Planning for Uncertainty: Using Foresight Analysis to Look Ahead, Adapt and Innovate

Presented by: Lisa Jasinksi, President, Associated Colleges of the Midwest

Linking strategy with assessment enables data-driven decisions, rapid pivots, and accountability to drive continuous improvement, transparency, and student success. This session will explore how Kennesaw State University (KSU) developed a dynamic, university-wide strategic planning process that aligns institutional goals with planning and assessment to enhance effectiveness, transparency, and student success. Come learn how to align ongoing efforts with accreditation standards to better support strategic planning, streamline reporting, and improve institutional outcomes, which in turn boosts clarity, focus, and effectiveness in your daily work.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Describe how foresight differs from forecasting and explain why it matters for campus planning.
2. Explore the power of futures literacy to build resilience, reduce anxiety, and spark innovation.
3. Identify key trends and critical uncertainties shaping the future of higher education.
4. Reflect on the gap between higher education’s likely and preferred futures and identify what can be done to close it.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Thank you to our sponsor!

Thank you to our sponsor!

Higher Education’s Top Business Issues: Impacts and Opportunities

Moderated by: Randy Roberson, Vice President, Leadership Development, NACUBO

Presented by: Lesley Netter-Snowden, Interim Executive Vice President & Chief Business Officer, Kennesaw State University | Jennifer Bentson, Associate Vice-President of Special Initiatives for Finance & Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology

In September 2025, the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) released their annual list of the top business issues confronting colleges and universities. How are these challenges evolving at different institutions? What issues may stay with us for the foreseeable future? What do they mean for campus operations and the students we serve? In this lively discussion, chief business officers will examine these pressing questions and share their perspectives on these top business issues, their potential impacts, and potential opportunities they provide.

Learning Outcomes:

1. List the top business issues facing higher education in 2025.
2. Describe how these top business issues are evolving across different types of institutions.
3. Analyze the potential long-term impacts of these issues on campus operations, resource management, and student success.
4. Explore possible opportunities that could come from these issues, and discuss strategies that institutions can use to act on them.

A Campus Housing Transformation: Vanderbilt’s Largest Capital Project Success

Presented by: David Bailey, Principal, Hastings Architecture | Robert Grummon, Team Leader, Capital Projects, Vanderbilt University | James Moore, Landscape Architect, Vanderbilt University

Many institutions grapple with the challenges of offering student housing. As enrollment grows and student expectations change, it’s essential to develop housing solutions that support student success, retention, and overall campus life. This session will explore the benefits and impacts of developing new student housing facilities, featuring the successful design and concurrent construction of four residential colleges and landscape transformation at Vanderbilt University. Come learn actionable strategies for managing complex, large-scale student housing projects, aligning these developments with institutional goals and vision to ensure they meet the needs of students.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Determine how to align new housing projects with academic and student life goals, creating a cohesive campus experience.
2. Discuss the financial challenges inherent to residence hall programming and how changing pedagogies are influencing student life design budgets.
3. Outline current design trends that enhance student acquisition and retention.
4. Define best practices for managing the complexities of large-scale, multi-phase construction.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3832)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Challenges: Student Success, Retention, and Graduation
Tags: Facilities Design; Facilities Planning; Student Housing

All-electric Campuses: A Life Cycle Approach

Presented by: Sabrina Bernstein, Senior Project Manager, Turner Construction Company | Avril Levasseur, Senior Associate, Point Energy Innovations | Cole Tucker, Interim Associate Vice President, Energy and Sustainability, Cornell University | Ryan Yaden, Associate Partner, Lake|Flato

There are many stakeholders involved in the transition towards decarbonized campuses, and their perspectives are all critical for successful integrated planning. In this session you’ll hear from the perspectives of an architect, a mechanical engineer, a general contractor, and a campus facilities vice president on the subject of all-electric construction. Heat pump technology is accelerating rapidly and campuses will need to make decisions regarding new construction and building systems upgrades. Join us to gain an in-depth understanding of all the factors impacting electrification decisions, including first cost, life cycle costs, available space, maintenance concerns, reliability, and more.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Make the case for investing in all-electric buildings given the life cycle cost impact.
2. Consider potential maintenance and reliability concerns around heat pumps and how to successfully address them.
3. Detail first cost impacts of electrification and how to balance these costs with building performance.
4. Identify possible barriers for heat pump adoption and how to approach these issues.

