What is Happening to the Family, and Why?

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What is Happening to the Family, and Why?

March 23, 2025
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“The family is nature’s masterpiece”

— George Santayana

 

Educated at Yale College, Somerville College, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Medical School and Columbia Law School, Amy Wax speaks to the Buckley Institute, founded by William F. Buckley (Yale 1950). Links to National Centers at Bowling Green State University, the University of Virginia and the University of Nebraska.

Inside Higher Ed (September 24, 2024): Amy Wav Update


In popular culture:

The Anthropology of Karens

People grow up in a web of relationships that is already in place, supporting them as they grow. From the inside out, it includes parents, extended family and clan, neighborhood groups and civic associations, church, local and provincial governments and finally national government.

Ice Hockey Arena Lighting

March 23, 2025
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National Collegiate Athletic Association: August 2022 IRS Form 900 Tax Filing

"People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy" -- Anton Chekhov

After athletic arena life safety obligations are met (governed legally by NFPA 70, NFPA 101, NFPA 110,  the International Building Code and possibly other state adaptations of those consensus documents incorporated by reference into public safety law) business objective standards may come into play.For almost all athletic facilities,  the consensus documents of the Illumination Engineering Society[1], the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers[2][3] provide the first principles for life safety.  For business purposes, the documents distributed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association inform the standard of care for individual athletic arenas so that swiftly moving media production companies have some consistency in power sources and illumination as they move from site to site.  Sometimes concepts to meet both life safety and business objectives merge.

 

During hockey season the document linked below provides information to illumination designers and facility managers:

NCAA Best Lighting Practices

Athletic programs are a significant source of revenue and form a large part of the foundation of the brand identity of most educational institutions in the United States.   We focus primarily upon the technology standards that govern the safety, performance and sustainability of these enterprises.  We collaborate very closely with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee where subject matter experts in electrical power systems meet 4 times each month in the Americas and Europe.

See our CALENDAR for our next colloquium on Sport facility codes and standards  We typically walk through the safety and sustainability concepts in play; identify commenting opportunities; and find user-interest “champions” on the technical committees who have a similar goal in lowering #TotalCostofOwnership.

"People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy" -- Anton Chekhov

Issue: [15-138]*

Category: Electrical, Architectural, Arts & Entertainment Facilities, Athletics

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Jack Janveja, Jose Meijer, Scott Gibbs


LEARN MORE:

[1] Illumination Engineering Handbook

[2] IEEE 3001.9 Recommended Practice for Design of Power Systems for Supplying Lighting Systems for Commercial & Industrial Facilities

[3] IEEE 3006.1 Power System Reliability

 

* Issue numbering before 2016 dates back to the original University of Michigan codes and standards advocacy enterprise 

Naming & Signs

March 21, 2025
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Most educational settlements are not overloaded by signage by design but distracted management (overlapping temporary signs, inconsistent styles) or large footprints supports the perception.  Today at the usual hour we explore the literature covering exterior and interior signage with emphases on coherence and necessity.

 
ANSI Z535.2-2023: Environmental and Facility Safety Signs

Consistency with Institutional Branding

  • Signage must align with the educational institution’s brand identity, including logos, colors, and typography (e.g., Helvetica font is often specified, as seen in some university standards).
  • Corporate logos are typically prohibited on primary exterior signage to maintain institutional focus.

Compliance with Local Zoning and Building Codes

  • Signs must adhere to municipal zoning regulations, which dictate size, height, placement, and illumination (e.g., NYC Building Code Appendix H or similar local codes).
  • Permits may be required, and signage must not obstruct traffic visibility or pedestrian pathways.

ADA Accessibility Requirements

  • Exterior signs identifying permanent spaces (e.g., entrances or exits) must meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, including visual character requirements (legible fonts, sufficient contrast).
  • Tactile signs with Braille are required at specific locations like exit stairways or discharge points, per the U.S. Access Board guidelines, though not all exterior signs need to be tactile.

Wayfinding and Identification Functionality

  • Signs should clearly identify buildings, provide directional guidance, and include essential information (e.g., building names, departments, or campus districts).
  • Placement is typically near main entrances, limited to one per building unless otherwise justified.

