Insight Blog

Every year, APPA holds a Thought Leaders Symposium where representatives from colleges and universities convene with association leaders, industry consultants and education experts to identify and discuss major challenges and opportunities facing higher education institutions. At its 2011 symposium, the organization identified the following as the top 10 critical facilities issues affecting the campus environment:

1. Establishing a culture of innovation and collaboration.

2. Improving productivity with current or decreasing resources.

3. Leveraging technology to improve decision making.

4. Aligning IT and facilities.

5. Creating a new budget model for IT and facilities.

6. Addressing the shifting of workforce demographics.

7. Increasing workplace flexibility.

8. Making informed decisions about outsourcing.

9. Improving emergency preparedness.

10. Effectively managing the existing built environment.

The above issues are discussed at length within APPA's Workplace Demographics and Technology report. In October 2011, Mortenson Construction gathered feedback about campus investments from professionals attending the 2011 Society of College and University Planners Conference. The primary challenges noted by professionals were:

• 29% - Identifying and adopting innovative means for financing.

• 18% - Maintaining or reducing cost of ownership as buildings age.

• 12% - Promoting sustainability and efficient energy use.

• 12% - Creating spaces with flexibility to adapt to future.

• 12% - Developing facilities performance indicators and benchmarks.

• 6% - Creating design and construction standards.

• 11% - Other.