AIA LU/HSW 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3858)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Challenges: Dealing with Climate Change
Tags: Carbon Neutral; Energy Infrastructure; Facilities Planning

How Esports Reshapes the Campus with Inclusive, Student-centered Learning Spaces

Presented by: Ian Escalante, Director of Esports, University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Jessica Figenholtz, Higher Education Practice Leader, Perkins&Will | Scott Schroeder, Director of Visualization, Perkins&Will

Inclusive esports spaces can enhance student life, academics, and community through strategic design and partnerships. Esports meets students at all levels, building radically inclusive communities that support diverse learning styles. This session will illustrate how esports is reshaping campuses with innovative, research-backed, student-centric spaces that blend competition, learning, and wellness while connecting to multiple academic disciplines. Featuring a spotlight on a successful university esports project, you’ll discover how to elevate student engagement, wellness, and inclusivity through learning spaces that support academics, build community, and develop workforce-ready skills to boost student success and overall campus impact.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify key drivers in designing esports facilities that foster student engagement, learning, wellness, and community on campus.
2. Describe scalable planning models that align with institutional goals, space availability, and evolving standards to support esports development and student success and wellness.
3. Leverage applied research and data on inclusivity and neurodiversity to create more accessible, student-centered esports programs and spaces.
4. Evaluate public-private partnership (P3) models to support the financial sustainability and growth of esports initiatives on campus.

AIA LU/HSW 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3879)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Facilities Design; Facilities Planning; Recreational Facility

Making Complex Projects Simple with Progressive Design-build

Presented by: Tyler Larkin, Mechanical Engineer, CMTA, Inc. | Sajid Mian, Assistant Vice President – Facilities Management, University of Louisville

Capital planning teams face growing pressure to do more with less. This session will provide a replicable roadmap for navigating stakeholder needs, funding limits, and procurement headaches, all while accelerating progress on aging academic facilities. The University of Louisville (UofL) used progressive design-build and a state procurement vehicle to renovate its Chemistry Building. This approach cut complexity, aligned stakeholders, and reduced the institutional burden of traditional project delivery. We’ll share practical strategies for streamlining planning workflows, effectively engaging stakeholders, and using alternative procurement methods to save time, maintain control, and meet tight capital project deadlines.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Compare traditional and progressive design-build delivery methods to determine which better serves your institutional needs and internal capacity.
2. Describe stakeholder engagement strategies that translate user needs into scoped priorities without adding project complexity.
3. Adopt procurement tools that simplify contractor selection and reduce reliance on the Request for Proposal (RFP) processes.
4. Discuss a collaborative planning workflow that shifts project oversight away from internal staff toward accountable external partners.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3915)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Design-Build; Project Management / Delivery; Renovation; Science / Engineering Facility

Align Strategic Planning Around Institutional Positioning for Clarity and Focus

Presented by: Matt Hernandez, Director, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Jody Randall, Vice President & Chief Experience Officer, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Justin White, Assistant Vice President for University Strategy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Without a clear strategy, decisions lack connection and direction. This session will show how aligning planning efforts around positioning creates focus, coherence, and momentum across the institution. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) redefined strategic planning by focusing on institutional positioning, clarifying who it serves, where it leads, and how it differentiates rather than defaulting to ambitious projects. You’ll gain tools to connect daily decisions with long-term strategy by clarifying institutional focus, evaluating initiative alignment, and applying practical models that make strategy actionable.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify and organize the core elements of a positioning statement that clarifies your institution’s distinct role, who it serves, where it leads, and what sets it apart.
2. Apply decision-making tools to evaluate initiatives by testing alignment with mission, capacity, and identity.
3. Define an integrated framework for aligning planning efforts across units and functions to guide coordinated action.
4. Replace project lists with positioning-based priorities to refocus strategic plans and drive institutional momentum.

