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    University Facilities Leaders Discuss Planning & Sustainability Challenges

    Between workforce challenges, falling tuition rates, lofty climate action goals, and the end of pandemic-era aid...

    Innovations in Mass Timber Construction

    Mass Timber construction presents a multitude of compelling advantages encompassing environmental sustainability,...

    Combatting the Deferred Maintenance Crisis in Higher Ed

    With a staggering $112 billion backlog of deferred maintenance across U.S. higher education campuses, facility leaders...

    Transforming Construction Through 3D Models & Collaboration

    Reconstruct is a technology platform that takes reality capture data from drones and cameras and creates 3D reality...

    Optimizing Education Infrastructure with Connected Operations

    For teachers and students, creating a comfortable and reliable building experience is of utmost importance to ensure...

    The Critical Role of Facilities Leaders in Higher Ed's Future

    Higher education is in a precarious moment. Deferred maintenance costs are skyrocketing, the enrollment cliff is...

    MSU's Strategy to Electrify Their Campus Fleet

    Over the next decade, Michigan State University plans to transition one-third of its transportation fleet to...

    How University of Minnesota Transformed Their FM Program

    If you were to take a straw poll of facilities management leadership at every university across the country, you would...

    On-Campus Construction Projects Offer Real-World Learning Opportunities

    When someone suggested to Steve Lafferty that the University of South Florida should offer tours of ongoing...

    UMN’s Hard Lessons Learned Implementing a New IWMS

    Implementing a new full-suite, cloud-hosted Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) can be like a fairy tale or...

    How to Build the Next Generation of Sustainable Campuses

    As the need to build green campuses grows more urgent, so do the challenges faced by facilities leaders. Getting...

    The Role Facilities Leaders Can Play in Furthering DEI on Campus

    In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in the summer of 2020, Indiana University’s Capital Planning and Facilities team...

    Advancing Women in Facilities Management

    Gender inequality continues to be an issue for higher ed facilities organizations, with leadership roles...

    Facilities Leaders Discuss the Evolving Modern Campus at HEFF

    From the evolving way employees are approaching work spaces to ever-increasing demands to make operations more...

    Decarbonization, Resources, Rebates, and the Kitchen of the Future

    This is a quick blog post full of info that will make you a hero and, hopefully, make your job a lot easier. I had the...

    How to Design Healthy and Equitable Spaces

    Kimberly Lewis likes to tell people she’s a member of the .001%: a Black woman executive and person of faith in the...

    What Facilities Leaders Can Learn from Mike Richter’s Legendary Hockey Career

    When Mike Richter retired from the National Hockey League, the legendary New York Rangers goaltender took what some...

    How Red Shoes Living Can Transform Your Facilities Organization

    After spending more than 20 years as a corporate turnaround executive, Lonnie Mayne invested in a small tech startup....

    How to Protect Connected Campus Buildings from Cyber Attacks

    The connected campus isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. After all, it’s been the better part of a century since the...

    How to Create a Culture of Excellence in Your FM Department

    As Executive Director of Capital Project Delivery at the University of Chicago, Kerry Galbraith has a lot on his plate:...

    How Endurance Training Translates to Facilities Leadership

    During the day, Lori Mazor and Zeco Krcic handle the ins-and-outs of facilities planning at CUNY’s campuses in...

    Why Design Matters on Campus

    When the University of Toronto started designing a new academic tower out of cross-laminated timber in 2019, Gilbert...

    Adaptability and Flexibility: How to Design for an Unpredictable Future

    When the University of South Florida started construction on the Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute in...

    Why a Strong Facilities-Finance Connection is So Important

    Three of the buildings at Thomas Jefferson University used to have a major water problem. Every time a storm hit the...

    How Decarbonization Saved Miami University $40 Million

    One important thing you should know about Miami University: it isn’t in Miami, but in Oxford, Ohio. One important thing...

