The madness of March swirls around the excitement of collegiate sports. The most successful Division I teams are competing for tournament wins—and the large cash payouts associated with those high-profile victories. “Some athletics departments, particularly those in the Power Five conferences, bring in revenue and are not overly reliant on the greater university budget,” says Joel […]
When Quinnipiac University’s aging door readers had outlived their usefulness, Sandip Patel, financial systems specialist, and John Meriano, associate vice president for auxiliary services, knew they had reached a turning point with its QCard campus card system. “The door readers basically made the decision for us,” said Patel. “They were coming to end-of-life and we […]
A resolution to the now-standard debate over college athlete compensation was reached, and measures of opposition were quick to follow. While student athletes cannot be paid for their efforts in a paycheck, as of Aug. 1, the NCAA permits “cost of attendance”—a $2,000 to $5,000 yearly stipend given in addition to scholarships, intended to cover […]
As long as there have been cars on campus, there has been frustration over parking. Hundreds of cars spewing exhaust as drivers troll for a free spot harms the environment. Inefficient campus-owned vehicles only worsen the situation. The fact is, old-school vehicle management strategies are running on fumes. In the last few years, parking technology […]
In the past, Weber State University processed payments according to what was purchased and where. So basketball tickets went through one system, bookstore purchases went through another, and lab fees still another. Not only was it clunky on the front-end, but it made for tedious reconciliation on the back-end and a general feeling of chaos […]
One of the more demanding jobs in higher ed belongs to the provost—the chief academic officer. With ever-widening fields of responsibility, the position often consists largely of on-the-job training. James Martin and James Samels, authors of UB’s online “Future Shock” column, expect their new book will help change that. The Provost’s Handbook: The Role of […]
With YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets, virtually nothing escapes the pubic's notice, and judgment. It's one reason higher education is paying much more attention to risk management now than in the past. There are also more risk-generating contingencies, such as mass shootings, and accountability standards, such as for the prevention of sexual […]
Fans at a University of New Haven football game might notice an odd sideline sight: medical personnel with their heads hunched over smartphones. But these athletic trainers are not checking text messages or updating their Facebook status. Rather, they are monitoring real-time data about the force of their players’ on-field collisions. In 2013 the Connecticut […]
Outside the circle of higher ed facilities managers, it’s the shiny new campus buildings that get all the glory. Yet what facilities insiders know all too well is that existing buildings are in dire need of attention. Aging buildings, a recent economic downturn and pressure to invest in new construction has led to rising deferred […]
Faculty and students at Bridgewater College in Virginia complained increasingly in recent years about the unavailability of textbooks at the campus bookstore. To control inventory, the store stocked only a percentage of materials required if everyone purchased what was expected. Campus business officers also noted a rapid decline in textbook revenue and related commissions, as […]