Planning Types: Strategic Planning
Challenges: Planning Alignment
Tags: Alignment; Decision Making; Mission / Vision / Identity

Distance, Terrain, Disasters: Reinforcing Community at a Community College

Presented by: John Gossett, President, A-B Tech | Jana Hartenstine, Principal, Higher Ed Practice Leader, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

Higher education leaders must be responsive and adaptable to ensure multifunctional campus buildings that fulfill their highest and best use. Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) is physically divided across four campuses, each with its own advantages and challenges. This session will explore how A-B Tech holistically evaluated its campus planning pre-and post-Hurricane Helene to support immediate community needs and long-term growth. Join us to gain valuable data points and strategies for integrating flexibility and preparedness into your planning processes, enhancing campus resilience and anticipating how to further support local communities.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Discuss how to assess, develop, and adapt master plans with improved data, engagement, and strategy.
2. Discuss how to program, plan, and engineer campus spaces into thriving centers of education, innovation, and resilience.
3. Describe a process implementation that works to address growth, facilities upgrades, and institutional progress.
4. Prioritize stakeholder engagement improvements that help secure funding and resources to address projects of all scales.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3841)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Challenges: Dealing with Climate Change
Tags: Campus Master Planning; Community College; Resiliency

Leveraging the Past to Guide the Future of STEM Education

Presented by: Mary Paula Schuh, Sr Director, Planning, Design & Construction, Northern Kentucky University | Matt Wilmus, Associate, Laboratory Subject Matter Expert, HERA Laboratory Planners | Eric Zabilka, Principal, Omni Architects

With the ever-increasing cost of constructing science facilities, it’s important to develop flexible and adaptable long-term plans that maximize functionality, utilization, and a return on investment. This session will compare the designs of Northern Kentucky University’s (NKU) 1998 Herrmann Science Center and the facility’s extensive addition, which is currently under construction. We’ll analyze the integrated design approach, successes, lessons learned, and strategies we used to maximize resources. Through NKU’s unique 25-year case study, you’ll gain new strategies for building trust, achieving consensus, and maximizing resources for your STEM facility planning projects.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify historical shifts in STEM teaching and pedagogy over time and its impact on planning.
2. Formulate recommendations for building designs that integrate cutting-edge building science principles and changes in stakeholder goal setting.
3. Apply how to evaluate and prioritize financial, staff, equipment, and space resources throughout the life of the planning process.
4. Implement strategies that foster continuous improvement and adaptation in science teaching practices.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3873)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Facilities Design; Facilities Planning; Science / Engineering Facility

The Tech Square Story: A 25-year Trajectory of Town and Gown Development

Presented by: Dan Nemec, Assistant Director, Capital Planning and Space Management, Georgia Institute of Technology | Jack Sawyer, Architect, EskewDumezRipple | Z Smith, Principal and Director of Sustainability & Performance, EskewDumezRipple

As many universities look for opportunities to engage the energy of adjacent cities, Georgia Institute of Technology’s Tech Square models how to plan and execute a process that brings town and gown together for mutual benefit. This session will explore the history and trajectory of the public-private redevelopment of the Midtown Atlanta neighborhood known as Tech Square, where Georgia Tech, major corporations, and small businesses have built a city within a city. We’ll take you behind the scenes of this densifying neighborhood’s 25-year arc and provide valuable insights into building partnerships that provide the best of urban life and academia.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify your institution’s most promising urban neighborhoods for investment along with the necessary infrastructure moves to link back to a main campus.
2. Discuss how best to sequence academic and commercial investments so that the new neighborhood becomes self-sustaining.
3. Describe the intricacies of bringing academic disciplines together by shaping buildings and programmatic components to facilitate interaction and collaboration.
4. Discuss how aggressive building performance targets spark innovation by promoting water reuse, low energy consumption, and radical reductions in embodied and operational carbon emissions.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3894)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Campus Development; Town and Gown; Urban Campus

Thank you to our sponsor!

Driving Institutional Excellence Through Strategic Planning and Assessment

Presented by: Kelly Francis, Institutional Effectiveness Manager, Kennesaw State University | Julie Page, Executive Director of Strategic Initatives, Kennesaw State University

Linking strategy with assessment enables data-driven decisions, rapid pivots, and accountability to drive continuous improvement, transparency, and student success. This session will explore how Kennesaw State University (KSU) developed a dynamic, university-wide strategic planning process that aligns institutional goals with planning and assessment to enhance effectiveness, transparency, and student success. Come learn how to align ongoing efforts with accreditation standards to better support strategic planning, streamline reporting, and improve institutional outcomes, which in turn boosts clarity, focus, and effectiveness in your daily work.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Discuss how to create and implement a strategic plan that aligns with institutional mission and priorities to ensure that initiatives at all levels support overall goals.
2. Describe assessment frameworks for regularly evaluating progress and measuring outcomes to ensure alignment with institutional objectives and student success.
3. Use data to drive decisions, adapting strategies and initiatives in real-time based on evidence to improve program effectiveness and support student success.
4. Gain the tools you need to establish an ongoing review process for annual strategic plan adjustment, promoting transparency, accountability, and continuous institutional improvement.

