Learning Resources

Abstract: In what ways will libraries continue to be the intellectual hubs where users interact with ideas in both physical and virtual environments to expand learning and facilitate the creation of new knowledge? The pandemic has illustrated the power of place and the need for the post-pandemic campus to integrate academic activities for lifelong learning and research.

This conversation will explore the place of the library to convene people for impactful connections, and the new emerging and transformational role of libraries as learning commons that shape the overall campus as a network for collaboration.

This is part three of a three-part webinar series.

Abstract: With societal inequalities in high relief, exacerbated by the pandemic and with lasting effect for many students, institutions must seek novel ways to meet needs and support success. This requires more concerted efforts to mitigate, and ensure we do not perpetuate, the barriers students face. How can institutions leverage librarians as educational partners, complementing the classroom experience, to ensure students from all walks of life have a strong net of academic support?

This is part one of a three-part webinar series.

Abstract: “SMART” built environments usually refer to buildings with embedded technologies that allow them to run as efficiently as possible. Yet for research institutions, that definition should be expanded beyond efficiency to include metrics that are used to quantify research productivity and accomplishments. The expected useful life of the building and individual labs, research dollars generated per square foot, intellectual property generated, and successful recruitment and retainment of researchers are but a few bottom line-oriented measures that colleges and universities use. By embracing the business side of higher education, architects can create even smarter built environments.

In this presentation, we discuss how to identify and select appropriate metrics for institutions that are equally focused on education and research. What objective and subjective measures can be considered? Are these metrics applicable in our new (hopefully) post-COVID reality? How are institutions reallocating space in this new reality? How do we redefine the future of “smart” higher education research facilities?

Abstract: Professor Armstrong describes the college's particular interest in sexual assault prevention and highlights the critical role that academic department chairs can play in designing institutional research partnerships that support faculty interests as well as the institution's. She emphasizes many faculty's long term commitment to campus health and wellbeing and offers a clear-eyed view about how to leverage faculty research skills for campus goals.

Abstract: Vice President Diorio describes how Student Life (or other institutional areas) can successfully embrace faculty researchers to further institutional goals. She highlights the benefits of developing tailored, evidence-based programming through in-house research partnerships and how Student Life can enhance the academic skills of their most-involved student activists.

Abstract: Dr. Cuomo, a pre-tenure feminist geographer, describes her background and research agenda pertaining to sexual assault victim advocacy, education, and prevention. She describes the research project at the heart of Lafayette College's initiative and shares her perspective on the potential for similar institutional research partnerships in higher education.

Abstract: Ella Goodwin, a Lafayette College senior and co-president of a student organization called Pards Against Sexual Assault, shares a student’s desire for clear institutional planning in areas of critical student concern. She emphasizes that financial renumeration for the work that student activists already do to create and support vital campus programming is critical to successful partnerships. She highlights the importance of the opportunity to develop research skills for undergraduate students particularly beyond STEM.

Abstract: We live in a neurodiverse world. Students, whether or not they have formal diagnoses, learn in different ways, and the converging crises of our day demand new paradigms of inclusion across the campus. Spaces that support sensory needs can allow a wider range of students to flourish, creating a more equitable—and more flexible—environment.

Leaders from Thomas Jefferson University and Verona Carpenter Architects will share examples across typologies of innovative solutions, unleashing the generative power of difference. Use the examples and discussion points to create a healthier, more attractive space on campus for all learning types.

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.