Learning Resources

Abstract: Sustainable planning is a powerful tool in creating campus facilities that are environmentally, economically, and academically beneficial. As interconnected communities, college campuses provide an excellent model for sustainable intervention strategies. The University of British Columbia and the City University of New York’s Lehman College have both initiated “living building” projects in which engineering systems are designed to behave like thriving organisms. Clarkson University and Wentworth Institute of Technology are both planning student centers designed to tap into excess energy loads. Each of the projects presented in these case studies began with fundamental and smart planning.

Abstract: Awards programs recognize and applaud individuals and organizations whose achievements exemplify excellence and dedication to provide learning opportunities for everyone whose lives and passions involve higher education.

Abstract: Modern design and planning are routinely confounded by endemic conditions of deep fragmentation, rampant bureaucratization, and ineffective regulation. Such barriers hamper our ability to succeed in the execution of responsive, responsible, and superb ventures. Added to the mix are cost escalation, outdated technologies, cumbersome techniques, conservative posturing, and the damages of “value” engineering. In such a milieu, it becomes extremely difficult to move from concept through construction with clarity, continuity, and even integrity. Abandoned are often the inspiring, enduring, and delightful qualities that elevate buildings to Architecture. Innovative mindsets and methods must be realized to improve the quality of our built environments, especially considering resources are limited, expectations are soaring, and the need for change is non-negotiable. The author presents a holistic integrative framework for more successful and sustainable environmental design. Included are considerations of agility, fitness, diversity, and delight—aspects that loom large in equations for ingenuity in contemporary times.

Abstract: This article examines the benefits and challenges a college president faces when attempting to cultivate relationships with the community in which the college resides. Throughout history, the relationships between institutions of higher education and the communities that house them have often been turbulent, but much good can be realized when true collaboration is achieved. The author shares examples of colleges that have achieved positive outcomes from partnerships and explains why creating a cooperative environment benefits the college. The author’s experiences at a small Georgia college—both successes and failures—show how active management can build a vibrant town-gown community.

Abstract: Globalization is reshaping the relationship between U.S. universities and their host cities. U.S. universities must adjust to momentous changes in the worldwide higher education system, and U.S. cities must retool to maintain their place in the innovation economy. Institutional and civic resources are being pooled to form global-ready urban environments, giving rise to a new generation of urban settings. This article describes the historic cosmopolitan connection between cities and universities, discusses the global forces affecting that relationship today, and offers case illustrations of campus-oriented civic change in three U.S. localities.

Abstract: Our position in this article is that “intellectual entrepreneurship” provides an intellectually authentic philosophical foundation that can sustain cross-campus and interdisciplinary entrepreneurship education. Drawing upon initiatives begun at The University of Texas at Austin, we document how intellectual entrepreneurship educates “citizen-scholars” by leveraging the knowledge assets contained within university. We demonstrate how to empower faculty and students to become change agents—both on campus and within communities. Anchored to the rich humanistic traditions of the university, intellectual entrepreneurship harnesses the core philosophy of Western education to transform the master-apprentice-entitlement paradigm into one of discovery, ownership, accountability, collaboration, and action.

Abstract: This article examines the strategic planning process at Cleveland State University, a large metropolitan state university in Ohio. A faculty-administrative team used a communicative planning approach to develop a collaborative, ongoing, bottom-up, transparent strategic planning process. This team then spearheaded the process through plan development and the early stages of implementation and evaluation. The article presents the framework for this process in detail and includes a three-year timetable. The authors discuss the unexpected landmines that threatened to undermine the process and the important lessons learned in the hopes that this will aid other universities in their strategic planning efforts.