Planning Types: Strategic Planning
Challenges: Planning Alignment
Tags: Alignment; Assessment / Analytics; Measuring the Plan

Legacy to Launchpad: Adaptive Reuse Transforms Aging Icon into Student Hub

Presented by: Dan Chaney, Project Manager, Capital Construction, Western Kentucky University | Kevin Gough, Principal, Champlin Architecture | Paul Graves, National Higher Education Leader, CMTA, Inc. | Janette Scott, Senior Associate, Gensler

Building new facilities isn’t always feasible, especially as institutions face rising enrollment and aging infrastructure. This session will demonstrate how inclusive, adaptive reuse strategies can meet evolving pedagogies, preserve history, optimize cost, and drive sustainable campus renewal. Through integrated planning and adaptive reuse, Western Kentucky University (WKU) reimagined its deteriorating, historic Cherry Hall as a future-focused, student-centered academic hub at the heart of campus. Come learn how to transform legacy assets into engines of relevance and value with tools for right-sizing, frameworks for stakeholder-driven planning, and strategies for embedding maintainability and resiliency in capital projects.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain how space utilization and enrollment data can help you right-size space and reallocate area to shared, future-forward uses.
2. Discuss how inclusive research and engagement-driven design drives new environments that support applied learning, collaboration, social connectivity, and belonging, as well as uncover adaptive reuse priorities.
3. Define sustainability strategies focused on lifecycle cost, resilience, and operational efficiency.
4. Advocate for adaptive reuse as a timely, mission-aligned alternative to new construction.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3847)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Academic Facility; Adaptive Reuse; Facilities Planning

Making Flagship Facility Decisions to Foster Future Success

Presented by: Paule Anne Lewis, Inaugural Associate Vice President for Business Operations, University of Houston | Areli Mbaye, Executive Director and Chief of Staff to the Dean and Vice President, University of Houston | Karen Parzych, Architect, Principal, The S/L/A/M Collaborative | Justin Winchester, Associate Principal, Page Southerland Page, Inc.

This session will provide unique, valuable insight for institutions considering establishing a new academic program or relocating an existing program to a new facility. We’ll explore the University of Houston’s (UH) decisions, strategies, and lessons learned in the placement, site planning, building design, and occupation of their College of Medicine—the flagship facility of the future UH Medical District. Come learn how to consider the context of your own upcoming projects and identify site selection, programming, planning, and infrastructure factors for decision-making as well as the timing and necessary stakeholder engagement.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Consider your program’s mission and vision and identify opportunities to strengthen it through site selection and incorporation of signature program elements.
2. Incorporate our strategies and processes in the programming, planning, and design of your campus buildings, including navigating uncertain times and minimizing risk.
3. Consider lessons learned from beginning a program in interim space while making design and program decisions on the long-term facility.
4. Consider long-term, end-user impacts of programming and axillary services of a new facility.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3878)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Facilities Planning; Medical / Allied Health Facility

The Campus in the Forest: Urgent, Purpose-driven Design for Veterinary Education

Presented by: Stephanie Cooper, Executive Director of Planning , Design & Construction, Clemson University | Alvaro Quintana, Associate Principal, Project Designer, Flad Architects | Shawn Sowers, Higher Education Practice Leader, LS3P Associates LTD

In response to an urgent need for veterinary education, Clemson University created South Carolina’s first College of Veterinary Medicine. This project demonstrates how institutions can rapidly mobilize resources, secure funding, and implement innovative learning models to support both the regional economy and academics while fostering wellness and sustainability. We’ll discuss how the new college will drive economic growth, address a veterinarian shortage, and transform a greenfield site into seven buildings within 39 months. Come learn how to navigate the challenges of launching specialized programs by optimizing planning and design, securing funding, and implementing innovative learning models to meet aggressive schedules.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Weigh the benefits of adopting a robust operational model that supports innovative learning, wellness, sustainability while capitalizing on available funding sources.
2. Identify and translate main campus characteristics into responsive site and building development to maintain cultural continuity within your institution.
3. Prioritize wellness and sustainability within your campus master plan by finding opportunities to respect topography, preserve natural landscapes, and integrate indoor-outdoor connectivity with biophilic design strategies.
4. Discuss how to use benchmarking to build initial academic and space programs that incorporate academic excellence, sustainability, wellbeing, and adaptability.

