Talking Stick - November/December 2011 - 48

reporting out

Report Highlights Risk for College Veterans
An electronic survey was recently released to student veterans across the country in order to assess their emotional adjustment, psychological symptoms, and suicide risk. The assessment was part of a collaborative partnership between The University of Utah’s National Center for Veteran Studies and the Student Veterans of America. In their results, researchers found that nearly one-third of the 545 surveyed student veterans reported severe anxiety, and about onefourth reported severe depression. Additionally, nearly half of the students reported having thoughts about suicide, while 20 percent had a plan for following through with these thoughts. The results of the study coincide with a recognition of the importance of providing services and opportunities for student veterans on college and university campuses across the nation. To learn more about the study, visit www.ncvs.utah.edu.

Focus on Hub Zones
A new survey from the furniture design company Herman Miller has provided new insights into the development and benefits of hub zones, an emerging campus design element that emphasizes indoor collaborative spaces. In “Hub Life: Insights That Shape Campus Spaces,” researchers reached out to facility planners, architects, and designers in an effort to gain a greater understanding of hub zones and their future in the design of campus structures. The results of the survey show that, on average, nearly 30 percent of the space in student buildings, residence halls, and libraries is devoted to hub zone areas. Along with noting the importance of flexibility and technological capability in these spaces, the survey also emphasized collaboration as the primary benefit of hub zone learning. Herman Miller presented these findings at the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) annual international conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, in July. For more information regarding the survey, visit www. cdx.dexigner.com/article/21462/ Herman_Miller_Hub_Life_2011.pdf.

Fire Statistics for College and University Housing
The United States Fire Administration recently released a report regarding the causes and characteristics of fires within college and university residential buildings, including both residence halls and fraternity and sorority houses. The report states that an estimated 3,800 fires occur each year within these buildings, with cooking cited as the leading cause. The fires, which occur most frequently in the late summer and fall, were found to result in a yearly average of 25 injuries and $9 million in property loss. Results show that 95 percent of the fires occurred in dormitories or dormitory-type residences, while only 5 percent occurred in fraternity and sorority houses. To learn more about the report’s results, visit www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics.

SENdiNg SUBMiSSiONS
The Reporting Out column shares news and information from around the campus housing and student affairs professions. If you have any award and research information, we want to hear about it. Please submit your material to talkingstick@acuho-I.org.

TalkiNg STick

http://ncvs.utah.edu/ http://www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics http://cdx.dexigner.com/article/21462/Herman_Miller_Hub_Life_2011.pdf http://cdx.dexigner.com/article/21462/Herman_Miller_Hub_Life_2011.pdf

Talking Stick - November/December 2011

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