Material and Durability Standards

  • Materials must be weather-resistant and durable (e.g., extruded or cast aluminum with finishes like natural or dark bronze, avoiding plastic in some cases).
  • Maintenance considerations ensure longevity and legibility over time.

Size and Placement Restrictions

  • Size is often regulated (e.g., no larger than necessary for legibility, with some institutions capping temporary signs at 32 square feet).
  • Placement avoids upper building portions unless in urban settings or campus peripheries, ensuring aesthetic harmony.

Approval and Review Processes

  • Exterior signage often requires review by a campus design or sign committee (e.g., a university’s Design Review Board).
  • For partnerships or donor-funded buildings, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) may govern signage rights and standards.

Safety and Visibility Standards

  • Signs must not create hazards (e.g., minimum clearance of 7.5 feet above walkways, no sharp edges).
  • Illumination, if allowed, must comply with safety codes and enhance visibility without causing glare or distraction.

Temporary Signage Regulations

  • Temporary signs (e.g., banners or construction signs) have time limits (e.g., 30-90 days per year) and must be approved, with size and frequency restrictions.  The National Electrical Code Article 590 covers temporary wiring for festoon illumination and defines “temporary” as 90 days.

National Institutes of Health: Moral grandstanding in public discourse

Somewhat Related:

University of Michigan Naming Policy Guideline

Michigan State University: Building and Facilities Naming

University of Buffalo Naming Guidelines

University of Montevallo Sign Refresh: An Academic Library and a Graphic Design Class Collaborate to Improve Library Wayfinding

University of Vienna: Analyzing wayfinding processes in the outdoor environment

Welcome

Donor Control & Influence

March 21, 2025
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“The Architect’s Dream” 1840 Thomas Cole

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, charitable donations to U.S. colleges and universities amounted to $58 billion.  This figure represents a slight decline of 2.5% from the previous year’s record of $59.5 billion, but it remains the second-highest level of donations in history​ (CASE)​​ (Inside Higher Ed)​.   This figure includes money donated for new building projects and other capital expenses.

Some benefactors contribute to the lifecycle upkeep of buildings they help fund. These contributions often come in the form of endowed funds specifically designated for the maintenance, repair, and renovation of facilities. Such endowments are crucial as they provide a continuous source of funding to ensure that buildings remain functional and in good condition over time.

CASE Global Reporting Standards

Charitable giving to colleges and universities in the U.S. is governed by a range of standards and best practices designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and effectiveness. These standards help donors, institutions, and the public understand and manage the complexities of philanthropic contributions. Key standards include:

  1. Donor Intent and Restrictions:
    • Documentation: Donor intent should be clearly documented in gift agreements or endowment contracts to ensure funds are used as intended.
    • Restrictions: Restrictions on the use of funds must be explicitly stated and agreed upon by both the donor and the institution. These can include specific programs, scholarships, research, or infrastructure projects.
  2. Transparency and Reporting:
    • Annual Reports: Institutions should provide detailed annual reports on how donated funds are being utilized, including breakdowns of expenditures and outcomes.
    • Stewardship Reports: For major gifts or endowments, institutions often provide personalized stewardship reports to donors, detailing the impact of their contributions.
  3. Governance and Oversight:
    • Board Oversight: Boards of trustees or equivalent governing bodies should oversee fundraising practices and the management of donated funds.
    • Audit and Compliance: Regular audits and compliance checks should be conducted to ensure adherence to donor restrictions and institutional policies.
  4. Ethical Fundraising Practices:
    • Professional Standards: Fundraisers and development officers should adhere to ethical standards set by professional organizations such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
    • Confidentiality and Respect: Institutions must respect donor confidentiality and handle all interactions with integrity and respect.
  5. Tax and Legal Considerations:
    • IRS Regulations: Donations must comply with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations to qualify for tax deductions. This includes proper documentation of gifts and adherence to rules regarding charitable contributions.
    • 501(c)(3) Status: Colleges and universities must maintain their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, which requires adherence to various federal and state laws governing charitable organizations.
  6. Gift Acceptance Policies:
    • Policy Framework: Institutions should have clear gift acceptance policies outlining the types of gifts they can accept, including cash, securities, real estate, and in-kind contributions.
    • Review and Approval: Complex or potentially problematic gifts should be reviewed by a gift acceptance committee or similar body to assess risks and alignment with institutional priorities.
  7. Endowment Management:
    • Spending Policies: Endowments should have spending policies that balance the need for current income with the preservation of principal to ensure long-term sustainability.
    • Investment Strategies: Institutions should adopt prudent investment strategies for their endowments, often guided by the principles of the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA).
  8. Recognition and Acknowledgment:
    • Donor Recognition: Institutions should have systems in place to appropriately recognize and thank donors, which can include naming opportunities, public acknowledgments, and donor recognition societies.
    • Acknowledgment Letters: Prompt and accurate acknowledgment letters should be sent to donors, including the necessary information for tax purposes.

