Each month, "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This November 2004 issue includes the following: "Honoring…

This article describes how an industrial building in Perth, Western Australia, has been converted into a secondary school to suit the particular needs of girls with educational and social difficulties. The aim of the building project was to provide a small school for approximately 30 students that caters to the needs of adolescent girls who are…

Generations ago, it was common for young students to learn their reading and writing in the same classroom as older siblings studying more advanced lessons. For those people educated in one-room schoolhouses, having separate buildings for elementary school, middle school and high school would have been considered the ultimate in specialized…

As adult office workers' use of computers has increased, the incidence of computer-related musculoskeletal complaints and injuries has also increased. Although the use of computers in the classroom is increasing, little attention has been paid by educators, furniture manufacturers, or researchers to the ergonomic design issues of educational…

Today's student recreation centers are a far cry from their predecessors. The typical student recreation center built during the 1960s and 1970s was a massive, windowless concrete structure. Many education institutions are using innovative methods to upgrade these buildings and bring in light and liveliness. In this article, the author describes…

The phenomenal growth in enrollment at community and technical colleges during the past decade has had a distinct impact on the role that counselors must play to continue to provide a viable contribution to the colleges. Specifically, Mesa Community College (MCC), in Arizona, has identified three trends which provide opportunities for counseling…

This handbook discusses the role, structures, organization, and management of study centers as they operate in different postsecondary settings in the Asia Pacific region. Eight chapters and a postscript are included: (1) introduction; (2) what is a study center; (3) why might an institution want study centers--functions, architectural types,…

This book discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the two most common construction planning methods utilized for educational facilities: general contracting and construction management. Diagrams are provided that illustrate the chain of command and communication within each approach, and highlight considerations that every school district…

An architect tells how cost monitoring affects the design and building process. Following are case histories of eight schools shown chronologically to reflect the growing design sophistication of his firm. (Available from 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, $15.00 annually.) (Author/MLF)

Describes the new type of science complex developed by using a systems approach. The complex was designed for a technical school with future flexibility as an important consideration. (BR)

The Western Montgomery County Area Two Vocational -Technical School, Limerick, Pa., successfully employs the systems design approach, a design in which all facilities are carried above celing level, all ceilings and lighting are easily changed, and with readily rearrangable partitions. The result is a model of flexibility. (MW)

Openness and flexibility are the common denominators in these notes on the changing environment for the school's youngest clients. (Author)

Handicapped children learn better when integrated into a regular classroom via specially designed learning centers that provide environmental alternatives and a gradual adjustment to the normal classroom setting. (Author/DW)