Learning Resources

Responsive Design

Purposeful Planning Can Be Inclusive for Neurodiverse Students and Support the Well-Being of All

By: Shannon Dowling, MArch, AIA, LEEDAP, and James A. Baumann, MA

By incorporating student choice and voice into the planning and allowing autonomy in scale and adaptability, campuses can provide the environment where all students are most comfortable participating in any given activity.

From Volume 52 Number 1 | October–December 2023

Abstract: Research has shown that neurodivergent students report a lower sense of belonging and are less likely to feel welcomed, accepted, and like they belong on campus than their neurotypical peers. Considering this, a host of barriers to participation and belonging can be in effect across a college or university. While there are a few campus offices and departments that might address different aspects of these concerns independently, the most successful results occur when these groups—along with outside contractors such as design partners—work in strategic symphony.

This article is co-presented by the Association of College & University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I) and the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) and is being published in publications for both organizations.

Institutions Mentioned: Colorado School of Mines, Denison University, Lewis & Clark College, Montana State University, Ohio State University-Main Campus, The State University of New York at Albany, University of Georgia, University of Oregon
Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Facilities Design, Facilities Planning, Health and Wellness, Informal Learning Environments, Learning Environments, Placemaking, Student Housing

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Walking for Wellness

“Feeling Maps” Can Help Planners to Create Campus Routes that Improve Student Well-Being

By: David Spooner, ASLA, PLA

Planners at the University of Georgia used “feeling maps” to help identify and create healthier connections for faculty, students, and staff traversing between campus destinations.

From Volume 51 Number 2 | January–March 2023

Abstract: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an effort to address physical and mental well-being on campuses has become a focus. One overlooked opportunity to improve student welfare lies beneath their feet: enhancing campus walkability. Planners at the University of Georgia used “feeling maps” to help identify and create healthier connections for faculty, students, and staff traversing between campus destinations.

Institutions Mentioned: University of Georgia
Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Health and Wellness, Landscape / Open Space, Original Research, Placemaking, Student Experience

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Conference Presentations

Published
October 4, 2021

2021 Southern Regional Conference | October 2021

Rejuvenation

Investing in Existing Residence Halls for Bright Futures

By: Lynne Deninger, CannonDesign | Linda Kasper, University of Georgia | Marisa Nemcik, CannonDesign

In this session, we'll provide you with practical strategies that you can apply at your institution as you explore the possibilities of renovating existing student housing facilities.

Abstract: Almost every institution has existing residence halls that they could upgrade for a fraction of the cost of building new. As institutions seek to meet student housing needs, they should consider renovating existing buildings as a viable strategy for creating state-of-the-art facilities. Taking this path can extend building life, attract students, and save capital. In this session, we'll provide you with practical strategies that you can apply at your institution as you explore the possibilities of renovating existing student housing facilities.

Institutions Mentioned: University of Georgia
Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Renovation, SCUP 2021 Southern Regional Conference, Student Housing

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Conference Recordings

Published
July 16, 2021

2021 Annual Conference | July 2021

Campus Tour | Temple University

Main Campus

By: James P. Templeton, Temple University

This campus tour will explore how Temple University has improved the student and visitor experience through facility upgrades and the use of ’found’ outdoor and interstitial spaces to expand its footprint.

Abstract: Over the past several years Temple University’s Main Campus has undergone an impressive physical transformation, the result of completed multiple projects from two facilities master plans and a landscape master plan. The campus has redefined its identity from an assemblage of bland modernist-era buildings to a dynamic environment with signature contemporary architecture, an active and unifying landscape, and a preserved historic architectural core. This campus tour will explore how Temple University has improved the student and visitor experience through facility upgrades and the use of ’found’ outdoor and interstitial spaces to expand its footprint.

Institutions Mentioned: Temple University
Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Facilities Design, Facilities Planning, SCUP 2021 Annual Conference

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Conference Presentations

Published
July 13, 2021

2021 Annual Conference | July 2021

A Future Pathway

Leading in a Global Public Health Crisis and Social and Racial Injustice

By: Larisa Genin, Wichita State University | Eileen Strempel, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | Elizabeth Tutelman, Temple University | Joseph Youngblood II, Thomas Edison State University

This presentation will demonstrate how leaders can surmount 2021’s obstacles by aligning strategic priorities for the future.

Abstract: Higher education experienced extraordinary challenges in 2020 and tackled them head on with agility and creativity. Transformative leadership can help our institutions thrive even in the face of a world health disaster, its attendant fiscal challenges, and systemic racial and social injustice. This presentation will demonstrate how leaders can surmount these obstacles by aligning strategic priorities for the future. Come learn how to work across boundaries, differences, and beliefs while intentionally developing the essential skills and abilities you need to strengthen your institution and community.

Institutions Mentioned: Temple University, Thomas Edison State University, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus, Wichita State University
Planning Types: Academic Planning, Continuity Planning, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Planning, Institutional Effectiveness Planning, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning
Tags: Community Engagement, COVID-19, Engaging Stakeholders, Leadership, Professional Development, SCUP 2021 Annual Conference

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Conference Recordings

Published
July 12, 2021

2021 Annual Conference | July 2021

Campus Tour | Temple University

Charles Library

By: Kristin Shiffert, Stantec | Joe Lucia, Temple University

Our tour guides will walk you through this international award-winning facility to share the thought process behind the design, project challenges and solutions, and provide an update on how the library has performed since its opening in Fall 2019.

