Learning Resources

Abstract: First generation and marginalized students often have difficulty accessing campus services. Holistically supporting students through integrated services so that they feel valued, respected, and included is critical to graduation and retention rates. The University of Arizona (UA) radically transformed access to student services, bringing together previously disparate services into the co-located Student Success District that renews existing campus assets into accessible, flexible, human-centric spaces. This session will share a model for bridging strategic and facilities planning with universal principles and qualitative and quantitative metrics for leveraging existing programs and building resources to improve student outcomes.

Abstract: As Ontario's destination college, Loyalist College empowers its campus community through experiential, industry cluster-based education, training, and applied research programs. The college is a key driver of social and economic health in eastern Ontario, offering more than 70 full-time programs in a variety of fields including sciences, business, and skilled trades. Join us for a campus tour that will guide you through the college's state-of-the-art facilities and give you an inside look at its uniquely supportive community.

Abstract: Discover how Passive House design was incorporated into the design of UTSC’s 750-bed residence hall and dining facility; helping the University to meet its sustainability and health & wellness goals. Embracing this high-performance design protocol for student residences of any size will align three goals for any campus: sustainability, student health, and bottom-line financial performance.

Abstract: We’ve organized Trends using STEEP: Social, Technology, Economic, Environmental, and Political. Each trend includes a brief trend summary, a footnoted source, and discussion questions to help you analyze and act on the trend.

Abstract: Using an administrative sustainability framework, we studied the decision process as it relates to space allocation. Those making the decision were academic faculty at a mid-sized urban Canadian university. We present recommendations for decision makers with resource allocation responsibilities.

Abstract: Over the course of two years, The New School, a New York City university established in 1919 by philosopher John Dewey and other prominent Progressive Era scholars, partnered with the Stevens Institute of Technology, a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey, founded in 1870. The partnering universities entered—and were selected as one of 20 finalists of—a biannual, international competition among higher education institutions to design and build an energy-efficient house. Typically, the competition draws significant public attention because of its focus on showcasing innovative technologies to advance energy savings. (All 20 finalist houses—this time, including the New School–Stevens “Empowerhouse”—are displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC.) As well, the competition spurs innovation among students and provides an extraordinary “real-world” educational experience. Five of us who worked on this project discuss the challenges and benefits of an inter-institutional approach that also centered on collaboration with multiple community partners including Habitat for Humanity of Washington, DC, several DC government agencies, and community-based organizations in the DC neighborhood of Deanwood, where the competition house would ultimately be relocated and reconstructed as a two-family Habitat for Humanity residence. The project involved more than 200 students over a multiyear period working on and employing their academic preparation in areas including community engagement, advocacy, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, environmental policy, sustainability management, fashion design, lighting design, organizational change management, urban policy, environmental studies, architecture, and product design.