Learning Resources

Abstract: Energy efficiency projects can save colleges substantial capital, which helps them hedge against rising operating budgets. By creating a green revolving fund (GRF), a university can support sustainability projects into perpetuity. GRFs are internal financing mechanisms for energy efficiency and resource reduction projects that return achieved cost savings to the fund for future projects. This article illustrates the GRF establishment and management processes through case studies of Catawba College’s Green Revolving Fund and Denison University’s Green Hill Fund. The article further elaborates on additional GRF benefits and culminates with 10 easy-to-follow steps to creating a fund on your campus.

Abstract: Diverse populations, changing technology, and a desire to create community are driving change in higher education. We propose the concepts of Limitless Learning, in which learning can happen anytime, by anyone, anywhere, in any way. In this article, we propose a planning strategy highlighting adaptability, which is the key to planning campus facilities that provide boundary-free environments for the short and long term. In the short term, adaptable spaces seamlessly support limitless learning. They allow students to affect their environment and make it work how they work. In the longer term, adaptability means planning for inevitable change.

Abstract: The design of higher education facilities is increasingly seen by university leadership as a strategic tool to attract and retain top faculty, staff, and students. The design of space has also been linked to increased levels of innovation, creative thinking, and collaboration. But with greater pressure from state and national governments to cut costs, how can institutions of higher learning ensure that the buildings they design are cost efficient and still effective? In her article, architect and SCUP member Debi McDonald outlines five trends in higher education design and how they can assist institutions in meeting their objectives.

Abstract: During a discussion exploring a proposed campus center renovation at Rollins College, a dialogue emerged about the institution’s plan, facility functions, and ultimate student life experience. To capture this dynamic exchange, the design team created a strategic visioning exercise—“Bubble Goo”—to better understand the relationship of the proposed renovation to other “neighborhood” buildings. In this article, the authors unveil this successful new collaborative approach to long-term planning and space allocation and explore the significance and benefit of understanding every campus building, their individual functions, and how to create meaningful and strategic connections.

Abstract: This article explores the challenges and opportunities in transforming the former Camarillo State Mental Hospital into a 21st-century campus of interdisciplinary education for California State University Channel Islands, the newest campus in the California State University system. The university, guided by the campus master plan by Ayers Saint Gross, is transforming the hospital’s historic structures, originally designed to isolate patients, into open, collaborative environments to promote integrative learning. This article focuses on the integration of planning efforts with the university’s academic priorities, highlighting the balancing act between preserving historic integrity and advancing institutional goals.

Abstract: Institutions around the world use various social channels—blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and many others—as an integral part of campaigns designed to achieve important outcomes. This article describes some of what the author has learned about using social media as part of a campaign. It also presents three abridged case studies from the book Social Works: How #HigherEd Uses #SocialMedia to Raise Money, Build Awareness, Recruit Students and Get Results (EDUniverse Media 2013):
- College of William & Mary: High school seniors and their families see countless mailings from admissions offices across the country that lack individual impact. Admissions leaders at the College of William & Mary knew this when they tackled a project to create new undergraduate recruitment materials. They needed a solution that stood out from the competition, had immediate visual impact, and drove traffic to the college website. Enter the Ampersandbox, launched in August 2011. This unique campaign concept tells stories about William & Mary through highly interactive print and web components while allowing visitors to share their own stories.
- Florida State University: Three months of planning doesn’t sound long enough to prepare a 36-hour fund-raising campaign to raise $161,000. Yet this was the challenge that faced Florida State University’s then-director of annual giving Chad Warren and his staff of two fund-raisers in 2011. In January 2012, FSU’s annual giving team surpassed that goal and reached $186,000 while attracting hundreds of new donors. This was the “Great Give,” FSU’s first online-only campaign—and its foundation was social media.​
- Missouri University of Science and Technology: When a crisis hits, social media can deliver important messages to many audiences at a rapid pace. However, with all the messaging that occurs on multiple channels, the atmosphere appears ripe for confusion. How can a university or college break through the virtual noise and make sure its constituents are receiving important emergency messages? On May 12, 2011, a remarkable example of social media crisis management began to unfold at Missouri University of Science and Technology when an active shooter drove onto the campus.

Abstract: This article describes planning and design processes between architect and client for renovations and additions to the Brault Administration Building at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) in Annandale, Virginia, a Washington, DC, suburb. Highlighting sustainability through adaptive reuse, this article describes in detail logistical planning for temporary relocation of building occupants, as well as collaborative communication between NOVA officials and architects for achieving design objectives. This article also details the scope of renovations and square footage added to this 1980s-era structure and references Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), including sustainable practices for obtaining and disposing of building materials. The overall message conveyed by this renovation project is the importance of collaborative communication in terms of both planning and design, which can also offer new paradigms for building modernization and reuse at other community college campuses.

Abstract: Building an institutional strategic plan for transfer students requires a systematic, holistic, integrated, and comprehensive approach rooted in institutional commitment and mission. This article discusses how to prepare and build support for transfer student success in both the administrative and academic “silos” of the institution. Readers will learn how to build campuswide support for their efforts as well as how to foster and sustain critical top leadership support across campus as they proactively address the significant informational, cultural, and economic barriers that stand in the way of community college transfer students.