The headlines say it all. "Texas universities forced to trim their budgets, even with big state cuts averted." —Texas Tribune "University of Alaska budget cut by $8 million in legislative compromise" —Alaska Dispatch News Subhead: Case studies on how small ideas bloomed into noticeable savings "University of Missouri to cut 400 positions amid budget woes" —US […]
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA—Jairy Hunter's introduction to higher ed came when he failed to land a starting position on the football team at Wingate University in North Carolina. That setback led the former high school state champion to drop out only a year later and enlist in the Army. After finishing his military service, he found […]
Renowned research chemist Karen Wetterhahn was working with dimethyl mercury in her lab at Dartmouth College, when she spilled a drop of the toxic compound on her glove. She had taken every precaution possible while working with the volatile substance, from using a hood to prevent her from inhaling fumes, to wearing a face shield […]
Campus facilities pros have long worked to lower energy costs while keeping building temps comfortable. As they know, complaints about comfort can quickly clog facilities department phones and make work orders pile up. Compounding the issue: Everyone seems to have a different idea about the best temperature. Studies show that men generally like buildings a […]
Student retention, persistence, success and graduation remain top-of-mind issues for higher ed leaders amidst the advent of the College Scorecard, the push toward 60 percent of high school graduates earning college degrees by 2020, and families' familiar concerns about return on investment. Lower-than-desired retention and graduation rates are not limited by an institution's size, sector, […]
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 […]
Embezzlement originating from any corner of campus can threaten any college and university. As for the losses, they can be big. Take, for example: Emory University in Atlanta. In July, a former employee received an 18-month prison term for stealing over $300,000. As an administrative assistant in the school of nursing, she misled students into […]
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 […]
Anthony Frank, president of Colorado State University, issued a campuswide challenge in 2012: Make CSU a model school where everyone can work and learn. An important first step was making the school more accommodating to the needs of women. One strategy was opening a child care center last fall and adding comfortable seating in lactation […]
At the drop of a hat, we run down to the grocery store to grab food and water – never thinking these consumables are actually vulnerable to the threat of agroterrorism. Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, put it this way “For the life of me, I cannot understand why the […]