Events / Meetings

• Benchmarking and Targeting - Art and Science
  When was the last time that you as the CFO took a walk around your campus and were able to see it through the eyes of your existing and potential customers? In the last three years, how many of your facility planning and project selection decisions have been affected by just such a tour? Interestingly, many of these decisions or opportunities have been foregone because of the absence of processes and effective tools to create the context necessary to make powerful arguments that align your resource allocation decisions to a directed outcome.
  
  
  
• Buildings Don't Care - The Context for Comparison
  From the Business Officer Magazine, April 2006: Peer group comparisons can be self-limiting and could impede progress. Institutions need to challenge their preconceived notions and change their paradigm of analysis. Although comparisons help, seldom does the comparison add the most value. Instead, the creation of the proper context to address specific outcomes and challenges reaps a far greater return.
  
  
  
• Correlating Institutional Wealth and Space
  As we look to the Campus of the Future – How can we align our financial portfolios with our facilities portfolios to protect facilities investments and maximize sustainability?
  
  
  
• Environmental Stewardship Pilot Poster
  - Quantify environmental metrics to develop a common vocabulary. - Define consistent measurement to facilitate credible comparisons and benchmarking. - Create knowledge to identify actions that lower the institution’s impact on the environment.
  
  
  
• Greenline Pilot Study Results
  President, faculty, students, and administrators all see America’s colleges and universities as playing a primary role in preparing tomorrow’s leaders for a world where sustainable practices will be a cornerstone of our society. Our nation’s institutions have the capacity to lead the way in reducing the impact on our environment, both today and in the future. Initiatives such as the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have reinforced higher education’s dedication to lead society on issues of sustainability.
  
  
  
• Learn to Navigate Our New Website
  To help you take advantage of the increased information and knowledge that will be available to you, we are hosting four webinar training sessions at the following times. To register, click on the session of your choice. Please see the attached document to RSVP.
  
  
  
• Releasing the Hidden Value on Campus
  As we look to the Campus of the Future – How can we balance facilities investment and maximize the value of institutional capital to release hidden value? The management of facilities is very similar to that of financial portfolios. Effective strategies balance risk and reward, create diversity in investments, and are governed by a long-term outlook. The best facilities operators build organizations that do not focus solely on short-term issues. Instead, their teams strategically select actions, balance investment, and manage deferrals within the context of a multi-year plan.
  
  
  
• Welcome to Sightlines 4.0!
  Sightlines 4.0 is the new and improved version of our member website. Its great new features and enhancements make is easier than ever to turn Data into Information and harness the Knowledge to Take Action. To acquaint our users with our new technology, we have scheduled four “webinars” to take plce within July and August. Please click on “Ask Sightlines” above to RSVP to one of the scheduled times. In advance of these sessions, please feel free to contact your Sightlines Team with any questions or one-on-one support.
  
  
  
• Where do America's Campuses Stand? - 2007
  The impact of the Gulf hurricanes near the end of calendar 2005 created a ripple in energy markets that was felt throughout the country. Although these rising fixed costs have an immediate effect on utility budgets, the real story is how campuses dealt with funding shortfalls. Utility rate spikes may be temporary, but campus reactions could have lasting impacts on annual stewardship and long-term capital requirements.