APPA Library

"Shaping Space, Place, and Connection"
Author: Christine Hanlon
Published In: Facilities Manager
Date: July/August 2021

Over the past year, the disruption caused by the pandemic has revealed that forming connections is at the very heart of the postsecondary experience. At the same time, the COVID-19 crisis has created opportunities for shaping campus spaces and places to meet emerging challenges in connecting students, faculty, and staff. One way to think of the pandemic is as a trial run for the next great challenge to postsecondary institutions: the “enrolment cliff.” This comes at a time when global competition for students has never been greater and philanthropic giving is in decline. Add to that the financial burden of COVID-related expenses, along with the loss of revenue resulting from the past year’s diminished enrollment and decreased use of ancillary services such as housing, and the case for change has never been so compelling. “It’s important to have a heightened sense of urgency,” says E. Lander Medlin, President and CEO of APPA – Leadership in Educational Facilities. “The accelerated and disruptive change we have experienced this past year moves us from a mindset of doing more with less to doing different with less.” While technical challenges can be solved by knowledge experts, adaptive challenges are more complex and require a collaborative effort to formulate a strategic—rather than reactive—response. Furthermore, a strategic approach is necessary to create that elusive “sense of space” so critical to recruitment, retention, faculty recruitment, and branding. The importance of creating an iconic space should not be underestimated.

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