The athletic department at Columbia College in Missouri will have tripled in size by the 2016-17 school year. But it has no plans to field a football team, says Cindy Potter, the associate director of athletics. In 2012, the college—which has about 1,100 students attending class on its "day" campus and another 25,000-plus in various […]
Need donation spending advice? Turn to the students, as Oklahoma Christian University did. In November, President John deSteiguer announced that students could vote to allocate a recent $275,000 gift to one of six projects in the university's Thrive campaign. "Students Pick" initiative options were: construction of a campus coffee shop, expansion of the Ethos spiritual […]
In many ways, 2015 will look a lot like 2014 with respect to facilities. But there are trends impacting the creation and use of physical space on virtually every college and university campus. Institutions will be curbing new construction activity, getting creative about funding, paying more attention to overdue maintenance, and planning more for mixed-use […]
The encouraging sounds of construction will be heard on many campuses in 2015, but funding shortages will force some institutions to scale back building plans, according to a UB survey of higher ed facilities managers. Nearly four in 10 respondents expect to break ground on a new facility in 2015, while more than one-third say […]
Last January, The Campaign for Oregon State University surpassed its $1 billion goal—almost a year ahead of schedule. It was the university's first comprehensive campaign, and it also exceeded its goal of raising $200 million for facilities and equipment—providing all or part of the funds for building, renovating or acquiring more than two dozen facilities. […]
Today's incoming freshmen who have never shared a room want more privacy than previous generations of dorm dwellers would have ever expected. And many students now are especially not eager to share bathrooms with an entire hallway of classmates. Of course, turbo-charged Wi-Fi is essential—and air-conditioning, cable TV, game rooms, kitchens, cafes and even a […]
Colleges and universities of all types and sizes are planning new investments in virtually all areas of operations as economic recovery entrenches itself in higher education, according to a University Business survey of campus leaders. Student success and retention, along with recruitment and enrollment, lead the way among the many areas that will see a […]
Higher education institutions can venerate or perpetuate hallowed traditions. Institutions have had a reputation for infrastructure conservatism. William Rees' 2003 article "Impeding Sustainability? The Ecological Footprint of Higher Education" states "the real challenge for higher education is to help articulate an alternative life-sustaining worldview." Today, campuses lead the transformation to sustainability, demonstrating its value nationwide. […]
For today's college students, on-the-go lifestyles present a challenge when it comes to finding time to eat, and, more specifically, eat well. In 2010, when Adriana Marie Reyes of The University of Arizona surveyed 219 undergraduate students for her honors thesis on what influences college students' eating habits, 82 percent said they would eat healthier […]
Getting tripped up on the latest accessibility standards when planning or renovating campus buildings—and then having to make costly changes later—is hardly a project team's idea of a good time. The mistake may be innocent enough. Take the concept of completing a project in steps, which may have accessibility-related complexities. "There is a lot of […]
