ACUHO-I News Blog

The September + October 2009 issue of the Talking Stick magazine should be on your desk (or in your hands). For those who don’t receive the print version, however, we offer the digital option.

In this issue ACUHO-I again recognizes September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month, this time focusing on new educational approaches to fire safety as well as stressing the important role actual real-life people play in the security process, even as technology continues to improve. Luke LaCroix from The College of New Jersey and Bruce Griffin from the University of North Carolina are our authors for these feature stories.

Also, Stephanie Carter-Smith from the University of South Carolina takes a look at the sensitive subject and difficult process of employee furloughs. In this story she shows how campuses are managing morale and maintaining customer service even as staff schedules are juggled.

Other topics in this issue include a look at the future of automated maintenance management, the capital planning process, and the growing number of community colleges that have residence halls.

(more…)

An article from The New York Times today takes a look at the not-new-but-growing trend of putting white roofs on buildings to combat global warming. Whether it is for a home, a Wal-Mart, or (just possibly) a residence hall, the article says studies show that the white-topped buildings can reduce air-conditioning costs by a fifth or more in hot, sunny weather. And it does so by costing as little as 15 percent more, depending on materials.

The concept got an additional endorsement from United States’ Energy Secretary Steven Chu when he appeared on the television program, The Daily Show.

So, do you know what’s happening on your rooftops? Share suggestions and plans in the comment section.

…At least, that’s the plan. Boomers have started to retire, and many more will do so in the next 5 to 10 years. When they leave, these professionals will take years of experience and institutional knowledge with them. (The economic downturn has at least one, bittersweet upside, as it likely delayed some of these retirements.)

Higher education and student housing are experiencing the same trends. Especially vulnerable is the facilities department; the longtime employees there know the quirks of each building; where lines are buried, the unwritten details of the university’s history with a specific contractor. This knowledge isn’t written down; it’s in the facilities’ professionals’ heads, and if they leave, it goes with them. Compounding the issue is a paucity of young professionals in facilities-related fields and trades. For example, The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the job market will be wide open for electricians, physical plant operators, and HVAC mechanics in the near future, as longtime professionals retire and not enough young professionals are on track to replace them.

What to do? Knowledge databases, mentoring and shadowing are among the solutions institutions are trying. The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article on the topic, and The Talking Stick discussed the subject in 2007: “Replacement Parts” by Dave Sagaser.

What’s happening on your campus? Are succession plans in place? Is there active mentoring taking place already? Share in the comments section.