    10 Trends That Will Reshape Facilities Management

    We’re on the precipice of a fourth industrial revolution, one defined by cyber-physical systems that will reshape not...

    The Top Issues Facilities Leaders Need to Be Thinking About

    As we look to move beyond the pandemic, facilities leaders also need to confront the structural issues compounding the...

    Addressing Facilities Staffing and Retention Issues

    The labor shortage has hit every industry in America hard, but in higher ed facilities departments, where finding the...

    Why Mizzou Is Cutting One Million Square Feet of Space

    When Gerald Morgan started working at the University of Missouri almost 30 years ago, he got used to building things....

    Stanford Medicine's New Approach to Space Planning

    In a recent talk at the Higher Ed Facilities Forum, Niraj Dangoria offered a provocative suggestion. “There are many...

    What Facilities Leaders Need to Know About the Science of Hygiene

    As the official hygiene partner of the Higher Ed Facilities Forum and K12 Facilities Forum (as well as all other events...

    How UT-Austin Kept the Lights On During an Unprecedented Winter Storm

    When Winter Storm Uri hit Texas in February of 2021, it caused the greatest loss of electricity in the state’s history....

    The Changing Leadership Roles of Higher Ed Facilities Leaders

    The last two years have given higher ed facilities leaders something they’ve always deserved: a seat at the table. Long...

    Resiliency in Higher Ed Facilities, Through the Pandemic & Beyond

    Jaime Paris Boisvert has seen the evolution of technology in a number of industries. While working in...

    Current and Future Trends in Access Control

    With more than a decade of experience in the world of access solutions, Jeremy Saline, senior director of business...

    Is Outsourcing Right for Your Campus Community?

    Questions on outsourcing are at the top of everyone’s minds right now as service needs ebb and flow due to COVID-19....

    Lessons from the Pandemic & Preparing for a New School Year

    Hand sanitizers, frequent cleaning, and increased air flow are all elements facilities leaders in both K-12 and higher...

    Using the WELL Health-Safety Rating to Fully Reopen Campus with Confidence

    As colleges and universities prepare to bring students, faculty, and staff back for full-time, in-person learning this...

    4 Ways Facilities Leaders Can Impact the Future of Higher Ed

    When thinking of the college experience, one might envision dorms full of coeds, large lecture halls, and picturesque...

    The New Leadership Role of Facilities Officers

    Gordian has released their annual “State of Facilities in Higher Education” report for 2021 and, as you may expect,...

    5 Steps to a Strategic Capital Plan Framework

    As the landscape of higher ed continues to be reshaped, the goal of a COVID-era capital plan should be to ensure...

    Evaluating Facilities Outsourcing Options

    “With everything going on in the world today, one of the big topics of discussion for facilities leaders right now is...

    The State of Higher Ed Facilities: Where Things Stand Right Now

    At HEFFv 2.0, we brought together a lively panel of senior facilities leaders to kick off the event in a...

    Flexibility and Empathy are What Facilities Leaders Need as Campus Reopens

    On July 9, the Higher Ed Facilities Forum held its first-ever virtual meeting for facilities leaders across the country,

    The Road to Reopening Campus

    On July 9, the Higher Ed Facilities Forum will host "HEFFv: The Road to Reopening," a virtual event for college and...

    The Risk of Putting off Investment into Facilities Leadership

    I was on a plane the other day listening to the familiar words of the flight attendant, reminding us all that “in the...

    Transitioning from Design and Construction to Facilities Operations

    When it comes to transitioning capital projects from design and construction to facilities operations, a number of...

    Free eBook: The Changing Facilities Landscape - 2019 Year in Review

    The 2019 Higher Ed Facilities Forum brought together over 100 heads of facilities from the nation's top universities...

    How Facilities Leaders Prioritize and Fund Capital Renewal

    Identifying the correct backlog of need and allocating capital is critical to the long-term success of a campus....

