Learning Resources

Abstract: Understanding the human experience is essential to successfully adapting campuses for virtual learning. This session will share stories and lessons learned from two institutions regarding their campus adaptations in an effort to improve student retention. We'll showcase research findings and applications on how the switch to virtual learning during the pandemic may result in long-term adaptations to campus spaces. Come learn how you can apply the latest research to your plans for short and long-term campus adaptations to accommodate virtual learning outcomes.

Abstract: Historic separations that defined higher education are dissolving: research is more interdisciplinary, online and on-campus learning are converging, wet and dry labs are blending, teaching and research overlap, and academia forges relationships with corporate partners. Institutions, by improving how they connect what they offer, how they are organized, and how they operate, can build value and agility to better assist their people on campus. Real-world examples in this white paper from Knoll and brightspot strategy discuss how campus spaces support student success, including how to fully use the campus; creating spaces that sustain diverse and flexible ways of working; thinking phygitally; and creating environments where today’s purpose-driven and entrepreneurial students (Gen Z) will thrive as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Abstract: The University of Minnesota follows the state’s sustainable building guidelines, specifically Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), and uses post-occupancy evaluations (POE) to measure user satisfaction with campus buildings. In this session, we’ll demonstrate how to implement sustainability initiatives, which have a significant impact on campus building performance and by extension, user performance and wellbeing. Establishing a system of post-occupancy evaluation can provide you with the IEQ intelligence you need for data-driven design criteria. Come learn how to design sustainable user-friendly environments and evaluate measurable facility user outcomes on your campus.

Abstract: The sustainability movement in higher education has made considerable headway in the areas of research, campus operations, and community outreach, but has been less successful in bringing about curricular reform. To promote greater thinking about sustainability in the undergraduate curriculum, this essay explores three main questions: What are the implications of sustainability for higher education? What are some noteworthy examples of institutions incorporating sustainability into the curriculum? And, what can we learn from their experiences? The author advocates implementation of a "third order" learning model, emphasizing deep learning, a participative process which takes the form of continual exploration through practice.

Abstract: Green buildings offer many compelling advantages over their conventional counterparts—increased educational performance, lower energy costs, and lower environmental impact, to name a few—so green buildings should be easier to develop. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Several strategies are important to avoid a protracted process. Develop a set of clear environmental performance goals (buildings as pedagogical tools, climate-neutral operations, maximized human performance), use Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) as a gauge of performance, and use the project to reform the campus building process. All of these steps need to involve a range of participants—students, faculty, administration, and facilities staff—to achieve the best results.

Abstract: Describes the quantitative analysis of program array at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in an attempt to evaluate new and low-enrollment programs in a period of shrinking financial resources. The analysis is designed to compare a college or university with its peer institutions. The resulting information can form the basis of policy development for low-enrollment majors, assist in evaluating the need for new programs, or aid in analyzing resources and developing new, consolidated, and/or collaborative programs.