Author Archives: mike@standardsmichigan.com

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Accreditation 300

Illustration from 1913 showing Pythagoras teaching a class of women. Pythagoras believed that women should be taught philosophy as well as men[47] and many prominent members of his school were women

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Agreement on academic credentials is vital to the United States’ higher education export industry, one of America’s largest service exports.  In 2023–24, international students contributed approximately $45–50 billion to the U.S. economy through tuition, living expenses, and related spending. For this industry to thrive, foreign students must have confidence that their home-country qualifications will be fairly evaluated for admission, while U.S. degrees must be widely recognized abroad for further study or employment. 

 

Clear credential recognition agreements reduce barriers, streamline admissions, and build trust. They encourage more students to choose U.S. universities over competitors in the UK, Australia, or Canada. Without such agreements, bureaucratic obstacles, lengthy evaluations, and uncertainty deter students, directly threatening university revenue, campus diversity, and the economic impact of this major export sector.  

 

Country / Representative University Typical Duration Total Credits / Equivalent Notes on System & Load
United States
(e.g., Harvard, Stanford, or any public university)
4 years 120 semester credit hours
(sometimes 120–130)
15 credits/semester typical. Includes general education + major. 1 credit ≈ 1 hour class + 2 hours work/week per semester.
United Kingdom
(e.g., Oxford, Cambridge, or UCL)
3 years
(4 in Scotland)
360 UK credits
(120 per year) or ~180 ECTS
Modular system. Full-time load ~60 ECTS/year. Honours degree standard. Less emphasis on broad gen-ed.
Canada
(e.g., University of Toronto or UBC)
3–4 years 90–120 credits
(often 120 for honours)
Similar to US system. Some provinces offer 3-year general degrees.
Australia
(e.g., University of Melbourne or Sydney)
3 years
(some 4 years)
144–192 credit points
(typically 48–64 per year)
Points-based system. Workload roughly equivalent to 3-year UK degrees.
New Zealand
(e.g., University of Auckland)
3 years 360 points
(120 per year)
Similar to Australia/UK. 15-point courses are common.
Ireland
(e.g., Trinity College Dublin)
3–4 years 180–240 ECTS Bologna-aligned system, comparable to UK.

Key Observations:

  • US degrees are typically longer with significant general education requirements.
  • UK / Australia / NZ degrees are more specialized and usually completed in 3 years.
  • Full-time workload is roughly equivalent across systems when adjusted for credits.
  • Exact requirements vary by program and institution — always check the specific university catalog.

“The Death of Julius Caesar” | 1806 Vincenzo Camuccini

Standards are the seed corn for compliance revenue; hence the hegemony of conformance and enforcement enterprises that dominate the global standards system.

Accreditation is a relatively recent breakout topic so we approach it gently; respectful of the business models of the hundreds of education community charitable associations involved in the safety and sustainability of the physical spaces of education communities.

Accreditation 100 tracks facility management credentialing:

Ferris State University | Certificate Program in Facility Management

University of San Diego | Facilities Management Program

Arizona State University | Facility Management Certificate Program

Later in 2024 we will sort through other issues in the credentialing domain:

Accreditation 200: Recent innovations in credentialing

Q. There are about 150 hospitals in the USA with the word “university” in their name.  Are they tax-exempt?  Should they be?  A.  Whether a hospital with “university” in its name is tax-exempt depends on various factors, including its ownership, structure, and purpose. Non-profit hospitals, including those affiliated with universities, may qualify for tax-exempt status under certain conditions. However, the mere presence of “university” in the name does not automatically confer tax-exempt status.  Tax-exempt status, the hospital’s activities, such as providing charity care, medical education, and research, are typically considered.

Accreditation 300: Requirements for baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees

Accreditation 400: Advanced Topics

Open to everyone.  Use the login credentials at the top of our home page.

Syllabus: Accreditation 100

Readings:

“Student Retention at the Community College: Meeting Students’ Needs” | University of Delware Fall 2006 | Jill Jacobs-Biden

“Princeton-Educated Black and the Black Community” | Princeton University | Michelle LaVaughn Robinson

“Employment, Output and Capital Accumulation in an Open Economy: A Disequilibrium Approach” | Yale University | Janet Louise Yellen

 

Intelligence is quickness in seeing things as they are. - George Santayana

print(“Python”)

Active Python Releases

 

“Python is the programming equivalent

of a Swiss Army Knife.”

— Some guy

 

The Python Standard Library

Open source standards development is characterized by very open exchange, collaborative participation, rapid prototyping, transparency and meritocracy.   The Python programming language is a high-level, interpreted language that is widely used for general-purpose programming. Python is known for its readability, simplicity, and ease of use, making it a popular choice for beginners and experienced developers alike.  Python has a large and active community of developers, which has led to the creation of a vast ecosystem of libraries, frameworks, and tools that can be used for a wide range of applications. These include web development, scientific computing, data analysis, machine learning, and more.

Another important aspect of Python is its versatility. It can be used on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and even mobile devices. Python is also compatible with many other programming languages and can be integrated with other tools and technologies, making it a powerful tool for software development.  Overall, the simplicity, readability, versatility, and large community support of Python make it a valuable programming language to learn for anyone interested in software development including building automation.

As open source software, anyone may suggest an improvement to Python(3.X) starting at the link below:

Python Enhancement Program

Python Download for Windows

Python can be used to control building automation systems. Building automation systems are typically used to control various systems within a building, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, security, and more. Python can be used to control these systems by interacting with the control systems through the building’s network or other interfaces.

