Managing the University Campus: Information to Support Real Estate Decisions

Abstract

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Managing the University Campus: Information Support Real Estate Decisions by Alexandra den Heijer Eburon Academic Publishers 2011 432 pages ISBN: 978-90-5972-487-7 Alexandra den Heijer, born in The Hague, received her master of science degree in 1994 at the Faculty of Architecture. Her education focused on management perspectives of the built environment; she combined real estate management, project management, and building information in her master's thesis entitled Space Management at Universities of Applied Sciences. Today she continues combine theory and practice in her work. Since 2000, she has conducted valuable research for the collective 14 Dutch universities and has written numerous reports, articles, and papers about managing the university campus; this book serves as the culmination of her research efforts thus far. This book is written about universities, for universities. This university university collaboration, including knowledge sharing among academics, researchers, and policy makers, started with a project collectively analyze and compare Dutch campus management strategies. The author aspires for the book contribute knowledge exchange about campus management--in theory and practice--in an international university network (p. x). Her credo for the campus of the future and inspiration for writing Managing the University Campus is to share or not be (p. x). As campus planner at Michigan State University, I can attest that this credo is well embedded in our land-grant mission and one worthy of all institutions of higher learning. While the book focuses on an analysis of Dutch universities, there are many theories, strategies, and conclusions applicable institutions and systems of higher education beyond this realm. As a consultant in private practice for 24 years with a specialization in campus planning and, most recently, as campus planner for six years at Michigan State responsible for two comprehensive updates the campus master plan, I can say without hesitation that the author presents a solid research foundation for her recommendations. The book is structured and organized around strong research protocols; the contents move from background and applied theories data collection and analysis conclusions and recommendations. Within this structure, the contents flow easily, building through each successive chapter. Graphics are used regularly support the narrative and enable a clearer understanding of the data presented. In 1995, ownership of Dutch universities was transferred from the national government the individual institutions. That transfer created many new issues for Dutch campus managers, who did not have the appropriate tools analyze stakeholders' interests in the decision-making process or inform stakeholders of the consequences of their demands. Further, the Dutch higher education industry has faced decreased public involvement and funding that pits the allocation of physical resources against investments in human and academic resources (this should sound familiar most of us). In addition, the aging portfolio of university buildings, in terms of both technology and function, requires a significant reinvestment. While Dutch universities have witnessed these changes over a compressed time frame, American universities have been swimming against this tide for quite some time. The book sets out answer the author's fundamental research question: How can universities improve strategic campus management, adding value the university's performance, conducting which management tasks, and using what information and tools? (p. xi). Her research objective is provide universities with a conceptual model and practical information that, through the use of data and tools, can improve campus management in response institutional needs. …

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 82 citations exist upstream.