Circuit breakers are the linchpin of an institution's power-distribution system, so it's not surprising that several warning signs of an aging system relate to these devices. When warning signs occur, it's a message to facilities managers and administrators that breakers may need to be upgraded to help the power distribution system meet existing…

The use of field classes and the need for university master planning are presented as a way to enhance learning. This field-oriented, goal-oriented approach to learning is proposed as a general model for university-level geographic education. This approach is presented for physical geography classes, but could also be applied to other subdivisions…

Education administrators face the dual dilemma of crowded, aging facilities and tightening capital budgets. The challenge is to build the necessary classroom, laboratory and activity space while minimizing the length and expense of the construction process. One solution that offers an affordable alternative is modular construction, a method that…

Crisis planning includes making preparations for managing school buildings, grounds, occupants, and rescue and recovery personnel during and after a crisis. In "Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools" states: When a crisis…

Purpose: This research aims to examine the difference in the availability, adequacy and functionality of physical facilities in centralized and decentralized schools districts, with a view to making appropriate recommendations to stakeholders on the reform programmes in the Nigerian education sector. Design/methodology/approach: Principals,…

Administrators of today's community college are sprucing up facilities with new amenities and services to attract students and cater to their needs. Administrators say competition for students is fierce and that good facilities can make a big difference when students are deciding on which school to attend. While students cite academic quality as…

In the fall of 2006, students could purchase an entry-level notebook computer with a 15-inch LCD for $500. This price crossed an important threshold, moving notebooks into the range of consumer electronics--the category of phenomena that fuels mass consumer trends such as cell phones, digital cameras, and iPods. Most colleges and universities…

This self-assessment guide is designed to assist members of fiscal policy teams in assessing current district standards and practices in the area of school facility planning and construction in relation to the total educational program. Arranged to complement the components of a long-range master plan, the guide is divided into nine parts: (1)…

In November 1996, the voters of Montgomery County (Maryland) approved by referendum an amendment to the County Charter that changed the County Council's review and approval cycle of the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) from an annual to biennial cycle. The referendum specified that in odd-numbered fiscal years (on-years) the County…

The Educational Facilities Laboratories (EFL), an independent research organization established by the Ford Foundation, opened its doors in 1958 under the direction of Harold B. Gores, a distinguished educator. Its purpose was to help schools and colleges maximize the quality and utility of their facilities, stimulate research, and disseminate…

Issues surrounding Minnesota's public school facilities, such as rapid student enrollment numbers in many areas, the energy crisis, asbestos removal, access for handicapped, and safety and modernization needs, are creating the need for school facility improvement programs. This guide addresses the need for school facility improvement that meets…

The President of the United States uses the occasion of National School Modernization Day to offer brief remarks on the American economy and his administration's plans for improving educational facilities for the nation's children. He mentions the administration's first ever initiative at the national level to build, repair, or modernize 5,000…

To preserve open space on an extremely limited site, an athletic center at Columbia University was built "underground" and its roof landscaped with shade trees, evergreens, and shrubs. (Author/MLF)

In an era of financial constraint, the planner must produce the most reasonable plan that is acceptable to the most parties as accurately, honestly, and objectively as possible. (Author/WM)

Three occupational labs (child care, graphic arts, and food service) are featured as examples of vocational facilities in a new comprehensive high school in Troy, Michigan. The article stresses the planning that went into the project's development. (BP)