AIA LU/HSW 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3850)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Campus Master Planning; New Campus

Thank you to our sponsor!

Transforming Student Outcomes Through Data and Institutional Change

Presented by: Timothy Renick, Founding Executive Director of Georgia State University’s National Institute for Student Success

For more than a decade, Georgia State University has been at the leading edge of demographic shifts in the southeast. While doubling the numbers of non-white and low-income students it enrolls, the university has simultaneously committed to the use of data to inform systematic institutional change, raising its graduation rates by 70%. Through a discussion of innovations ranging from AI-enhanced chatbots and predictive analytics to meta-majors and microgrants, the session will cover lessons learned from Georgia State’s transformation and outline several concrete steps that campuses can take to improve outcomes for students while increasing revenues. It then will share results from the scaling of these approaches to more than 140 postsecondary institutions across the U.S. through the work of the National Institute for Student Success.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Describe the difference between institutional versus cohort-based approaches to student success.
2. Outline several practical, scalable approaches to delivering support for students.
3. Explain how an institution’s administrative structure can hinder the success of its students.
4. Describe how Georgia State’s successfully improved student outcomes, and identify lessons learned that can improve efforts at your institution.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Defragment Your Campus and Achieve Efficiency with Space Utilization Data

Presented by: Kyle Gregore, Director of Facilities, Loyola University New Orleans | Jack Sawyer, Architect, EskewDumezRipple

Landlocked campuses with aggressive growth targets can’t afford to waste space or time. Underused facilities drive up energy costs while occupying valuable land, effectively stalling campus growth. Through careful study of space utilization data, universities can cut waste, move fast, and deliver major wins, in both signature projects and lowered energy use. This session will explore how Loyola University leveraged data to trade campus inefficiency for a thriving, future-ready residence hall. You’ll gain tools for mapping underused campus space, creating actionable defragmentation plans, accelerating renovations, and linking space savings directly to high-impact projects.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Request and champion space utilization studies as a critical first step in identifying inefficient campus spaces and unlocking strategic planning opportunities.
2. Rethink campus organization by challenging traditional adjacencies and pushing for highest-and-best use of space across departments and functions.
3. Explore a defragmentation roadmap that consolidates scattered operations, frees up prime real estate, and clears the path for bold campus moves through a phased strategy.
4. Explain how to leverage space savings to advance major institutional goals, such as adding new student housing, creating swing space, or enabling future campus growth.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3893)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Space Assessment; Space Management; Student Housing

Innovative Active Learning Environments for STEM Education

Presented by: Jerry Dwyer, Professor and Director of the Center for STEM Learning, University of Mississippi | Holly Reynolds, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, University of Mississippi | Jacob Werner, Principal, Ellenzweig

Campus laboratories are the original active learning spaces, but they lag behind other environments in adopting contemporary group learning methods and technology. How can we transform them through thoughtful design in ways that facilitate student success and career access? This interactive session will explore innovative design of STEM classrooms and teaching labs with a focus on supporting new pedagogies across STEM disciplines. We’ll explore multiple STEM lab and classroom designs—from traditional to fully active learning—and provide key strategies to help your campus successfully transition to active learning modes.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Define active learning and explain how it can lead to better labs and more effective STEM education.
2. Encourage collaboration with faculty in the development of specific design features that support new teaching methods.
3. Analyze existing lab conditions on your campus to recognize their shortcomings and identify areas for improvement.
4. Look at your campus labs through fresh eyes to plan for design changes that improve student experience and outcomes.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3853)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Active Learning Environments; Facilities Design; Laboratory Facility

Planning for Change: Strategic Capital Investments for Campus Resilience

Presented by: Beth Foster, Principal and Director, Page Southerland Page, Inc. | Kathryn L. Horne, UNC Charlotte University Architect Emeritus, | Jackie Longoria, Senior Urban Planner, Page Southerland Page, Inc.

