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School violence, the threat of violence, and harassment continues to worry educators locally, nationally and internationally. Although violence exits in its rawest form, i.e., shootings, rape, kidnapping, and bomb threats; more passive and pervasive forms of harassment and/or bullying also exist.

As I watch seemingly happy, healthy students return to campus to start the fall semester, I cannot help but wonder what troubling emotions may be behind their beaming smiles. My curiosity is supported by the American College Counseling Association's recent survey finding the emotional health of incoming freshmen at a record low.

The economic model theory addresses a fundamental question of how scarce resources should be deployed to generate maximum benefits. An economic model includes forecasting, planning, allocating resources, predicting growth, and evaluating risks. The academic library is no exception to an economic model because there is a strong relationship between an academic library and its economic efficiency in budget performance, particularly during economically distressed times. The library operation requires a fresh look at its activities similarly to profit-making firms.

Colleges and universities are increasingly turning to alternative revenue streams, such as grants, private donations, custom publishing, patents, real estate, and profitable graduate courses to help raise revenue. Administrators at these schools say it is the only way they can compete with wealthy private schools that have brand names and large endowments.

In today's highly connected global business environment, customer insight is a top priority for all organizations. As a result, it's becoming more important than ever for universities to start implementing core curriculum and programs around this exact topic. Among the highest performing companies globally, 95 percent say that getting closer to the customer is key to achieving their business goals. One way to do this is through social analytics and gaining insights into customer opinion about a brand on the web.

In our wired, social media-saturated world, many of us are connected to family and friends on Facebook and to business colleagues and other professionals via LinkedIn. These connections are undeniably meaningful and beneficial to each of us personally, and potentially, professionally.

But what about networks that may exist for gaining access to a deeper, more sophisticated level of expertise, information sharing, timely guidance, or shared interests? The implications could be huge for those of us in the education space.

In higher education, sustainability and green design have moved beyond buzzwords to become real practice. Programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, and the College Sustainability Report Card are commonplace measures of an institution’s commitment to sustainability.

There was a time, and not all that long ago, when many organizations looked at energy costs as a fixed cost of doing business over which they had little control. But rising energy prices, coupled with a challenging economic environment and an increasing focus on carbon reduction, have grabbed American leaders by the shoulders and shaken them into a greater state of consciousness when it comes to energy.

Colleges and universities essentially operate as self-contained small cities, providing huge amounts of energy to its campuses, in increasing amounts, all day, every day. The higher education sector owns and operates tens of thousands of buildings, owns millions of acres of land and spends nearly $10 billion each year on energy.

In today’s discussions about buildings and architecture for higher education campuses, sustainability is touted for its positive environmental impact. However, sustainable design can be more than just responsible earth stewardship. It can impact operational costs, support and improve student learning, and even promote change in students’ behavior. Universities should approach sustainability as an expectation, not an add-on, incorporating it into the building process and thinking about all of its potential impact when making design decisions.