Learning Resources

Abstract: Brown University's Strategic Sourcing program, a strategic partnership that streamlines planning, design, and construction for the university, delivers higher quality project outcomes with long-term financial savings. We'll discuss this highly collaborative partnership model that brings together Brown stakeholders with designers, engineers, and subcontractors to develop optimal project solutions. We'll also cover the spectrum of project delivery models used for recent projects.

Abstract: It has often been said that culture eats strategy for breakfast. While that can often be true, it does not have to be that way. Culture and strategy can be close companions and highly complementary when positioned as mutually reinforcing parts of the planning process. When strategy is developed with an appreciation for cultural strengths, it has a better chance to move beyond words on a screen or on paper. At the same time, organizational strategy can strengthen and reinforce an improved organizational culture.

Georgia Tech is using a technique called appreciative inquiry to build a positive, productive culture through the strategy development and implementation process. This approach reinforces the positive elements of the current culture while clearly defining the cultural attributes needed for success in the future.
This discussion will explore ways to draw out the best in organizational culture to create an effective strategy while also using strategy to steer culture in a positive direction.

Abstract: This session will share a portfolio-based approach to space management as an institutional, governance-based framework for aligning space—its allocation and use—to meet priorities and program needs. You will learn how we aligned space governance with our institution's organizational hierarchy through defined portfolios, allowing central planning units to use a streamlined process and adaptive planning tools to arrive at an unbiased, data-driven perspective.

Abstract: On-campus living has been linked to student success and is a key factor in admissions decisions. As campuses look to expand and improve their housing inventories in a challenging fiscal environment, there are more options than ever available. One institution will share its recent experiences with several of these options. The University of Massachusetts (UMass) Lowell has more than doubled its on-campus housing inventory in the past five years using a combination of P3, real estate acquisitions, and conventional construction. This session will compare the relative benefits and particular challenges in utilizing these types of housing delivery methods. Come learn from campus facilities planning and student affairs officials, who will address the pros and cons of different delivery methods (P3, purchase/renovation, and conventional construction) from the perspective of up-front costs, operating and maintenance factors, student experience, and functionality.

Abstract: Have we heard from enough people? Sometimes leaders ask this question to seek consensus or in the hope of making a tough call easy with more data. But this is the wrong question to ask. A better question is, “Have we talked to the right people?” In this article, we discuss how institutions can research their “lead users” whose extreme behaviors today will be the norm tomorrow. Using a case study rethinking Georgia Tech’s library services, spaces, and staffing, we explain who lead users are, how to identify them, how to research them to uncover insights, and how they can champion innovation on your campus.

Abstract: Sustainable management of college and university campuses enhances learning and exposes students to the challenges and opportunities they will face upon graduation. There are many technologies and measures that can lead colleges and universities toward a more sustainable path. Taken together, the contributions in this issue of the journal clearly demonstrate that it is possible for colleges and universities to meet the needs of their current and future generations of students. But the question remains whether they will be able to meet those needs and do so in a manner that does not prevent others, outside their institutions, from meeting their future needs. This is really about institutional change, and without a shift in personal and institutional values these options will not become the default practice instead of the optional alternative. Moving higher education onto a sustainable trajectory requires that administrators, trustees and staff, faculty, and students participate in a transparent process of setting goals and implementing them. Planners have the opportunity to become the true visionaries of higher education who help faculty and administrators combine teaching, research, and campus management into a higher level of learning for our students as our example leads society toward a sustainable future.

Abstract: Drawing on recent survey data from the National Wildlife Federation and other publications, this article explains what an environmental management system is and identifies its components; examines how environmental management systems have been applied and adapted to higher education settings; reports on trends in implementation; and illustrates how the environmental management system can help in planning green campuses. It addresses such issues as environmental policy, training, compliance, performance evaluation, staffing, and assessment within the higher education context.

Abstract: Colleges and universities are faced with increasing demands for accountability and performance data with respect to faculty activity and productivity from diverse audiences and constituencies, ranging from academic planners and legislators to parents and taxpayers. This article argues that different audiences have different information needs and that a one-size-fits-all approach to describing faculty activity and productivity is both inappropriate and potentially harmful. Concrete strategies are proposed for providing appropriate information to these disparate groups.