Cleanliness & Learning in Higher Education

This article by Jeffrey L. Campbell and Alan S. Bigger in Facilities Manager (PDF) is an important one, summarizing the results of research conducted by APPA (Leadership in Educational Facilities) and ISSA (Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association):

The findings of this research study indicate that the levels of cleanliness do impact the ability of students to learn. There is a correlation, maybe stated in simple terms, that the cleaner the learning space the greater the probability that students perceive they will learn. What a powerful duo oftools. Facilities managers can now clearly indicate that decreased staffing leads to decreased levels of cleanliness, and that there is a direct connection between the cleanliness of a facility and students’ ability to learn. If educational institutions are to provide the best environment in which students can learn, they would be well advised to staff at a level that will provide an acceptable level of cleanliness that will contribute to student learning and health and not detract and distract from that critical goal.