In the context of continuous change and resource uncertainty, higher education needs adaptable integrated planning approaches to guide decision-making, justify investments, and pivot as conditions shift. The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Charlotte turned uncertainty into opportunity by using facility and suitability data to build a flexible campus plan that guides reinvestment, adapts to change, and supports strategic growth as an urban research university. This session will share tools to guide data-informed decisions, adapt to change, and align investments with evolving priorities. Come learn how to enhance your ability to plan strategically, respond effectively, and deliver meaningful, lasting impact.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Consider the benefits of applying data-informed strategies for campus planning in a resource constrained context.
2. Explain how to initiate or refine capital renewal planning by integrating facility condition and suitability data.
3. Communicate evolving capital priorities effectively to leadership and stakeholders using data-informed tools that support strategic alignment and long-term planning.
4. Identify best practices for optimizing underused office space and implementing flexible workplace models aligned with evolving work trends and institutional priorities.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3932)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Challenges: Competing Priorities
Tags: Capital Planning; Deferred Maintenance

Breathing New Life into the First-year Residential Experience

Presented by: Todd Dolson, Principal, SSOE Group | Dennis Lynch, Principal, Ayers Saint Gross | Dan Nemec, Assistant Director, Capital Planning and Space Management, Georgia Institute of Technology

Many institutions are struggling with aging facilities, particularly first-year student residence halls, which often represent the oldest housing inventory on campus. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) took a comprehensive look at eleven of its residence halls that house a significant portion of first-year students. This assessment resulted in a plan that establishes a vision for a series of renovations and additions to maximize the impact of these halls. Replacement of aging facilities is often infeasible, but we’ll share how transformation through renovation can successfully respond to the needs of today’s students on your campus.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Apply evaluation tools during a renovation planning process to evaluate existing residence halls through a variety of lenses.
2. Demonstrate how housing data from peer institutions allows balanced focus on affordability and student success when planning of renovation projects.
3. Provide examples of how open spaces between existing residence halls can be used to foster stronger campus communities.
4. Explain how to translate planning concepts into design ideas for implementation on a complex renovation project.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3905)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Facilities Assessment; Renovation; Student Housing

Data-informed Library Visioning: Supporting Institutional Priorities and Growth

Presented by: Maria Estorino, Vice Provost for University Libraries and University Librarian, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Jessica Figenholtz, Higher Education Practice Leader, Perkins&Will | Derek Jones, Principal, Perkins&Will

In today’s information-rich world, it’s easy to underestimate the value of academic libraries. This session will show how to demonstrate the campus library’s evolving role in research and offer tools and methods for turning strong ideas into supported, actionable, and fundable plans. The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill used bold, dynamic visioning to guide its holistic library master plan. UNC Chapel Hill blended data and perception to shape strategies that position its libraries as essential campus destinations. Come learn about the university’s tools, actions, and processes that you can apply to strengthen library impact on your campus.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain how data can clarify complex projects into a cohesive vision that creates stakeholder consensus through interactive engagement and authentic listening.
2. Identify ways to collect and analyze data to guide project decision making, including harvesting data your institution may already have.
3. Evaluate an agile approach to budget and schedule management to quickly adapt to change and unanticipated opportunity.
4. Discuss how to leverage the power of networked institutions—such as the library system—to balance a cohesive campus experience through consistent brand application while also allowing for differentiated purpose and identity.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3921)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Campus Master Planning; Library

Transforming UTA: Concurrent Energy Transition and Campus Master Planning

Presented by: Katrina Kelly-Pitou, Principal and Urban Systems Strategist, SmithGroup | Douglas Kozma, Vice President, SmithGroup Inc | Don Lange, Assistant Vice President for Facilities, The University of Texas at Arlington | Meghna Tare, Chief Sustainability Officer, The University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) demonstrates that burgeoning growth and aggressive sustainability goals are not mutually exclusive. This session will highlight how to transform campus character while converting steam-based heating into low-temperature hydraulic loops. UTA’s simultaneous campus and energy transition planning aligns ambitious growth with pioneering infrastructure innovation, adding 10,000 students, doubling research, increasing facilities square footage, and creating dynamic infrastructure nodes. Come learn how to leverage mission-critical criteria into innovative and phased implementation, including program space optimization, energy transition advancement, deferred maintenance reduction, student experience enhancement, and campus placemaking.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Advocate for alignment of strategic, energy transition, and facilities planning to realize programmatic, spatial, and fiscal change.
2. Leverage space utilization metrics and tools to evaluate, rebalance, and repurpose campus facilities.
3. Discuss the use of microgrid controls and energy storage systems to enable existing building optimization and develop advanced utility backbone necessary for net-zero-ready new construction.
4. Identify various scales of energy transformation: campuswide, neighborhood, building, and room level.

AIA LU/HSW 1.0 Unit (SCUPS25CN3903)
AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Planning Types: Campus Planning
Challenges: Dealing with Climate Change
Tags: Campus Master Planning; Energy Infrastructure