Campus Safety
The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, recently released the results of an external review of its expanded off-campus safety program.
Campus Amenities
Birchwood Lighting recently announced the launch of a new set of acoustic luminaries and panels designed for large, open spaces. The BWA250 luminaries and panels are intended to provide both seamless illumination and sound dampening capabilities in environments like open office spaces, common areas and education spaces.
Campus Funding
University of Kentucky HealthCare (U.K. HealthCare) in Lexington, Ky., recently announced that it has received a $10 million gift from Central Bank to go toward expanding patient care at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.
New Construction
One of the largest public charter schools in the U.S., Granada Hills Charter near Los Angeles, recently announced the completion of a $41-million campus expansion project.
Campus Technology
An independent, Texas-based school district comprised of 33 educational institutions including elementary, middle, and high schools needed to resolve its cellular reception problems. Staff and students must be able to make 9-1-1 calls on a mobile phone from anywhere within a school campus in the event of an emergency for location accuracy, according to guidelines set by the Safer Buildings Coalition.
New Construction
Private Christian university Columbia International University, located in Columbia, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking and dedication for a new Health Science Lab facility. The 2,200-square-foot space will contain biology and chemistry lab classrooms and is scheduled to open in time for the fall 2022 semester, according to a news release.
Campus Sustainability
Howard University in Washington, D.C., recently announced that it will be partnering with VEIC and CustomerFirst Renewables to develop a five-year campus Sustainability Plan.
Healthy Schools
CloroxPro recently announced that it has launched an online learning platform to help educate and train commercial cleaning professionals. CloroxPro HealthyClean is intended to help boost the knowledge and skills of cleaning and maintenance staff as these workers’ responsibilities have skyrocketed during the last two years.
Campus Security
Hanwha Techwin America is getting ready for ISC West 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The IP and analog video surveillance solutions provider will be showcasing its new line of “AI-powered dual channel multi-sensor cameras featuring powerful Deep-Learning based object detection and classification, and license-free video and audio analytics,” according to a news release.
New Construction
The Board of Trustees at Indiana University recently approved the design of a new Medical Education Building for the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. The new facility will stand 11 stories tall, measure in at roughly 326,200 square feet and provide much-needed additional space for the instructional and research needs of various programs.
Education Conference
The TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association) Convention & Exposition took place last week from Monday, Feb. 7, to Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. I had the opportunity to drop in on the convention for a day, and the following are some loosely organized thoughts about my experience there.
Campus Amenities
While most teachers and educators are aware of the eSports phenomenon and its ever-expanding popularity, many remain unfamiliar with all the benefits an eSports program can offer to both students and schools themselves. Moreover, some educators looking to introduce eSports programs feel overwhelmed and in the dark about how to get started.
New Construction
The Lafayette Parish School System in Lafayette, La., announced this week that it has selected construction companies for three rebuilding projects within its district.
New Construction
The Board of Trustees at Quinnipiac University’s Mount Carmel Campus in Hamden, Conn., recently approved the construction of three new buildings on campus. Two new academic buildings and a new residence hall will come together to form a new “South Quad” area.
New Construction
Furman University in Greenville, S.C., is gearing up to tackle the largest construction project in its history. Groundbreaking starts this Saturday, Feb. 12, for a comprehensive renovation of South Housing that involves constructing a new residence hall and renovating four others.
Food Service
Contract food service management provider Chartwells Higher Education announced this week that it is partnering with food automation company Picnic to provide an automated pizza assembly station to a college campus dining hall.
New Construction
Auburn-Washburn Public Schools USD 437 near Topeka, Kan., is preparing for a bond election that could provide the district with funds to build a second middle school. The existing Washburn Rural Middle School is currently the largest middle school in the state that serves students in grades 7–8.
Campus Safety
The Salt Lake City School District in Utah recently announced that it has adopted a training management system from Vector Solutions. Vector Training, formerly known as SafeSchools, provides online video training courses for K–12 schools and will help the district maintain federal, state and local staff training and compliance among its 4,000 employees.
Learning Devices
With 50 million Chromebooks now in use in schools around the U.S., Google recently introduced a new repair program for U.S. education users of its Acer- and Lenovo-made models, with a new website providing self-service repair guides for each model.
