotiation, design and production that survived the pandemic, Grinnell College's 18-acre, 9,000-solar panel array is live, replacing one-third of the campus’ total energy needs. Another two-megawatt project is speedily underway.

Practical Strategies to Streamline Campus Construction and Renovation Projects

Date & Time: Thursday, June 13th at 2 pm ET

In this 20-minute UB Ed Talk, learn some practical strategies to streamline campus construction and renovation projects both in the short- and long-term, so that institutions of any size can become nimbler, more efficient, and more proactive in their approach to these important initiatives.  

These features make 64 campuses the prettiest in the nation

The campuses on Architectural Digest's list represent schools that "stun across the board"—from dormitories to libraries to dining halls.

The Future Proof Campus: Taking A Data-Driven Approach to Facilities Investments

Date & Time: Thursday, May 23rd at 2 pm ET

In this 20-minute UB Ed Talk, learn more about how to gather the data needed to make wise facilities investments at any institution, how to optimize your facilities data, and how to take a data-driven approach to facilities improvements to ensure your campus is better prepared for the future.  *All attendees will be able to download the free eBook, “How to Use Asset Investment Planning for Capital Planning, Budgeting, and Asset Management.” 

Facility reinvestment, bogged by inflationary costs, manages upswing in 2024, report

Despite budget growth, pesky faculty shortages have led to higher rates of building deterioration and a higher prevalence of obvious leaks, failed or failing equipment, and a general repair decline, according to Gordian, a facility and construction management leader,

How intentional building design helps these colleges build community synergy

Building infrastructure that naturally positions a university to interact with the outside world shows an understanding of the needs and desires of the general public, says a Notre Dame museum director.

These colleges are making new campuses with old parts—and growing along the way

Colleges and universities nationwide are purchasing shacked up buildings and transforming them to increase their academic offerings, student perks and enrollment prospects.

These 3 states’ immigration struggles are spilling into higher ed. How are schools responding?

States facing a shortage of resources to support a yearlong influx of migrants are turning institutions' gymnasiums and shacked-up dorms to shoulder some of the weight. Responses from the schools and their communities have been mixed.

Why colleges are updating historic buildings to suit the modern student

According to a new survey by The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), 84% of its member institutions reported they plan to update or adapt their facilities over the next year.

Strike possible at University of Minnesota as service workers fight for higher wages

Teamsters push for better pay and working conditions, while the Twin Cities campus struggles to provide adequate food for students, with Lunchables offered as options.

Senate Republicans: Title IX proposals erase 50 years of progress

The Biden administration "has seized our nation's primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities," Republicans write.

Are these the 50 best ‘small’ college areas to live and study in the U.S.?

From economic mobility to sheer fun, these locations are among the most engaging for higher education students.

Renovate or build new? What colleges can gain from saving legacy buildings

The charm might seem gone from historic campus structures, but preserving them can have its advantages.

The top 5 rankings in key categories from the 2023 Princeton Review

Vanderbilt University nearly sweeps three of the best measures voted on by students. But which colleges have the top dorms, food and career services?

They’re here! Colleges welcome big invasion of students this fall

A new academic year brings new challenges, including housing, but campuses are working hard to meet their demands.

BU study shows no COVID-19 spread in classrooms because of this factor

With more wide-open strategies set for the fall, will campuses be able to keep positive case counts low?

Housing crunch sends colleges scrambling to find space for students

Overbooked for the fall and out of residences, institutions are turning to hotels and even other colleges to add rooms.

3 solutions for the post-COVID administrative office

Take time to reimagine these workspaces with consideration for the people who rely on them.

COVID policies: How 9 universities plan to approach the pandemic this fall

Despite low hospitalizations and deaths among students, some institutions are keeping vaccine mandates in place.

Howard University goes online amid spike in COVID-19 cases, low quarantine space

With commencement ceremonies a month away and the city seeing a 140% increase, the university isn't taking chances.

Why this flagship university is eager to lure remote workers to its campus

"Work From Purdue" is being touted by the Indiana university as a first-of-its-kind program that incentivizes remote workers from outside the state to relocate to a campus live/work community.

Will COVID fatigue prevent colleges from new mandates when cases rise?

As institutions have lessened protocols and talked up an endemic phase, a new variant is lurking and spreading rapidly.

With COVID-19 cases up again, masking returns at Johns Hopkins, Georgetown

Despite a rise in cases statewide in New York, the University of Rochester opts to end booster requirements for students and faculty.

The impact of audio quality in education must be moved to the front of the class

Whether it’s minimizing background noise or amplifying the teacher’s voice, achieving the correct balance and quality of sound will enhance the students' overall quality of learning.

Can higher ed make it through April without big COVID spikes?

One big institution has abandoned most of its mitigation strategies, including contact tracing and isolation.

Should colleges be worried by threats of Russian cyber attacks on the U.S.?

White House warnings should set plans in motion by institutions to ensure their systems, data are protected.

In a rare move for higher ed, Bowling Green expels sorority for hazing

It is the second time in a year that the university has parted with one of its Greek Life organizations.