Changing the Higher Education Facilities Backlog Conversation

The facilities backlog is a well-worn topic of conversation for higher education leaders, and for a long time it seemed as though no one had anything new to say that would inspire a fresh perspective. Until now.

In April of 2021, APPA released an estimate that American higher ed campuses are saddled with a facilities backlog north of $112 billion. $112 billion. That’s a nearly incomprehensible number, even for those tired of the higher education facilities backlog conversation. And now that we know just how big the facilities backlog problem is, a natural question follows: What do we do about it?

Download this report from Gordian and APPA that delves deeper into the higher education facilities backlog conversation and other challenges facing higher education, offers strategies for catching up and keeping up with the backlog, and provides examples of how institutions are charting a path forward through the backlog.