Learning Resources

Abstract: Campus signage has seldom been a design prioirity at colleges and universities, yet prospective students, guest faculty, speakers, adult education class attendees, and others must find their way around an unfamiliar campus. In recent years, a new kind of graphic designer has come into being. These are enviromental graphic designers; they are fimiliar with signage needs and provide a comprehensive process, from environmental analysis to construction details. Campus signage is not only about directional information, but also aesthetics and image. There are many varied and heated opinions about signage, so it is best to assemble the smallest possible decision-making group to work with the designer. This group, however, must remain in contact with the many other interested parties. Good sign design has the following elements: (1) "the sign format," (2) "fabrication materials," (3) "type style," (4) "the graphic layout," (5) "colors of the sign," and (6) "location of the signs." Another issue to consider is the effect of the Americans with Disablities Act. While this has few implications for exterior signage, it has very specific requirements for interior signage, such as Braille, letter size, and contrast. If an institution makes signage a priority, clear integrated campus signs can be as important as landscaping and quality architecture to a newcomer. More than anything, good signage is a mark of courtesy to all who use the campus.

Abstract: Book Review: Responsiblity Center Budgeting: An Approach to Decentralized Management for Institutions for Higher Education, by Edward Whalen. Indiana University Press, 1991. 204 pages.

Abstract: Book Review: Economic Challenges in Higher Education, by Charles Clotfedler, Ronald Ehrenburg, Malcolm Getz, and John Siegfried. University of Chicago Press, 1991. 392 pages.

Abstract: Book Review: The Quest for Quality: The Challenge for Undergraduate Education in the 1990s, by Lewis Mayhew, Patrick Ford, and Dean Hubbard. Jossey-Bass, 1990. 292 pages.

Abstract: Book review: The Chief Student Affairs Officer: Leader, Manager, Mediator, and Education, by Arthur Sandeen. Jossey-Bass, 1991. 237 pages.

Abstract: Book review: The Art of the Long View, by Peter Schwartz. Doubleday Currency, 1991. 258 pages.

Abstract: Book Review: Desktop Publishing in the University, edited by Joan Burstyn. Syracuse University, 1991. 137 pages.