News, Info, & Updates

High-performing, energy-efficient school facilities can serve a foundational role in uplifting students, staff and the greater community over the long term.

That said, complex environmental control systems are often implemented to achieve building performance goals related to energy efficiency and utility costs. These systems must be diligently maintained, or else they risk a decline in energy performance and an uptick in utility costs.

This upkeep requires a significant additional investment of finances and time, which most school districts (especially rural and small ones) do not have available to them.

The good news is that the solution for some facilities – depending on size, location and available resources – might be born out of the strategic implementation of a concept originating nearly 50 years ago: Passive House.

It’s Sunday night. You’re in bed taking a BuzzFeed quiz that will “Guess Your Secret Talent Based on Your Ice Cream Preference” --why yes, I do have an amazing memory; thank you! --when you decide to check your calendar to see what’s coming up in the week ahead. Then you see it. Tuesday. 6pm. Board meeting. (Is it the third Tuesday of the month already?! So much for that “amazing memory,” BuzzFeed…)

You lie awake the rest of the night hoping Tuesday will never come.

“Dread” is an emotion all-too commonly associated with non-profit board meetings. And while each board is as different as the organizations that they serve, the “board meeting experience” is often ubiquitous. We all like to point fingers at everyone else in the room, but we must also remember the old adage: “when you point your finger at someone, there are three more pointing back at you.” It’s time for some introspection, my friend. You might be part of the problem.

Facility managers should consider practical steps first

To protect students and employees from the SARS CoV- 2 virus that causes COVID-19, air quality should be a top concern for school and college administrators. As we have learned more about how COVID-19 spreads, it has become clear that the vast majority of cases occur through airborne transmission—and improving the ventilation in campus buildings should be part of a layered approach to health and safety that includes multiple mitigation strategies.

Get more use out of your outlets and stay safe while doing it.

There are only two power outlets in my bedroom, and both are hidden behind furniture. That means I rely on power strips to plug in my phone charger, Kindle charger, laptop charger, alarm clock, lamps, TV, sewing machine, Chromecast and the list just keeps going.

If, like me, your outlets are at capacity, there are a few smart (and safe!) solutions you can employ.

For Gen-Z, class-A apartment communities should be modeled after high-end student housing.

“If you live in student housing, you are essentially spending four years living at the Ritz Carlton,” Mike Procopio, CEO of The Procopio Companies, tells GlobeSt.com. High-end student housing is overflowing with amenities, and students aren’t willing to give them up upon graduation. Procopio has found incredible success in the multifamily market by looking at student housing as inspiration for apartment communities that serve high-earning young professionals.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 18,000 home fires started by candles were reported to public fire departments in 2002. This is important to note since almost two-thirds of students in the United States live off-campus in homes and apartments.

According to a 2001 pilot study of candle fires by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, most candle fires were caused by:

Originally appeared in the Winter 2007 edition of "The Sig House."

One of a house corporation’s important tasks is to perform various types of repair and maintenance on the chapter house. Painting, carpeting and roof replacement fall in this category. One critical task that is often left up to Active Chapter is cleaning. The theory is if you rent a house, you are responsible to keep it clean. Great theory.

Older alums remember the days when regular house cleaning was mandatory and often a team building event for actives and pledges. While the results of these exercises weren’t always stellar, when performed weekly (not weakly), the results were tolerable.