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Campus Scene IN T HE SPOT LIGH T Ask the Expert This Month Retrofitting Tech New Academic Building for The College of New Jersey How can we retrofit for technology? THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY RECENTLY OPENED ITS NEWEST ACADEMIC facility — a 79,000-sq.-ft., three-story Education Building. Constructed in the Collegiate Georgian architectural style common to the Ewing Township campus, the facility contains 21 standard and specialized classrooms; a computer lab; a 165-seat auditorium; a seminar room; a café; an observation room for the counselor education program; a multipurpose room; a rooftop terrace; and offices for the school's faculty, administrators, and grant-funded centers. A two-story entry lobby anchors one end of the building, affording access to administrative and departmental office suites. The building engages an existing two-story parking structure conveniently supporting the School's outreach activities. The Education Building was designed to meet LEED Silver specifications, and boasts a number of energy-efficient features, including motion-activated lighting and a chilled-beam system with heat recovery wheels and heat-pipe technology. Environetics of Philadelphia provided programming, engineering, and design services for the project. UConn Launches Hiring Initiative The University of Connecticut has embarked on an ambitious, multiyear hiring initiative to expand its faculty and senior academic leadership across numerous academic disciplines. This four-year investment in 500 tenure-track faculty positions is poised to build on the institution's existing strengths and grow new expertise in strategic areas by hiring talented scholars within a targeted selection of academic departments, boost the University's research productivity, provide outstanding teaching and service to UConn students, and continue the transformation that has led the University to stand among the nation's leading public research universities. { CONT. ON PAGE 8 } AS NEW TECHNOLOGIES EMERGE, pressure to create a collaborative campus environment and technology-capable classrooms grows. We believe three factors drive wise investment decisions in accommodating these trends: affordability, accessibility, and flexibility. Affordability is a critical factor driving technology retrofit plans. Return on investment must be considered. The vast majority of university buildings were built without consideration for the use of technology. Traditionally, expensive core drill devices in concrete slabs have provided some level of technology access. Now, however, technology advancements often require modifications within days or even hours — and at a lower cost. New approaches must not only solve the technology issues of the day but also achieve a faster ROI. They must also acknowledge that today's solution will need to adapt to accommodate tomorrow's needs, important when considering the ROI of connectivity alternatives. Universal accessibility for power and communications for laptops, tablets, and smartphones will continue to drive campus design. Technology in classrooms will continue to evolve and must be accommodated. Lobbies, libraries, and lounges need not only to be relaxing places, but productive spaces with technology connectivity to promote collaborative learning. ADA compliance should also be considered. Investments in retrofitting buildings should be made with the understanding that we cannot know the path of technology innovation — simply that it exists. Permanent, inflexible solutions such as core drilling, trenching, and the use of permanent walls should be viewed as obstacles to flexibility and adaptability. Modular walls, smart furniture, and innovative access to power and telecom are essential to allow for the future use of technology. Clint Strong is CEO of Connectrac (www.connectrac.com), a modular, floor-based wireway alternative. Contact Clint at clint.strong@ connectrac.com. MAY 2013 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 3