The importance of leadership and an open mind is now more necessary than ever due to limited funding, changing demographics and advanced technology.

• Overcoming the idea of ‘funding first’- taking a proactive vs. reactive approach
• Understanding  ‘why’ – the drivers of change at a local, national and global level
• Discuss the steps which need to be taken to truly lead and implement change within facilities
• Strategically positioning your university for the current and future competitive landscape

• Highlight ways universities have utilized existing space to keep up with demand of incoming students, when building out is not an option
• Understanding the decision making process in renovation vs demolition of campus buildings
• Planning process for repurposing space in an effective manner and the prioritization of improvements
• Exploring ways facilities can partner with other departments to maximize return on investment

• Developing a long-term strategy for the ongoing improvement of facilities
• Creative strategies to ensure you are meeting long-term goals within your budget
• Identifying financial tools and programs to assist in long-term planning strategy

• Overview of an energy benchmarking study and how to use metrics in creating overall strategy
• Cost-benefit analysis:  Operating costs and performance of LEED certified buildings constructed in the last decade
• Tools for measuring continuous energy performance, such as Energy Management Systems

• Types of economic partnerships: benefits and challenges, cost, efficiency and time
• How to evaluate if a community partnership is appropriate for your institution
• Identifying the right partners to collaborate with
• Industry examples of successful community partnerships and the impact on the university

This topic is timely and relevant to many facilities officers who need support in advocating for alternative funding, especially in a change-resistant environment.

• Best practices in gaining wider support for funding
• Outline policies and processes for aligning initiatives to cost savings
• Evaluating what type of alternative funding is best for your institution
• Uncover lesser known sources of funding, outside of grants and donations

• Best practices in effectively partnering with the CIO on facilities initiatives
• How developments in technology can be leveraged in facilities to achieve a blended service delivery of learning
• The rise of online literature and the future state of university libraries

• Influencing peers to shape business strategy and lead the charge for campus-wide initiatives
• Identify opportunities for strategic collaboration and synergies with Administration, IT, Marketing
• Demonstrating the value of facilities across business functions via research-based communication

As computing power is becoming more affordable, many universities are seeking to host their own servers and build a data center.

• Evaluate if building a data center would be valuable for your campus
• Garnering support from administration by building a business case
• A walk through the journey of building a data center: challenges, initial and operational costs

• Recognize the basic principles of IPD as well as cost, risks and benefits
• Integrated Project Delivery across the industry: new developments  and case studies
• Overcoming challenges associated with implementing IPD

• Best practices in the recruitment of top facilities professionals as it relates to the lack of funding
• Evaluating demographics of your university and region
• Recruitment of new leaders and communicating the value of joining your institution
• Right-sizing the department; prioritizing departmental initiatives
• Weighing the benefits and challenges of outsourcing facilities

• A spotlight on best-in-class design of higher education facilities which nod towards the future state of universities
• Best practices in design which address students’ needs and are high-performance / sustainable solutions
• Design trends in sustainability, such as Evidence-Based Design and its growing relevance to higher education industry