New classrooms for a new curriculum
As classrooms become more connected through students' use of their own devices in lectures and seminars, universities are responding in exciting ways. Gunter Saunders and Federica Oradini describe how the University of Westminster is embracing these changes by transforming their classrooms.
A fresh approach to financing campus redevelopment
The University of Hertfordshire’s 2020 Estates Vision signals the university’s development objectives for the future, including enhancing the student experience. The university’s director of estates Andrew May explains the project and how it was financed through a combination of pioneering off balance sheet unwrapped bonds.
Identifying opportunities to deliver value from university estates
As the funding environment for universities gets tougher, managing estates in a way that is both efficient and can contribute an income will be vital. At an event this week, Loughborough University’s Andrew Burgess will explore some of the strategies to identify commercial opportunities higher education estates can provide.
Universities challenged to make the most of their space
Every element of space in universities needs to be challenged, an expert in designing spaces for learning told Jisc Digifest on Wednesday. In his keynote speech to the event in Birmingham, University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s professor of practice Andrew Harrison said that across the sector, expensive facilities are being minimised.
Sue Holmes: ‘student experience remains our priority’
Oxford Brookes, like most universities, is facing pressure on its estate from increasing student numbers and higher expectations. We talk to the university’s director of estates, Sue Holmes, about how she is dealing with these pressures.
Universities reinvesting estates savings in capital projects, says AUDE
Universities estates costs have remained stable over the past five years despite increasing pressures, the Association of University Directors of Estate’s (AUDE) annual report reveals.
Assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of porters and cleaners
Benchmarking is increasingly used in the quest for efficiency and most universities have used the Procurement Maturity Assessment, developed by SUMS Consulting and the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortia. SUMS has now developed another maturity model that allows easy self assessment and indicates a way forward and has applied it to portering and cleaning services.
Delivering value from the education estate
At today's Higher and Further Education show Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr, director of estates and campus services at the University of Roehampton and Sian Kilner director of Kilner Planning will be highlighting research into how the higher education estate is delivering value. Here are some relevant posts that they have contributed.
Building the campus of the future at Northampton
Terry Neville came out of retirement to do an interim job at the University of Northampton - that was five years ago. Rosie Niven speaks to Northampton’s chief operating officer about the leading role he is playing in a campus relocation project that will transform the university.
Andrew May: ‘we are the vehicle for driving the efficiency agenda’
As the University of Hertfordshire approaches the midway point of its ten-year long estates strategy, the university’s director of estates, Andrew May, tells Rosie Niven about how estates are at the forefront of the efficiency agenda at the institution.
