SCUP

Spotlight Series: Regional Perspectives

99 days until registration ends

Planning in higher education thrives when communities come together and share their perspectives, experiences, and expertise. The Spotlight Series: Regional Perspectives is your curated gateway to some of SCUP’s recent annual and regional conference sessions, providing insights from across the country.

Over two weeks and across 8 live, interactive sessions, you’ll hear directly from campus leaders, architects, planners, and change makers who are shaping the future of higher education from the East coast to the West coast. Each session includes a chance to ask questions, exchange ideas, and connect with peers navigating similar challenges but different regions.

Continuing education credits available for AIA and AICP professionals. Information about the session topics will be added as they are confirmed.

Show Sessions by Topic:
Session

TBD – 8/24/26, 11am

Session

TBD – 8/24/26, 1pm

Session

Integrating Academic, Institutional, & Physical Planning: Finding Common Ground

Presented by: Becky Copper, Dean, School of Graduate, Online and Continuing Education, Fitchburg State University | Nasrin Fatima, Associate Provost for Assessment and Analytics, Binghamton University | Michael Nieminen, Architect & Planner,

Integrated planning aligns priorities and drives results. Yet institutional, academic, and physical planners often work in silos, resulting in frustration and miscommunication. Balancing the needs of these three groups requires comprehensive and inclusive solutions. This session offers strategies to foster collaboration and promote shared dialog between these functions. Through multiple examples, we will explore innovative, inclusive strategies that respond to all stakeholder voices. You will leave the session with actionable advice for adopting integrated planning, leading to broader stakeholder engagement and more successful project outcomes.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPN26CN4104)

AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Learning Outcomes
  1. Develop an innovative strategy for using an integrated planning approach on a range of projects, bringing institutional, academic, and physical planners together at the same table.
  2. Leverage data-based research and analysis to better inform tailored outcomes that lead to greater student success, wellness, academic advancement, and institutional recruitment.
  3. Craft a detailed planning and programming process that researches all stakeholders from an institutional, academic, and physical planning perspective and strives to develop a common vocabulary.
  4. Make the integrated planning journey a shared experience upfront to maximize the mutual benefits and satisfaction that truly collaborative processes can yield for institutional, academic, and physical planners.
Tags: Planning Processes, Alignment, Analyzing Stakeholders
Session

TBD – 8/25/26, 1pm

Session

TBD – 8/26/27, 11am

Session

Bridging Tradition and Innovation: Integrated Planning for Historic Preservation

Presented by: Kathleen Farewell, Principal, Zubatkin Owner Representation, LLC | James Kellerhouse, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives, Vanderbilt University | Carmen Menocal, Partner, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP | R. J. Panda, Vice President, Project Management, Cumming Group | Anne Stewart, Executive Vice President, Princeton Theological Seminary

Higher education campuses must evolve while honoring their heritage. This session examines integrated planning approaches at Princeton Theological Seminary and Vanderbilt University’s New York City campus, two distinct institutions navigating similar challenges: historic preservation, operational continuity, and shifting programmatic needs. Through real-world examples, the panel will share strategies for aligning mission and facilities, managing construction on active campuses, and fostering trust among stakeholders and communities. You will learn how to apply radical flexibility, financial modeling, and transparent engagement during your planning process in order to create multipurpose spaces, mitigate risk, and demonstrate institutional momentum.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPN26CN4096)

AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Learning Outcomes
  1. Identify strategies for balancing historic preservation with modern programmatic needs.
  2. Apply integrated planning principles to manage decision-making and construction within operational campuses.
  3. Develop stakeholder engagement frameworks that foster transparency and trust.
  4. Design financial planning models that align capital and operating costs with institutional priorities and community impact.
Tags: Historic Preservation, Project Management / Delivery
Session

Using Small Steps to Implement a Campus Master Plan

Presented by: Gregory Berndt, Associate Principal, Ellenzweig | Michael Lauber, Principal, Ellenzweig | Tina Perez, Senior Campus Planner, University of Massachusetts Boston | Dennis Swinford, Director of Campus Planning and Sustainability, University of Massachusetts Boston

The session describes how large-scale master planning goals can be achieved through a coordinated plan of incremental projects. As the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) commenced detailed capital initiatives to support the goals of their campus master plan and their energy and carbon master plan, campus planners developed strategies that worked with available resources, coordinated the required phasing of project build-outs, and acknowledged the particular challenges of renovating buildings of the 1970s. Learn how UMass Boston is orchestrating numerous capital initiatives and coordinating a phasing plan across time and space in order to implement its master plan.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPN26CN3992)

AICP CM 1.0 Unit

Learning Outcomes
  1. Develop an incremental approach to implementing large-scale campus planning goals.
  2. Create a capital projects plan that works within available resources and acknowledges the required sequence of project build-outs.
  3. Develop strategies to analyze and address the particular challenges of renovating mid-century modern buildings.
  4. Maintain a nimble approach to project implementation, adjusting scope to incorporate user input and acknowledge actual conditions on the ground.
Tags: Capital Planning, Master Plan, Project Management / Delivery, Renovation
Session

Integrating Academic Vision & Facilities Planning for Community College Success

Presented by: Katherine Angstadt, Senior Director, Capital Projects, The Community College of Baltimore County | Johari Barnes, Special Assistant to the VP of Administrative Services, The Community College of Baltimore County | Kushan Dave, Vice President, CannonDesign | Ashwin Dharmadhikari, Senior Associate, CannonDesign

Across the nation, community colleges are rethinking how to connect academic mission, workforce alignment, and physical planning. At Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), academic and facilities planning converged to form a unified roadmap for the future. Facing enrollment plateaus, aging infrastructure, and financial constraints, CCBC began its master planning process with an academic foresight study that prioritized flexible pathways, tech-enabled access, and workforce partnerships. These insights shaped the facilities plan, informing decisions around optimizing space, modernizing infrastructure, and targeting capital to impact learning and belonging. This session shares the practical framework that linked mission, programs, and facilities into one cohesive strategy.

AIA LU 1.0 Unit (SCUPM26CN3984)

AICP CM 1.0 Unit


Learning Outcomes
  1. Develop a phased integrated planning process that links academic and facilities priorities for long-term institutional alignment.
  2. Translate academic foresight findings into physical space and capital investment strategies that respond to enrollment and workforce trends.
  3. Apply right-sizing and space optimization methods that balance student access, belonging, and financial sustainability.
  4. Implement collaborative engagement techniques to bridge academic, facilities, and operational divisions across your institution.
Tags: Campus Master Planning, Community College, Facilities Planning, Alignment