By adhering to these standards, colleges and universities can effectively manage charitable contributions, ensuring that donor intent is honored, funds are used appropriately, and the institution maintains trust and credibility with its supporters and the broader public.

“Ten Books on Architecture” 30-20 B.C | Vitruvius

No single charitable organization claims hegemony over all others in the realm of charitable giving to U.S. universities but there are a others in the domain. 

  1. Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP):
    • Role: AFP is a professional association that supports fundraisers through education, training, and advocacy. It serves a wide range of nonprofit sectors, including higher education.
    • Ethical Standards: AFP’s Code of Ethical Standards and Donor Bill of Rights are widely recognized and adopted by fundraising professionals in higher education.
  2. National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO):
    • Role: NACUBO represents chief business and financial officers through advocacy, professional development, and research.
    • Financial Management: It provides guidance on the financial management of gifts, endowments, and other resources critical to higher education institutions.
  3. Council on Foundations:
    • Role: This membership organization supports grantmaking foundations in the U.S., including those that fund higher education.
    • Philanthropic Guidance: It offers legal resources, best practices, and networking opportunities for foundations that support colleges and universities.
  4. Charity Navigator and Guidestar (Candid):
    • Role: These organizations evaluate and rate nonprofits, including higher education institutions, based on their financial health, accountability, and transparency.
    • Public Accountability: By providing ratings and financial data, they help donors make informed decisions about their contributions to colleges and universities.
  5. Internal Revenue Service (IRS):
    • Role: As the federal tax authority, the IRS oversees the tax-exempt status of educational institutions and enforces compliance with laws governing charitable contributions.
    • Regulations: The IRS provides guidelines and requirements for tax-deductible donations, ensuring legal compliance in charitable giving.

 

Abiit sed non oblita | Rebecca Luker

March 21, 2025
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Rebecca graduated from the University of Montevallo in 1984 and enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished career as a virtuoso actress, concert soloist and recording artist.

To honor her memory following her passing in 2020 the University has named the stage of the Center for the Arts in her honor.

Standards Alabama

Recognizing signs and doors for Indoor Wayfinding for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons

March 21, 2025
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Mouna Afif, et al

 

Abstract:  Indoor signage plays an essential component to find destination for blind and visually impaired people. In this paper, we propose an indoor signage and doors detection system in order to help blind and partially sighted persons accessing unfamiliar indoor environments. Our indoor signage and doors recognizer is builded based on deep learning algorithms. We developed an indoor signage detection system especially used for detecting four types of signage: exit, wc, disabled exit and confidence zone. Experiment results demonstrates the effectiveness and the high precision of the proposed recognition system. We obtained 99.8% as a recognition rate.

Wayfinding

Unified English Braille

March 21, 2025
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Transport & Parking

March 20, 2025
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Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

We continue the re-scale and re-organize our approach to the mobility topic generally — responsive to most best practice discovery results — as recorded in technical literature and landing in regulations at all levels of government.  The size of the domain has expanded beyond our means.  We need to approach the topic from more angles — distinguishing among land, air and space mobility — following market acceptance and integration.

