Thought Leaders Spotlight: Breaking Down Silos on Higher Ed Campuses 

It’s not uncommon for educational institutions to have dozens of departments and thousands of employees, leading to siloed work styles that can inhibit communications, stifle collaboration, create inefficiencies, and otherwise stagnate organizational progress. For two days in February, a wide range of higher educational leaders at APPA’s 2024 Thought Leaders Symposium broke out of their own silos to share forward-thinking solutions for continued progress on their own campuses, beginning with their facilities operations. 

In this brief interview, Eve Esch, executive director of University of Houston Student Centers, shared how discussions during the symposium underscored the need for professionals across higher ed campuses—from academic affairs to administration to facilities—to work together in support of student outcomes. She also noted the critical role of facilities management (FM) staff in facilitating campus modernization and the need for higher ed leaders to appreciate FM’s significant role in institutional value perception. 

Learn more about APPA’s 2024 Thought Leaders Symposium and Thought Leaders Series.