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.
The role and value of the HE estate
A well-managed estate can help a university to improve student and staff satisfaction, generate an income and reduce overheads. In the first of our blogposts focusing on estate management, Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr explains how universities are maximising the value from their portfolios.
Efficient estate management: five lessons from local authorities in the west Midlands
Since early 2010 local authorities in the West Midlands have taken steps to save more than £170 million using their property portfolio more efficiently. Here are five measures that these councils are taking to make sure that their estates are being used efficiently.
The higher education estate – hard investment choices for universities
The quality of a university’s facilities influences my choice of institution, say a majority of students. But Andrew May warns that capital funding cuts are leaving universities with hard choices about their future investments in estates.
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.
The higher education estate – delivering increased value for money
In the second blogpost on estate management, Sian Kilner describes the findings of her research into value for money trends including how universities are offsetting higher operating and maintenance costs by diversifying their property income base.
Developing efficient and sustainable buildings
A sustainable building is usually an efficient one and when new build and refurbishment projects are designed with future decades in mind, they can save money in running costs, maintenance and redevelopment. With this in mind, the University of Edinburgh is developing guidance on how building and redevelopment projects should be conducted as Andrew Arnott explains.
The higher education estate: delivering effective space use
Research into space efficiency in higher education suggests that universities have successfully adapted buildings to accommodate current patterns of working. Sian Kilner, who helped to carry out the research, says space management will become even more vital as cash to invest in redeveloping universities reduces.
Making campus safety more efficient
A government code regulating CCTV stimulated Aston University to take a fresh look at their surveillance technology. Mark Sutton explains how complying with the surveillance commissioner's code has resulted in efficiencies and savings.
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.
