Economic downturn. Budget constraints. Cost of attendance. Campus infrastructure needs. Building to compete. For many colleges and universities, these phrases have become all too familiar over the last five years. With today's economic challenges, educational institutions are finding themselves in constrained financial positions. They are…

Provides an overview of the factors that must be examined and the issues to be addressed when assessing an institution's utility systems. Describes the management, planning, financing, and political dynamics surrounding the ownership of an institution's energy facilities. (GR)

Discusses the importance of the facility master plan (FMP) in defining project scope and validating or challenging the work of consultants. Offers three case studies illustrating how facility master plans averted problems or led to unanticipated benefits for the colleges involved. (EV)

Reports on ways in which college and university facilities management departments can keep a strategic plan viable throughout the intended planning time frame. Focuses on the importance of reexamining plans, staying on track, measurement and consequences, using other planning modules, scenario planning, reinventing the market, value migration, and…

Describes the various components of an effective campus security program, including the master plan/needs assessment, law enforcement staffing, security technology, access control, closed circuit television systems, and emergency planning. (EV)

Discusses the importance of the physical environment of colleges and universities in communicating the school's mission and promoting its academic reputation. Lists elements addressed and the objectives met by the interior master plan. Includes five illustrative charts. (RE)