Page 3 - College Planning & Management, January/February 2019

Campus Scene IN THE SPOTLIGHT
New Facilities Underway for MGCCC
Ask the Expert
This Month
Custodial Equipment
What are the advantages of cordless vacuums?
THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS CORDLESS
cleaning equipment is just getting started. Vacuum cleaners of all sizes and functions— upright, backpack, wet/dry—are available in cordless options, and many educational facilities are dabbling in the technology. As more colleges discover the advantages of cordless vacuums, we expect to see them become a bigger part of cleaning programs across the country.
There are three critical advantages to switching to cordless vacuums. First, they improve safety by eliminating the potential tripping hazard of a cord. Next, they boost productivity. Field tests show that cordless vacuums clean 30 percent faster than their corded counterparts. The third critical benefit is ease of use. Cordless vacuums eliminate the cord and all the management and mainte- nance that come with it, allowing custodians to focus on creating a clean space.
One educational facility was concerned about trips and slips while cleaning stairwells. They switched to cordless backpack vacuums for this task and reduced their risk. This solution had a second benefit of improving productivity. A stairwell of seven flights
from top to bottom took 30 minutes to clean with a standard backpack vacuum. With the cordless backpack vacuum, it now takes only 10 minutes. Custodians love the units, because they make their jobs so much easier.
That is a perfect example of all three of the critical advantages of cordless vacuums. The building becomes safer for cleaners and building occupants. Vacuuming tasks are done in less time. And cleaners can focus on clean- ing effectively rather than maneuvering the cord and changing power outlets. For many colleges, cordless cleaning equipment offers numerous benefits and has the potential to solve a diverse set of problems.
Rich Steinberg is vice president of Sales for Pro- Team (https://proteam.emerson.com/en-us).
MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE (MGCCC) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new residence hall and student union on the Per- kinston, MS, campus in January.
The 57,331-square-foot residence hall will include 103 rooms with lobbies on each floor, study rooms, and many other amenities. The 24,717-square-foot student union will include a banquet hall, lobby, with a covered porch area and a dining area/caf- eteria. The new dining facility includes seating for 600.
The new facilities are slated for completion in late 2019.
Hazing Prevention
Consortium
Led by StopHazing (www.stophazing.org), the Hazing Prevention Consortium (HPC) is a multi-year research-to-practice initia- tive to build an evidence base for hazing prevention on college campuses in the U.S. and beyond. Made up of universities from across the U.S., HPC participation is based on having demonstrated a commitment to eliminate hazing and readiness to launch a comprehensive approach to prevention.
Over a three-year period, members work with StopHazing’s team of prevention experts; receiving coaching and technical assistance to assess campus climate for hazing; develop, implement, and evaluate hazing prevention strategies; and share lessons learned among their cohort. Having
completed work with the first cohort of distinguished campuses in September 2017, StopHazing has launched its second HPC cohort. Working with StopHazing, participating institutions are positioned as national leaders in the effort to replace hazing with positive leadership and group development on college campuses.
If your institution is interested in joining the second cohort of the Hazing Prevention Consortium, please email info@stophazing.org.
NFMT Conference
Coming Soon
National Facilities Management & Technology Baltimore (NFMT) is the
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 3