    WELL Buildings Ignite a Second Sustainability Wave in Higher Ed

    Best known for delivering health and wellness benefits to a building’s occupants, The WELL Building Standard presents a...

    Aligning Facilities with the Academic Mission at Virginia Tech

    Most university masterplans have one thing in common: They’re primarily a tool for facilities and operations. 

    Facilities Leaders Must Prepare for Age of Accelerating Tech

    Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch once famously said, “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of...

    It's Time for Facilities Leaders To Have a Seat at the Table

    According to Don Coffelt, Associate VP for Facilities Management & Campus Services at Carnegie Mellon University, “it’s...

    University Facilities Leaders Tackle their Toughest Challenges

    Higher Education facilities leaders are up against an unprecedented set of challenges, fueled by aging buildings,...

    Inside the Facilities-Fueled Transformation of High Point University

    In higher education, facilities departments are often taken for granted. However, according to High Point University...

    How Today's Students Decide Where To Go To College

    Move over, Millennials: A new generation has officially arrived on campus. While Gen Z and Millennials are close in...

    How Can Facilities Leaders Enhance Campus Security?

    A culture of safety is something we can no longer take for granted on college campuses. Regardless of an institution’s...

    Nation's Top Higher Ed Facilities Leaders Gather to Talk Innovation

    The 2019 Higher Ed Facilities Forum brought together over 100 university administrators from across the nation with the...

    For Facilities Leaders, Uncertainty Is The Great Certainty

    Between aging infrastructure, rising costs, changing demographics, and fundamental changes to the way we learn and...

    Leadership Series: Donald Moore, Drexel University

    In his former role at Rowan University, Donald Moore led the university through the largest and most sustained growth...

    How to Change the Facilities Conversations Among Campus Stakeholders

    Have you ever wondered why your board isn’t more focused on facilities stewardship? After all, your institution’s most...

    How Can Facilities Better Align with the Academic Mission?

    Aligning facilities strategy with the academic mission is often easier said than done. When it comes to the...

    High Point University President Understands the Importance of Facilities

    When Nido Qubein joined High Point University as their seventh President in January of 2005 the school had...

    Our Most Popular Articles of 2018

    What a year it has been! As we look back on 2018, it’s interesting to see what stories got the most attention on the...

    OneVCU: A Mighty Master Plan

    Big things are coming for one of the fastest growing public universities in the nation. Major building and renovations...

    The Impact of Collaborative Space on Campus

    They sure don’t make them like they used to anymore! This age-old saying rings true for cutting-edge higher educational...

    Creating a Customer-Centric Facilities Organization

    In today’s connected world of instant gratification, the customer service bar is constantly rising. Higher Ed...

    Higher Ed Facilities: Navigating Through Disruption

    In 1997, the famous management guru Peter Drucker made a provocative statement: “Today's [university] buildings are...

    WorkSpace Evolution in Higher Ed

    In today’s world, the concept of the workplace is far from static. Both external drivers and internal...

    Financing Energy Efficiency Projects: Mission Impossible?

    Today’s low energy prices are a major boon for higher ed facilities, which need to seize every opportunity for...

    Tomorrow’s Workforce: Cultivating Higher Ed Facilities Leaders

    As today’s education facilities leaders try to maintain a healthy workforce, they’re running into a few recurring...

    Lessons from the University of Houston in Disaster Recovery

    Standing strong in the face of disaster is a challenge for any type of organization. But when it comes to...

    Stop Calling it a Master Plan

    When you think of master planning for educational facilities, you think of updates to campus buildings, goals, and...

    Cornell Tech: Building the Future of Sustainability

    As we press further into the 21st century, it has become increasingly important for our schools and universities to...

    Inside Georgia Tech's Living Building

    Upon its completion in two years, the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design at Georgia Tech is...

    When Is A Building More than A Building?

    According to John Roberson, CEO of Advent, it’s not the latest and greatest amenities or technology that...

