Colleges and universities across the country are burdened with inefficiently utilized facilities, leading to unnecessary costs, wasted space, and misplaced financial priorities. This policy brief examines the systemic mismanagement of campus facilities and proposes market-based reforms to legislatures and trustees in order to optimize space usage,…

This article is on the development of the School Facility I.Q. Inventory (SFIQI), an instrument to assess the extent of knowledge a school administrator possesses in delivering their assignment to manage his/her school building. The instrument was designed based on the current literature. The validity of the instrument was verified by a panel of…

Not long ago universities, colleges, and schools identified the management of facilities as the Physical Plant Office. Albeit, the services provided by the physical plant office included complex and highly technical functions, they were mainly focused on keeping building systems operating and the campus looking good. As important as these…

The 2015 Thought Leaders symposium focused on the topic of "Facilities & Technology: The Transformation of 'Campus.'" Educational institutions that master new technologies will have an edge in the increasingly competitive higher education landscape. This report discusses the factors related to integrating technology and the campus…

For education institutions looking for ways to expand, there is good news: they already may have the space they need, right on campus. Limited financial resources are inspiring education institutions to be more creative by enlisting the help of architects to re-examine existing built assets. By thinking differently about space--the space within…

In 2011, the Group of Eight (Go8) conducted a survey on the state of its buildings and infrastructure. The survey is the third Go8 Infrastructure survey, with previous surveys being conducted in 2007 and 2009. The current survey updated some of the information collected in the previous surveys. It also collated data related to aspects of the…

Space is both an asset and a burden for colleges and universities. On the one hand, space holds enormous value for institutions; their campuses and buildings are worth, in many cases, hundreds of millions of dollars. Space is the medium in which the institution operates. Online courses have proven that education can be conducted anywhere, but most…

Alumni houses and centers can seem like mysterious, stately structures to students and others crisscrossing campus. These buildings are usually constructed to serve alumni first and foremost, but by also allowing access to students, other campus departments and offices, and the community at large, alumni associations can bring these buildings to…

The challenges of managing physical space in higher education are often left unspoken and under researched. In this multiple case study of three urban universities, decision-making processes are examined with particular attention to who has institutional decision-making authority. Effective and efficient space management is important because the…

In considering the issue of transforming higher education, people tend to think of the university in the abstract: the idea of providing education and what that means in these changing times. The authors suggest that the physical university should also be considered. At Ferris State University, educators have made a comprehensive effort to…

In 2008 the Group of Eight (Go8) released a first report on the state of its buildings and infrastructure, based on a survey undertaken in 2007. A further survey was undertaken in 2009, updating some information about the assessed quality, value and condition of buildings and use of space. It also collated data related to aspects of the estate not…

This paper reports on a study of changing demands for space in United Kingdom (UK) higher education. Physical spaces that universities require are related to their functions in complex ways, and the connections between space and academic performance are not well understood. No simple algorithm can calculate a single university's space needs, but a…

This article describes a method for attributing research expenditures directly to assigned space that avoids the difficulties with traditional approaches that have arisen from the growth of interdisciplinary research activities where the attribution of research to the faculty member or unit is not strongly correlated with the location where the…

While a number of excellent campus climate planning resources are available, this guide attempts to fill a gap by providing an abundance of "how-to" information. The goal of the guide is to assist climate action planning teams at schools that are well versed in campus climate issues and well along in the CAP (Climate Action Planning) process as…

In today"s economy, public university administrators need to reflect on current practices for reporting and projecting space requirements to government entities as the cost of constructing new facilities or renovating space rises while income from legislative appropriations diminishes. As stewards of public buildings and funds, institutions…