Nauvoo Illinois Historic Site: A Facilities Management Perspective

abstract: ABSTRACT As the execution of facilities management becomes ever more sophisticated, specialized skill in managing specific types of buildings has become necessary. The sector of maintaining historic structures and sites readily falls into this type of specialized classification. This paper is a case study review of the unique “best practices” at the Nauvoo Historic Site located in Nauvoo, Illinois. It outlines a facilities management model of common core practices that was developed by the author following an assessment of various similar historic preservation campuses and their responsibilities to accurately display historic culture while observing modern-day facilities management techniques. Although these best practices are of great value in Nauvoo, they are proposed to be valuable to other sites as well because of their effectiveness. As a part of the description of best practices, an overview of the unique history of Nauvoo that generated the modern-day interest in the site will be reviewed. Additionally, the Nauvoo Facilities Management (NFM) organization will be detailed and will focus on the unique challenges associated with historic restored and reconstructed structures. Finally, the paper will also examine the use of specific facilities management techniques, management of large-scale visitor events, livestock supervision, workforce dynamics, finance and capital improvements, managing NFM within the corporate structure of a worldwide religious organization, and the part that NFM plays in community relations.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Built Environment 201

Distributed Finite Element Analysis Using a Transputer Network

The principal objective of this research effort was to demonstrate the extraordinarily cost effective acceleration of finite element structural analysis problems using a transputer-based parallel processing network. This objective was accomplished in the form of a commercially viable parallel processing workstation. The workstation is a desktop size, low-maintenance computing unit capable of supercomputer performance yet costs two orders of magnitude less. To achieve the principal research objective, a transputer based structural analysis workstation termed XPFEM was implemented with linear static structural analysis capabilities resembling commercially available NASTRAN. Finite element model files, generated using the on-line preprocessing module or external preprocessing packages, are downloaded to a network of 32 transputers for accelerated solution. The system currently executes at about one third Cray X-MP24 speed but additional acceleration appears likely. For the NASA selected demonstration problem of a Space Shuttle main engine turbine blade model with about 1500 nodes and 4500 independent degrees of freedom, the Cray X-MP24 required 23.9 seconds to obtain a solution while the transputer network, operated from an IBM PC-AT compatible host computer, required 71.7 seconds. Consequently, the $80,000 transputer network demonstrated a cost-performance ratio about 60 times better than the$15,000,000 Cray X-MP24 system

EU competition law and sector-specific regulation in the converging communications industry

Part I traces the evolution of EU telecommunications policy (from 1987 to 1998) and presents an overview of and commentary on the main provisions of the current EU telecommunications regulatory framework. It discusses the principal policy documents which set the tone for the transition from a monopoly to a fully liberalised market and focuses on both liberalisation and harmonisation legislative measures in the EU.Part II concentrates on specific abusive behaviour of the incumbents aimed at preserving their key bottleneck positions against newcomers, and examines how competition law can deal with such cases. In particular, it discusses the jurisprudence of the ECJ involving cases of refusal to supply and the European Commission's essential facilities cases, and attempts to define to what extent Article 82 (ex 86) of the Treaty is applicable to the control of bottlenecks. Furthermore, it analyses EU competition policy on the strategic alliances and mergers arising from the accelerating convergence of the telecommunications, media and information technology sectorsPart III examines how the current EU telecommunications regulatory regime should be adapted to the emerging multimedia environment. It concludes that, at least during the transition phase towards the realisation of an effectively competitive market, specific regulation will play a fundamental role alongside competition law. It also assesses the scope and nature of the new regulatory regime in the converging environment and submits that a light-touch and predictable regulatory framework - based on the new commercial realities rather than on arbitrary and obsolete regulatory distinctions - is required. This means that a large majority of the prescriptive regulations currently in place will need to be replaced by a harmonised framework of general principles and overall targets which can identify and monitor barriers to competition within a converging market and can ensure equal and fair conditions for market players.Part IV comments on the proposed Framework, Access, and Licensing Directives. It attempts to assess whether the forthcoming regulation for electronic communications networks and associated services is in line with the main policy objectives and those regulatory principles that underpin the existing regulatory framework and whose significance has been affirmed in responses to consultation: legal certainty, flexibility, continuity, and transparency

Partnering with Profs

This thesis will focus on the study of corporate universities and the development of a business plan for the implementation of Bi-State University. Research presented will cause the reader \O consider alternatives 10 accomplish strategic organizational training and development objectives. The reader should keep in mind their organizational culture and the developmental needs of their organization\u27s human resources. The purpose of this commentary is to identify the various options available beyond traditional training methods to develop a corporate university for Bi-State Development Agency. The best way to research approaches to human development is to ask the subject matter experts. Several approaches were used in this research including phone interviews, interviews with practitioners in HR publications, teleconference interviews, journal articles from training/HR national publications, published works of professional trainers and books from the American Society of Training and Development Best Practices Series. The business plan will act as a proposal for a partnership with a local university to offer an on-sight Bachelors program at Bi-State. The degree program will be a study in Management with a major in Transportation. Over twenty Bi-State employees have a Masters or Ph. D. that qualifies their participation as instructors m this joint venture. Many of these people have or are currently teaching in local colleges and universities. The education plan will go beyond theory into practical application using real-world transportation problems and opportunities. Students will learn through a unique challenge of combining classroom theory with practical application of the learned theory on tl1e job at Bi-State. This developmental approach will provide participants with education and practical career building learning. This project is one of a series of HR initiatives to assist Bi-State in creating a Learning Organization and help become the employer of choice in the public sector in the St. Louis region

Foreign Direct Investment and Competition Policy at the World Trade Organization

Article published in the George Washington International Law Review

Consolidation in U.S. Higher Education: A Case Study of a Regional Institution

The purpose of this single-site, descriptive case study was to study consolidation in U.S. higher education through the process perspective as posited by Jemison and Sitkin (1986). In their process perspective, Jemison and Sitkin posit that four impediments may occur during the consolidation process that can directly impact the outcome of the consolidation. These four impediments are expectational ambiguity, escalating commitment, activity segmentation, and the misapplication of management systems. Research questions guiding this study are focused on why consolidations take place in higher education, how outcomes are measured, and how decisions made during the consolidation are aligned with the stated purposes of the consolidation. This study included document analysis and interviews with students, staff, faculty, and administrators from an institution that had been created through a recent consolidation. Participants were selected from both pre-consolidation institutions and the State System of Higher Education. This study presents the experiences of a number of faculty, staff, administrators and students as they navigated the complex processes involved in consolidating two higher education institutions. Through their story and applying the process perspective of consolidation (Jemison & Sitkin, 1986), important themes regarding consolidation emerged. The first theme is the role uncertainty can play in organizational dynamics, especially at a time of significant change such as consolidation. The second is that clear, consistent communication can help in both easing uncertainty and ensuring that those involved in implementation make decisions consistent with strategic objectives. The third is the importance of actively managing change. While exhaustive planning may take place, there will be unforeseen challenges and it is vital to manage that change instead of letting the change occur through the path of least resistance. In conclusion, the usefulness of the process perspective of consolidations towards institutions of higher education is discussed, along with the implications of this study and topics for future research

Technology 2004, Vol. 2

Proceedings from symposia of the Technology 2004 Conference, November 8-10, 1994, Washington, DC. Volume 2 features papers on computers and software, virtual reality simulation, environmental technology, video and imaging, medical technology and life sciences, robotics and artificial intelligence, and electronics