- By Kristal Kuykendall
- 02/07/22
New Construction
The University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., recently completed an $81-million, seven-year construction project called the Student Success District. The project’s goal was to centralize and upgrade a variety of crucial student resources including library services, tutoring and advising, mentoring and career services, and health programs within a single area of campus.
New Construction
College of the Redwoods, a community college in Eureka, Calif., recently broke ground on a new creative arts building. The new facility will measure in at 29,888 square feet and will replace the former creative arts building, which was built in 1974.
Healthy Schools
Robotics company OhmniLabs recently debuted an autonomous cleaning robot that uses UV-C light to disinfect spaces. OhmniClean is capable of disinfecting a 3,000-square-foot space in less than 15 minutes and was designed for use in schools, hospitals, hotels and other spaces that require deep cleaning of high-touch surfaces.
Campus Design
Design firm LPA Design Studios recently announced that it has promoted Kate Mraw to the position of Director of K–12. In this new role, Mraw will spearhead the development of the firm’s national education design practice, according to a press release.
HVAC
For the first time ever, the main gymnasium and cafeteria at Fort Dodge Senior High School in Fort Dodge, Iowa, will have air conditioning when the next school year begins this fall.
New Construction
Braintree Public Schools in Braintree, Mass., recently announced that construction has begun on a new school facility for the district. The structure will serve as a new home for the existing South Middle School, and it will also be the town’s first new school construction in more than 50 years.
Campus Renovations
Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that the renovation and expansion project for Swartz Hall has been completed. According to a news release, the 60,000-square-foot renovation and 13,000-square-foot expansion began in May 2019.
Campus Sustainability
Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Ga., recently partnered with facility energy solutions provider ABM Industries to upgrade campus STEM labs—and save about $11.7 million across ten years in the process.
School Signage
From students to faculty, any school’s first priority should be the safety of people on campus. By now, you’ve probably learned that safety signage plays a vital role in keeping people safe at your school. From the parking lot to the playground, having the proper school safety signs not only keeps your students and faculty safe but also helps you avoid costly lawsuits or OSHA fines.
New Construction
Officials from the Nye Country School District recently approved the construction of a new, $15.2-million elementary school in Tonopah, Nev.
Campus Renovations
The Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School (AMSA) in Marlborough, Mass., recently selected Boston-based Finegold Alexander Architects to provide the design for an upcoming series of renovation and addition projects.
Several North Texas school districts cancelled school on both ends of the long Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, citing staff shortages and a surge in COVID-19 cases.
A Texas school district recently entered a partnership with cybersecurity solutions provider IronNet, Inc. to help combat an increasing number of cyber attacks against the district’s networks.
Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd. recently announced that it has signed an agreement with the University of Wisconsin Police Department (UWPD) to test a new security detection walkthrough portal on campus.
Campus Security
A 16-year-old student is facing charges after an active shooter incident put Seminole High School in Sanford, Fla., on lockdown for several hours on Wednesday, Jan. 19.
Campus Renovations
Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind., has announced that it will soon be renovating its Residential College. The residence hall was built in 1988 and serves mainly first-year students. The project is slated to last about two years and cost more than $20 million.
New Construction
Construction on a new Campus Recreation and Wellness Center at the University of Pittsburgh is underway. The project is part of a wider Campus Master Plan that was finalized in 2019 and will provide amenities like a recreational pool, jogging track, basketball courts, weightlifting equipment and more.
Transportation
Electric vehicle manufacturer GreenPower Motor Company signed an agreement last week with the state of West Virginia to begin producing zero-emission, all-electric school buses in a new manufacturing facility,
- By Kristal Kuykendall
- 01/18/22
Student Housing
Those students born between 1997 and 2012, otherwise known as Generation Z or Gen Zers, are redefining expectations for college housing and services, according to an architectural firm that specializes in working with colleges and universities.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/18/22
Architecture & Design
Plunkett Raysich Architects in Milwaukee, Wis., recently announced that it has named two new partners to join the firm’s ownership.
New Construction
The planning process for a second high school for Minot Public Schools in Minot, N.D., is underway after voters passed a $109-million bond in December 2021.