In this article, the author talks about Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System or "STARS," a tool currently available that aims to help a campus answer the "how" and "how hard" questions. Created by AASHE (the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education), STARS presents guidelines and suggestions (based on…

At the conclusion of the 2007-08 academic year, the City of Keene and Keene State College (KSC) began to celebrate the college's 100th anniversary. Keene is the 23,000-person hub of a 70,000-person county in southwestern New Hampshire. The history of a supportive town-gown relationship began prior to the college's founding in 1909. The city had…

Climate change planning is fast becoming an important element in university policy and governance. As the causes and impacts of global climate change become more apparent, many universities are embracing climate planning roles as community leaders, educators and researchers, and operators of major activity centers. For example, 685 university…

Given their value to the student experience, institutional identity, alumni loyalty, and economic welfare, historic preservation efforts must unite with institutional sustainability efforts and other high priorities to develop an approach for mutual success. Further, it is important to recognize the limits in the current milieu of economic…

This article is inspired by recent observations, events, and publications, as well as by a general and rising concern for and appreciation of the culture of American historical heritage as manifested on college and university campuses. Among the influences and inspirations for this article are Richard P. Dober's (2005) "Campus Heritage"…

After the Baby Boomers came the Gen Xers, and now it's the Millennials, or that population cohort born between 1982 and 2001. Exceeding the Boomers in sheer numbers, they are becoming a moving force in all sectors of society. Exhibiting a set of core traits significantly at odds with their predecessors, they are sometimes referred to as the "next…

To gain a full and true understanding of the value of campus heritage requires shifting perspective. On many campuses, heritage resources are perceived to have no relevance whatsoever to the challenges of sustainability. This results largely from a profound misconception about what may constitute a sustainable future and what steps may be needed…

The University of Michigan is almost always in the midst of a building boom. Year in and year out, Michigan has one of the most active programs of building renovation and new construction of all American universities. This program is very carefully managed to ensure that substantial architectural design work is not undertaken until there is a…

Sustainable planning is a powerful tool in creating campus facilities that are environmentally, economically, and academically beneficial. As interconnected communities, college campuses provide an excellent model for sustainable intervention strategies. The University of British Columbia and the City University of New York's Lehman College have…

For many it's a dollars and cents issue; for others, it's a heritage or spiritual issue. In reality campus heritage is both a spiritual and a monetary/economic issue. Some say that heritage should reflect institutional values, tradition, academic stature, and the role graduates have played in society, and others cast aside tradition and pay…

Creating a campus master plan is the first step in the process of managing enrollment growth; however, the plan is not just a document about buildings and parking spaces and classrooms and square footage. The plan should be viewed as an investment in the future of the institution and a way to link the college's mission and vision statements to the…

This study examined the quality and the factors which contributed positively and negatively to the quality of some selected students residential facilities in Nigeria. A user-perspective approach was adopted. The quality of the selected facilities was examined at three levels of environmental interaction and from architectural and social…

Examines the options available to colleges and universities needing to modernize their science facilities, many of which were built in the late 1950s and the 1960s. Looks at science building designs common to that era and the nature of modernization problems, and considers four possible courses of action: minor renovations; extensive renovations;…

The capital renewal and replacement of the nation's public higher education facilities has been a growing problem for several decades. While the need for new and improved facilities has increased over the years, many campuses simply have too many aging infrastructures that are too costly to replace. This, at a time when we have less than …

A seven-step strategy for improvement of college classroom spaces is outlined, and specific suggestions are made for designing efficient and effective spaces, including considerations for size, arrangement, seating, lighting, writing surfaces, and audiovisual and other classroom teaching equipment. (MSE)