{"id":15016,"date":"2023-09-19T13:45:29","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T18:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/?p=15016"},"modified":"2023-09-26T20:24:01","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T01:24:01","slug":"podcast-planning-is-essential-for-meeting-education-market-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/podcast-planning-is-essential-for-meeting-education-market-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcast: Planning is essential for meeting education market challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a continuing series of discussions with IMEG\u2019s market leaders, this episode of The Future Built Smarter features <\/span>John Holbert, vice president of education.<\/span> John discusses the challenges facing the market, <\/span>primarily those for higher education<\/span> institutions<\/span>, which <\/span>face ever-increasing<\/span> e<\/span>nrollment competition<\/span>, <\/span>changes in student <\/span>d<\/span>emographics<\/span>, l<\/span>imited resources, <\/span>aging infrastructure, and <\/span>difficulties with <\/span>facility <\/span>staff retention.<\/span> Many<\/span> higher education <\/span>institutions, as well as K-12 school districts, <\/span>also face <\/span>challenges in meeting sustainability and environmental initiatives a<\/span>s well as <\/span>the need to <\/span>improv<\/span>e <\/span>safety and security <\/span>in their buildings and <\/span>on their campuses<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cSecurity <\/span>has become a big topic<\/span>, and we<\/span> have started <\/span>consulting on<\/span> safety and security plans for campuses and districts<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d says Holbert. <\/span>Such<\/span> initiatives<\/span> start with <\/span>a <\/span>vulnerability assessment and gap analys<\/span>i<\/span>s<\/span>, with<\/span> planning and design<\/span> includ<\/span>ing<\/span> principles from <\/span>Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, or CPTED<\/span>. \u201c<\/span>We\u2019re <\/span>also seeing more<\/span> r<\/span>eferendums and funding opportunities for safety and security measures<\/span>,\u201d he adds<\/span>.<\/span> B<\/span>efore embarking on any building project<\/span>, <\/span>Holbert emphasizes the importance of master planning<\/span> to <\/span>best prepare for the <\/span>needs of the <\/span>future<\/span>.<\/span> Such planning helps<\/span> institutions meet their long-term goals and <\/span>allocate<\/span> funds and other resources accordingly<\/span>\u2014before <\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> too late<\/span>.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>Across the landscape of <\/span>education,<\/span> we see <\/span>a lot of<\/span> deferred maintenance<\/span>,\u201d<\/span> he says. \u201cWe<\/span>‘re still going into 50<\/span>–<\/span>plus<\/span>–<\/span>year<\/span>–<\/span>old buildings that have original systems in them<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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