There are several Python libraries available that can be used for building automation, including PyVISA, which is used to communicate with instrumentation and control systems, and PyModbus, which is used to communicate with Modbus devices commonly used in building automation systems. Python can also be used to develop custom applications and scripts to automate building systems, such as scheduling temperature setpoints, turning on and off lights, and adjusting ventilation systems based on occupancy or other variables. Overall, Python’s flexibility and versatility make it well-suited for use in building automation systems.

Subversion®

Building Automation & Control Networks

Global Consistency in Presenting Construction & Life Cycle Costs

Research from the World Economic Forum has shown that improvements in the design and construction process can be achieved by using international standards like ICMS to gain comparable and consistent data. ICMS provides a high-level structure and format for classifying, defining, measuring, recording, analysing and presenting construction and other life-cycle costs.

CLICK ON IMAGE


Potato beef casserole

University of Minnesota Extension | Standards Minnesota

2020 Minnesota State Building Codes

A bowl of sliced potatoes and ground beef

Click image for recipe

 

Regents of the University of Minnesota: General Obligation Refunding Bonds

Norman County East School District

Data Center Bust & Boom

"One day ladies will take their computers for walks in the park and tell each other, "My little computer said such a funny thing this morning" - Alan Turing

Data centers in colleges and universities are crucial for supporting the extensive technological infrastructure required for modern education and research. These centers house critical servers and storage systems that manage vast amounts of data, ensuring reliable access to academic resources, administrative applications, and communication networks. They enable the secure storage and processing of sensitive information, including student records, faculty research, and institutional data.

Uptime Institute Tier Classification

Moreover, data centers facilitate advanced research by providing the computational power needed for data-intensive studies in fields like bioinformatics, climate science, and artificial intelligence. They support virtual learning environments and online course management systems, essential for the increasingly prevalent hybrid and online education models. Efficient data centers also contribute to campus sustainability goals by optimizing energy use through modern, eco-friendly technologies.

ANSI/TIA 942 Data Center Infrastructure Standard

Additionally, robust data center infrastructure enhances the university’s ability to attract top-tier faculty and students by demonstrating a commitment to cutting-edge technology and resources. They also play a vital role in disaster recovery and business continuity, ensuring that educational and administrative functions can resume quickly after disruptions. Overall, data centers are integral to the academic mission, operational efficiency, and strategic growth of colleges and universities.

We have followed development of the technical standards that govern the success of these “installations” since 1993; sometimes nudging technical committees — NFPA, IEEE, ASHRAE, BICSI and UL.   The topic is vast and runs fast so today we will review, and perhaps respond to, the public consultations that are posted on a near-daily basis.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Related:

Ernst & Young LLP: Why there is no silver bullet for data center financing

Data Center Growth

Gallery: Supercomputers & Data Centers

Data Center Wiring

Datacenter Architecture

Power Management For Data Centers Challenges And Opportunities

Data Center Operations & Maintenance

Inauguration of New Supercomputer

Big Data Applications in Edge-Cloud Systems

Supercomputer Tour

Data Center Metrics

“What Happens When Data Centers Come to Town”

What Happens When Data Centers Come to Town

Terry Nguyen | BA Public Policy

Ben Green |Assistant Professor, School of Information and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Partner | Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition

Introduction. [Abstract].  The rapid growth of data centers, with their enormous energy and water demands, necessitates targeted policy interventions to mitigate environmental impacts and protect local communities. To address these issues, states with existing data center tax breaks should adopt sustainable growth policies for data centers, mandating energy audits, strict performance standards, and renewable energy integration, while also requiring transparency in energy usage reporting. “Renewable energy additionality” clauses should ensure data centers contribute to new renewable capacity rather than relying on existing resources.  If these measures prove insufficient, states should consider repealing tax breaks to slow unsustainable data center growth. States without tax breaks should avoid such incentives altogether while simultaneously implementing mandatory reporting requirements to hold data centers accountable for their environmental impact. Broader measures should include protecting local tax revenues for schools, regulating utility rate hikes to prevent cost-shifting to consumers, and aligning data center energy demands with state climate goals to avoid prolonging reliance on fossil fuels.

Related:

Sharan Kalwani (Chair, Southeast Michigan Section IEEE): AI and Data Center Demand

Gallery: Other Ways of Knowing Climate Change

 

Communication in the Presence of Noise

Communication in the Presence of Noise

Claude E. Shannon

University of Michigan – Bell Telephone Laboratories – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract. A method is developed for representing any communication system geometrically. Messages and the corresponding signals are points in two “function spaces,” and the modulation process is a mapping of one space into the other. Using this representation, a number of results in communication theory are deduced concerning expansion and compression of bandwidth and the threshold effect. Formulas are found for the maximum rate of transmission of binary digits over a system when the signal is perturbed by various types of noise. Some of the properties of “ideal” systems which transmit at this maxmum rate are discussed. The equivalent number of binary digits per second for certain information sources is calculated.

CLICK HERE to order complete paper

 

“Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”

 


How Stupid Would It Be to Put Data Centers in Space? 

Riding the orbital data center wave

SpaceX and Google Are in Talks to Launch Data Centers in Orbit

 

International Zoning Code

Electricity

Electric Service Metering & Billing

Natural Gas

Natural Gas Transmission & Distribution

Traffic

7th Edition (2018): Geometric Design of Highways & Streets

Water

Standards March: Water

Noise

“Backup” Power Systems

Taxation

Tax-Free Bonds

Security

Secure perimeter management

 


Relata:

Dr. Gad Saad Named Global Ambassador for The Northwood Idea and Visiting Professor

Gad Saad (Northwood University Michigan) & Jordan Peterson (University of Toronto) discuss the intellectual intransigence in education settlements

The $7 Billion Stargate “Barn”

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