Abstract: Temple University’s new Charles Library is the social and academic heart for a large and diverse student body. Within a vibrant urban context the project reinterprets the traditional research library typology as a dynamic learning hub. Our tour guides will walk you through this international award-winning facility to share the thought process behind the design, project challenges and solutions, and provide an update on how the library has performed since its opening in Fall 2019.

Institutions Mentioned: Temple University
Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Facilities Design, Facilities Planning, Library, Library Planning, SCUP 2021 Annual Conference

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The Connected Campus

Building Long-Term Value and Agility by Connecting Offerings, Organizations and Operations

By: Elliot Felix, MArch

Campus environments play a vital role in student success. By making changes to their combination of spaces, institutions can respond to the shifts transforming higher education. Elliot Felix shares how colleges and universities can prepare for a more blended world by bringing together the digital and physical, enabling greater diversity and inclusion, and implementing flexible structures, staffing, space, and services. Sponsored Content: Knoll and brightspot strategy.

Abstract: Historic separations that defined higher education are dissolving: research is more interdisciplinary, online and on-campus learning are converging, wet and dry labs are blending, teaching and research overlap, and academia forges relationships with corporate partners. Institutions, by improving how they connect what they offer, how they are organized, and how they operate, can build value and agility to better assist their people on campus. Real-world examples in this white paper from Knoll and brightspot strategy discuss how campus spaces support student success, including how to fully use the campus; creating spaces that sustain diverse and flexible ways of working; thinking phygitally; and creating environments where today’s purpose-driven and entrepreneurial students (Gen Z) will thrive as they prepare to enter the workforce.

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Voices from the Field: Episode #16

Helping Vulnerable Students Meet Basic Needs

By: Paula Umaña, Director of Community Impact, Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, Temple University

From The Hope Center at Temple University, Paula Umaña discusses caring and communication: the need to identify your most vulnerable students, then ensure that available assistance is visible and easy for them to access.

Abstract: Students need more than hand sanitizing stations and plexiglass. They need their basic needs addressed. Many college students are part of a vulnerable population with a fragile hold on basic needs like housing, food, and transportation. Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice compiled an extensive set of resources for institutions to use to assist students in locating and applying for necessary aid.

In this episode, The Hope Center’s Paula Umaña discusses caring and communication: the need to identify your most vulnerable students, then ensure that available assistance is visible and easy for them to access..

Institutions Mentioned: Temple University
Planning Types: Student Affairs Planning, Continuity Planning
Tags: Cost of Higher Ed, COVID-19, Health and Wellness, Response Planning, Student Support Services

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An Exploration of Administrative Bloat in American Higher Education

By: Thomas Wesley Williamson, E. Shannon Hughes, Penny L. Head

Administrative bloat, the ballooning growth of administrative functions and personnel in U.S. higher education, is the unintended consequence of several factors and can be mitigated to some extent through deliberate strategies.

From Volume 46 Number 2 | January–March 2018

Abstract: This article evaluates administrative bloat, the ballooning growth of administrative functions and personnel, in American higher education. This evaluation was undertaken through a review of the available literature describing administrative bloat. Though unintentional, increased spending and government requirements for accountability may have contributed to overall growth and cost in higher education. Similarly, the changing composition of faculty—in terms of tenure-track faculty, annual contracts, and adjunct faculty—may have also played a role in the increased influence that administration has over campus policy and curricular decisions. Strategies to mitigate the cost of administrative bloat and to balance campus decisions between faculty and administration are suggested.

Institutions Mentioned: Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Western Connecticut State University, University of California-Berkeley, University of Georgia
Planning Types: Resource Planning
Tags: Governance

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Enhancing Campus Sustainability Through SITES and Socially Equitable Design

By: David Spooner

The Socially Equitable category represents a unique and often missed opportunity for academic institutions to further their commitment to sustainable practices.

From Volume 42 Number 4 | July–September 2014

Abstract: Sustainability guidelines for campuses typically focus on the environmental, structural, and organizational aspects of colleges and universities. The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) expands the definition of campus sustainability by including “Socially Equitable” design guidelines that consider how people interact with and within campus landscapes. Landscapes that afford (1) mental restoration and (2) social interaction become sustainable under the SITES definition. This study conducted at Agnes Scott College and The University of Georgia tests the criteria associated with these guidelines to determine their relevance and impact. Through mapping exercises, direct observation, and a questionnaire survey, data were collected from 120 students to determine which “sustainable” criteria are relevant to campus landscapes. The findings confirm the criteria listed in the SITES guidelines and introduce additional criteria to consider for enhancing Socially Equitable design standards on campus.

Institutions Mentioned: Agnes Scott College, University of Georgia
Planning Types: Campus Planning
Tags: Landscape / Open Space, Original Research, Sustainability (Environmental)

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