Learning Resources

Abstract: Planners, architects, and administrators have long worked to comply with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under 504, older buildings did not have to be accessible as long as an individual could participate in the college's program. However, the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which went into effect July 26, 1990, brought major changes for colleges and universities. Under the ADA, private universities and public universities have different regulations, but both must immediately begin barrier removal. Most colleges and universities have responded to this imperative in three different ways. A risk mangement approach is a calculated risk that current barrier removal efforts are sufficient until we see how courts interpret the ADA. A priority mangement approach does not remove all readily achievable barriers at once but sets priorities and begins with the highest. A comprehensive management approach spends funds to create a comprehensive plan for cost-effective barrier removal before any funds are spent on actual removal. With each approach it is recommended that institutions seek the advice of a legal counsel and document all decisions. It is also important to remember that fear that compliance will be too expensive is neither responsible nor defensible in court.

Abstract: Book review: Reaching Learners Through Telecommunications: Management and Leadership Strategies for Higher Education, by Becky Duning, Marvin Van Kerkerix, and Leon Zaborowski. Jossey-Bass, 1993. 300 pages.

Abstract: Book review: Joint Venture Partnerships: A Scarce Funds Approach to Aquiring and Operating New facilites at State College and Universities, by Houston Elam. American Association of State College and Universities (AASCU), 1992. 66 pages.

Abstract: Book review: Computing Startegies in Liberal Arts College, edited by Martin Ringle, EDUCOM Strategies Services on Educational technology. Addison-Wesley, 1992. 418 pages.

Abstract: Book Review: The Guardians: Boards of Trustees of American Colleges and Universities, by Clark Kerr and Marian Gade. Association of Governing Boards, 1989. 226 pages. The Effective Board of Trustees, by Richard Chait, Thomas Holland, and Barbara Taylor. American Council on Higher Education/Mamillam, 1991. 140 pages.

Abstract: College and university libraries are in constant need of increased space. The volume of printed materials is rising at ever-increasing rates. The question of how much library space to plan for the future is therefore an important one. Library space needs are doubling every 15 years. Does this mean that square footage of library space must grow without end? This question was asked at Cornell University, and the result was a strategic plan for library space needs through 2010. The net assignable square feet of the Cornell library has grown tremendously since 1951, yet most of the campus libraries have space deficits. This must be addressed along with the desire of the university to limit new construction on central campus to preserve open space and to move toward the virtual library. Two seperate approaches were used in the space needs anaysis. The first was the conventional approach, in which collections and user space needs are projected into the future. The second was a more strategic approach that looked at the potential impact of emerging technologies in reducing space needs. Cornell brought in experts to analyze the new technologies. In addition to the potential to reduce space requirements, the issues of implementation costs, copyright implications, and acceptability to users were addressed. The conclusion was that the university should be cautious about relying too soon on the virtual library to reduce space needs. If, however, conventional projections are used throughout the end of the 1990s, emergent technologies may cause the escalating space needs to level after the beginning of the next century.

Abstract: Book review: Ernest Cormier and the Universite' de Montreal, edited by Isabelle Gournay. Canadian Centre for Architecture and Editions du Meridien, 1990. 179 pages.