    Leadership Series: Paul Goffin, Oxford University

    Oxford University’s Paul Goffin doesn’t want to hear your gripes about aging infrastructure: As Director of Estates at...

    Where the Top Minds in Higher Ed Facilities Connect

    The 2018 Higher Ed Facilities Forum was a true meeting of the minds, bringing together 150 facilities leaders from...

    The Disruptive Forces That Will Transform Higher Ed Facilities

    Is there an Uber or Amazon on the horizon to disrupt facilities management?

    Maui College On Track to 100% Renewable Energy Goal

    By 2019, the University of Hawai’i Maui College campus will be among the first in the nation to generate 100% of its...

    5 Requirements for Creating a Culture of Leadership in Facilities Management

    Like many industries, facilities management is impacted by the Baby Boomer retirement wave. In fact, unique industry...

    Leadership Series: Nina Petty, Tarrant County College District

    Nina Petty has a motto: “I know what I know, and I know what I don’t know.” Actually, the Vice Chancellor for Real...

    6 Things to Know About KU's $350M P3 Project

    “We needed to leap forward, not crawl forward.”

    This was the verdict delivered by the University of Kansas after a...

    Leadership Series: Don Coffelt, Carnegie Mellon

    Although students engage with the bricks and mortar of a university's campus more than anyone, there's more likely to...

    Why It's Dangerous for Facilities to Ignore Social Media

    Social media is the primary mode of communication for today's students, yet many facilities departments don't take...

    Leadership Series: Paul Armas, Brown University

    How does one effectively lead 300+ facilities staff at an Ivy League institution while also fostering an agile, nimble...

    How Caltech Transformed into an Integrated Facilities Management Organization

    Sometimes, you need to bring in somebody else to tell you that your baby is ugly.

    That’s exactly what Caltech did; in...

    Leadership Series: John Noonan, Duke University

    "How sustainable is it to continue to build at the pace that the top universities have for many years?" 

    This is just...

    The Rise of Microgrids on College Campuses

    “When you’ve seen one microgrid, you’ve seen one microgrid."

    Our Top Blog Posts of 2017

    It's been quite a year for Higher Ed, with national discussions about cost, enrollment, and access taking center stage.

    Leadership Series: Bob Reuning, University of Maryland

    After nearly three decades in the Navy, Bob Reuning wasn’t ready to slow down quite yet.

    How Can Universities Strengthen Town-Gown Relations?

    It’s no secret that universities and the towns in which they reside need to become better dance partners.

    Leadership Series: Mike Perez, Vanderbilt University

    The Higher Ed Facilities Forum is launchinga Leadership Series to bring you unique insights into the personal stories...

    Inside the UC Merced P3 Expansion

    In 2012, UC Merced was facing financial trouble and uncertainty like many universities affected by the recession.

    Designing for Active Learning in Higher Ed

    Active learning is more than just a buzzword in the education world--it’s a genuine game changer.

    How Facilities Leaders Can Spearhead Change in Higher Ed

    We’re facing an existential crossroads in education--and it’s serious enough to affect our nation’s security and...

    Marc Kushner Talks Future of Buildings at HEFF

    Before we can talk about where architecture is going, Marc Kushner believes we must first look at where we came...

    MSU Shares Secret to Driving Efficiency & Cost Savings in Facilities

    The speed in which university facilities leaders need to respond to changes and implement solutions has...

    How Top Universities Pursue Facilities Excellence

    Higher Ed is currently experiencing change on an unprecedented scale.

    University Facilities Leaders Share How They Recruit Talent

    As 10,000 Baby Boomers retire every day, a pronounced talent gap spells trouble for the facilities field. While this...

    Hollwich Kushner Makes Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” List

    Architecture firm Hollwich Kushner, founded in 2007, is ringing in 10 years with a spot on Fast Company’s 2017 list of...

    Lessons from the Facilities Reorganization at UConn

    When Mike Jednak was hired as the Associate VP of Facilities Operations & Buildings Services at University of...