Throughout 2024 our inquiries will track relevant titles in the following standards catalogs:

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

International Code Council

National Fire Protection Association

ASHRAE International

We will maintain priority wherever we find  user-interest issues in product-oriented standards setting catalogs (ASTM International, SAE International and Underwriters Laboratories, for example).  Agricultural equipment standards (were Michigan-based ASABE is the first name) will be place on the periodic Food (Nourriture) and Water standards agenda.  Each organization contributes mightily to the “regulatory state” where we are, frankly, outnumbered.  When their titles appear in interoperability standards that affect the physical infrastructure of campuses we will explore their meaning to our safer, simpler, lower-cost and longer-lasting priority.  (See our ABOUT)

Join us today at the usual time.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

 

Drivers facing the yellow-light-dilemma

Electric Vehicle Open Charge Point Protocol

 

EV Charging Stations Integration into Public Lighting Infrastructure

Connected & Automated Vehicles

Economics of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in a Campus Setting

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for Long Distance Travel in Sweden

Collision Resistant Hash Function for Blockchain in V2V Communication

“Waiting for the School Bus in Snow” 1947 John Phillip Falter

Electric Vehicle Charging

International Zoning Code

International Energy Conservation Code

International Existing Building Code

Electric Vehicle Power Transfer

Gallery: Electric Vehicle Fire Risk

Standard for Parking Structures

Energy Standard for *Sites* and Buildings

High-Performance Green Buildings

“Gas” 1940 Edward Hopper

Code ignis MMXXIV: Fire Lanes & Parking

March 20, 2025
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NFPA 1 Chapter 18 – Fire Department Access and Water Supply
Public Input on the 2027 Edition closes June 4, 2025

Extinguishing A fire at the Equitable Building skyscraper in New York City, January 1912.

The parent title in the NFPA catalog — NFPA 1 — sets standards for fire lanes by addressing them within various chapters and sections; depending on the specific aspects of fire protection, access, and safety they pertain to. Here are some of the key sections and chapters in NFPA 1 that may include relevant information regarding fire lanes:

  1. Chapter 18: New High-Rise Buildings: This chapter may include requirements related to access for firefighting operations, which could encompass provisions for fire lanes.
  2. Chapter 20: New Educational and Day-Care Occupancies: Requirements related to access for emergency responders in educational facilities, including provisions for fire lanes, may be addressed in this chapter.
  3. Chapter 22: Existing Educational and Day-Care Occupancies: Similar to Chapter 20, this chapter may contain provisions for existing educational facilities regarding fire protection and access.
  4. Chapter 24: New Residential Board and Care Occupancies: Requirements for access and fire protection in residential board and care occupancies, including provisions for fire lanes, may be found in this chapter.
  5. Chapter 30: New Mercantile Occupancies: This chapter may include provisions related to access and fire protection in mercantile occupancies, which could involve requirements for fire lanes.
  6. Chapter 32: Existing Mercantile Occupancies: Similar to Chapter 30, this chapter may address requirements for existing mercantile occupancies, including provisions for fire lanes.

Since NFPA 1 covers a wide range of fire safety topics, including building design, fire protection systems, and emergency procedures, specific requirements related to fire lanes may be distributed throughout the document rather than consolidated in a single section. It’s important to carefully review the relevant chapters and sections of NFPA 1 to ensure compliance with applicable requirements for fire lane design, construction, and maintenance.

Best practice for determining snow zones, as the criteria for designating these zones can vary depending on factors such as geography, climate, population density, infrastructure, and available resources. However, municipalities typically develop their own criteria and guidelines based on these factors to create effective snow removal plans.

Common principles and factors that many municipalities consider when determining snow zones, as mentioned in the previous response. These include weather patterns, topography, traffic volume and patterns, residential density, critical infrastructure, public safety considerations, and feedback from residents and stakeholders.

Some municipalities may also adopt best practices and recommendations from organizations such as the American Public Works Association (APWA) or the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) to inform their snow removal planning processes. These organizations may offer guidance on snow zone designations, prioritization of routes, and effective snow removal techniques based on industry standards and research.

Ultimately snow zones respond to the specific needs and characteristics of each municipality, with the goal of efficiently managing winter weather events to ensure public safety and mobility.

Code ignis MMXXVII

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