The furniture you choose shows students and faculty a great deal about your mission and priorities.  Your choice reveals the importance you place on health and ergonomics.  Your furniture provides a snapshot on your view of the right balance between collaboration and individual endeavor. It shows whether you  encourage interactions among students and between faculty and students.  Your purchases reveal your commitment to being on the cutting edge of technology to ensure your students and faculty have the best tools available.

Now is the time to rethink, upgrade and replace every type of furniture around your campus.   Consider each of these areas when making these important decisions.

1. Remember every area is a learning space

Today’s students don’t want to be confined to learning and studying in classrooms or traditional places.  They are extremely interactive and social and prefer to be mobile and to multi-task.  You have to view every area- hubs, gathering spaces, classrooms, libraries and residence halls as learning environments.

Invest in a variety of campus furnishings. Some students work best at a desk – others on lounge seating. Don’t limit their studying choices by ordering just a few types of furniture in mass. Consider a variety of pieces that offer multiple ways to study and learn.

Faculty also have different techniques, so providing them with different options for desks, storage, and furniture that meet their individual preferences will set them up for their best work.

2. Create collaborative, interactive environments

Today’s students like to be mobile and to work in teams.  They prefer peer interaction and have little tolerance for lecture style teaching.  Teachers and students have different teaching and learning styles so you want to offer them flexibility.  Rather than using a set arrangement of furniture in each space, buy with  an eye  for mobility and versatility.

Use lightweight chairs for easy reconfiguration, and tables and consoles with wheels to adjust room orientation.  Furniture adaptability encourages collaboration and improves engagement.   Adding mobility and adjustable furniture allows lecture halls to be collaborative spaces, and study nooks to be tutoring centers. When it comes to furnishing your university, think about all the possibilities that flexible furniture allows.

3. Assure comfort and ergonomic excellence

Students spend a huge amount of their time on campus, so making sure the furniture is comfortable should be a top priority. Ergonomics plays a huge part in student and faculty wellness.  Providing different choices for seating and studying allows students the ability to change positions, providing great health benefits.

Height adjustable sit stand desks and fully adjustable ergonomic task chairs are truly becoming a must as more and more students hear the mantra, ”Sitting is the new smoking.”  Proper keyboard trays and fully adjustable articulating monitor arms allow proper body alignment and help avoid carpal tunnel syndrome

Comfortable ergonomic furniture shows your students and faculty that you care about their well-being.

4. Plan for cutting-edge technology and connectivity

Technology use is is increasing at warp speed in classrooms, libraries, resident halls and lounges.  Students and faculty are used to being connected.  Your furniture must integrate technology, offer the newest advances and look toward future advances – without breaking your budget.   You need products that can accommodate diverse media platforms.

Your desks and tables, preferably mobile,  need to comfortably accommodate multiple devices to meet the technology needs of students. Make sure you have ample electrical outlets and USB ports.  Adding them later will be disruptive and expensive.

5. Balance Aesthetics and Durability

When selecting furniture, remember that college students are the ones to be using it and choose pieces that are built to last. Choose in favor of furniture that will withstand the rigors of campus living. Luckily, durable furniture doesn’t have to be unattractive. There are plenty of pieces that are beautifully designed, practical and budget friendly. Your furniture helps convey your university’s brand – so your furniture must be visually appealing and inviting. Look for aesthetically appealing furniture that matches your university’s personality.

Selecting furniture is a big choice, and there are lots of factors to keep in mind. Cubicle By Design has a wide selection of university furniture that will meet the vast demands of your students and staff.

We would love to discuss your furniture needs and help you find a modern, practical solution. Set up a consultation today to discuss how CBD can help you update your university.