    The Hidden Costs of Deferred Maintenance

    It’s unfortunately too common today to find buildings at colleges and universities across the country that are showing...

    How to Cope With the Candor of Gen Xers & Harness the Power of Millennials

    As retirement gets pushed back and Millennials enter the workforce by the millions, thousands of offices have an...

    Award-Winning Futurist Rex Miller to Speak at HEFF 2017

    How can we create learning environments that prepare students for a Google world of opportunities and challenges?

    Mice Keeping Facilities Leader Up at Night

    At HEFF '16, we asked a number of facilities leaders what keeps them up at night. We got a lot of expected answers...

    Inside the Pennovation Center, An Icon For Innovation

    In a time where innovation is a top priority for all Higher Ed institutions, the University of Pennsylvania stands out...

    How IU is Building for Research and Innovation

    The importance of research in Higher Ed is paramount. Every day, university research leads to innovations that...

    5 Insights on Millennials that Every Facilities Leader Should Know

    Will you enjoy the retiree life in confidence that your facilities and staff are operating smoothly without you?

    Set Your Campus Apart with Powerful Storytelling

    What is your university’s story?

    For John Roberson, CEO of Advent, the answer to this question is the difference...

    Inside 2 of the Nation's Most Complex Stadium Projects - ASU and Notre Dame

    If you viewed a structure for the first time—with little or no background knowledge—would you be able to guess its age,...

    Maximizing Space and Addressing Aging Buildings

    Physical plants at many public and private institutions are coping with dropping enrollment, tightening budgets and a...

    Comparing Higher Education Construction Costs

    Top Colleges Share Goals for Cutting Energy Costs

    For many, sustainability strategies are perceived as challenging, but facilities leaders at some of the nation’s top...

    Going Deep with Energy Efficiency at UC Irvine

    UC Irvine has doubled in size over two decades, but it’s still using the same amount of energy, thanks to a series of...

    Dealing with an Aging Facilities Management Workforce

    While aging buildings and infrastructure are an ever-growing concern for colleges and universities across the country,...

    The State of Facilities in Higher Education

    At this year's Higher Ed Facilities Forum in San Antonio, participants had the opportunity to attend an engaging and...

    UTSA Provost Speaks on the Future of Higher Ed

    At the 2015 Higher Ed Facilities Forum, Dr. John Fredrick, Provost & VP for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas...

    Over 100 Higher Ed Facilities Leaders Convene In San Antonio

    What happens when you bring together over 100 senior administrators from leading colleges and universities, from all...

    More recent articles

    Leadership Series

    Leadership Series: Donald Moore, Drexel University

    In his former role at Rowan University, Donald Moore led the university through the largest and most sustained growth...

    Leadership Series: Paul Goffin, Oxford University

    Oxford University’s Paul Goffin doesn’t want to hear your gripes about aging infrastructure: As Director of Estates at...

    Leadership Series: Nina Petty, Tarrant County College District

    Nina Petty has a motto: “I know what I know, and I know what I don’t know.” Actually, the Vice Chancellor for Real...

    Leadership Series: Don Coffelt, Carnegie Mellon

    Although students engage with the bricks and mortar of a university's campus more than anyone, there's more likely to...

    Leadership Series: Paul Armas, Brown University

    How does one effectively lead 300+ facilities staff at an Ivy League institution while also fostering an agile, nimble...

    Leadership Series: John Noonan, Duke University

    "How sustainable is it to continue to build at the pace that the top universities have for many years?" 

    This is just...

    Leadership Series: Bob Reuning, University of Maryland

    After nearly three decades in the Navy, Bob Reuning wasn’t ready to slow down quite yet.

    Leadership Series: Mike Perez, Vanderbilt University

    The Higher Ed Facilities Forum is launchinga Leadership Series to bring you unique insights into the personal stories...

    All Leadership Profiles