Reports on a conference of college facility managers at which facilities professionals identified forces affecting the profession's future in five areas (information technology, resource scarcity, societal changes, government role in education, environmental deterioration) and six important roles for the manager (operational efficiency expert,…

Several colleges and universities participate in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star Buildings program, in which institutions commit to improving their buildings' energy efficiency and reducing energy costs. All participants must also be a Green Lights Program participant or agree to specific building-wide lighting upgrades. The…

Colleges and universities can benefit from the coming deregulation of utilities. Deregulation creates opportunity for facility managers to aggressively negotiate agreements, implement changes to the physical plant to make the institution a more attractive customer, and explore new, less expensive energy supply options and alternatives. Some action…

Argues that facilities managers, used to thinking of their work in terms of services, must begin to look at it in terms of specific products, and offers examples. Describes the application process (product identification, customer identification, organizational design, and implementation) and results of product-based management at the University…

The Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers offers Opportunity Assessment (OA) workshops to train campus decision makers in developing a business plan to fund campus infrastructure upgrades from energy operating budgets, by combining highly efficient building utility systems upgrades and controls with properly sized and efficient…

Reports research on trends in computer-aided facilities management using the Internet and geographic information system (GIS) technology for space utilization research. Proposes that facility assessment software holds promise for supporting facility management decision making, and outlines four areas for its use: inventory; evaluation; reporting;…

The director of physical plant at Rhodes College in Memphis has primary responsibility for all architectural work done on campus and recommends architects to the trustees. He also coordinates all related budgets and contracts and is an integral participant in developing the long-range master plan. His responsibilities are described. (MLW)

Guidelines for administrators concerning installation of a new campus telephone system address these issues: where to start; location and emergency power; the project team; paperwork; communication among those involved in installation; working with the local operating company; existing wiring; the external cable plant; special needs; and training…

Describes the principles, aims, and structure of the new Western Governors University, a regional effort to provide timely, accessible education by offering competency-based degrees, using advanced educational technology to provide learning opportunities, fostering interstate and public-private cooperation in development of new instructional…