A Regional Survey of Lighting Education Resources Among Colleges and Universities

A study was conducted to survey the state of lighting education resources among colleges and universities offering lighting related programs within a 275 mile radius of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A 19-item questionnaire was mailed to 70 schools in eight states and the District of Columbia. Twenty-nine questionnaires (41%) were returned. Of the respondents teaching lighting, the majority (72%) felt teaching resources were inadequate. The two greatest needs were a modelmaking/testing facility and measurement equipment. The least needed resources were library references and a mainframe computer. The major obstacle to resource adequacy was combinations of money, space, and equipment. It is suggested that greater communication between educators, businesses, and professional organizations as to the availability of low cost solutions and the development of a consortium to share expensive resources might contribute to a solution.