By G. Chad Thomas
Consider the task of combining three universities, all with declining enrollment, into one larger university with three campuses. Daunting? Yes, but also doable. In late 2020, I became involved in such an effort when I was director of facilities management and operations at Clarion University, one of the three universities that officially became Pennsylvania Western […]
By Stacey Freed
Lander Medlin is … a) Tireless b) Larger than life c) People-centric d) A fearless leader In fact, she’s all of the above. And, despite having recently retired from APPA because she has stage four non-small cell lung cancer (we’ll get that out of the way up front), she’s not shy about it, not shy […]
By Michael S. Ellegood
Part three of a series in which civil engineer Michael Ellegood, P.E., draws from decades of experience in capital program management to guide facilities management professionals through key elements of project management. See part one, “Getting a Good Start on a Great Project” and part two, “Project Risk and Change Management” Construction is the third […]
By John Ryan
The University of Pittsburgh, like many universities, was running out of space. Their solution came even before the Covid-19 pandemic brought on the remote work revolution. The university would take their information technology (IT) department—spread across multiple locations across campus—and consolidate their workspace into one site. They would achieve the consolidation by adopting a hybrid […]
By Elizabeth Beckett and Isabella Schilling
The University of Michigan celebrated its bicentennial in 2017, making it the oldest institution of higher education in the state of Michigan and, in turn, witness to many social movements and milestones. Students have been the catalyst for much of the change on campus, particularly in advocating for the creation of spaces where their identities […]
By Suzanne Healy
Happy APPA New Year! As we open the 2024-2025 membership year at APPA, let us express our deepest gratitude to you, our members! Your innovation, involvement, encouragement, and dedication to our continued mission of transformation, elevation, and recognition of the educational facilities profession is priceless. APPA’s 2024 Spring Conference in Nashville, TN The new season […]
By Michael Ellegood
There is a movement to propose the conversion of empty office buildings into dwelling units in cities across the country that are concurrently experiencing huge office vacancies and a need for affordable housing. It would seem that this would solve a number of problems: the urgent need for housing, the continued use of underutilized office […]
By Lindsay Wagner
Earlier this week I was sitting in the drive-thru waiting for my coffee when a newspaper headline caught my eye. “117 City Workers Retirement Eligible in the Next 5 Years.” I live in a small town so my first thought was, “Wow! That must be every employee the city has,” but I quickly transitioned into […]
By Kevin Willmann
APPA’s inaugural Spring Conference was a resounding success! Over 350 facilities professionals from across the United States, including attendees from Canada, Australia, and South Africa, came to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend the sold-out event, held April 15–17, 2024. “We are so pleased with the response to the conference,” said David McCabe, APPA’s director of professional […]
By Peter Provost
Virtual Production Studios Pave the Way for the Classrooms of the Future… In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, universities continually seek innovative ways to expand their reach and enhance the student experience. For the University of Alabama, this quest for innovation led to a groundbreaking initiative to repurpose the historic University Hall into a […]
By Ed Spears
How educational facilities can learn from major weather-related power outages to improve disaster preparedness… In educational environments heavily dependent on information technology (IT) systems to support both on- and off-campus learning, extensive power outages can significantly disrupt operations. And considering the unpredictability of Mother Nature in the modern era, extreme weather events posing formidable threats […]
By Alan Sactor
Have you found it challenging to deal with the risks of electric scooters, bikes, and other powered micromobility devices? Many facilities management and fire safety professionals at colleges and universities know the feeling. Help may be on the way in the form of the 2024 editions of the International Fire Code and National Fire Protection […]
