Learning Resources

Abstract: The pandemic has exposed and added to the vulnerabilities that students face. It has also impacted how institutions serving underrepresented students are working to redefine student support in an evolving campus environment. In this session, we'll share how institutions have made changes in their metrics, planning and design strategies, and campus facilities that contribute to recruitment, academic growth, and graduation rates. Join us for an interactive discussion about student success strategies and learn new approaches for meeting returning students' needs, including hybrid learning, flexible learning spaces, and the importance of representation, inclusivity, safety, and wellness.

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.

Abstract: The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is implementing its Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) to transform the physical environment into a premier destination for students, patients, faculty, staff, and the community. While this vision remains intact, the pandemic has tested campus resiliency. We will share how UCSD is navigating the fall semester and its overall vision for the campus, including opening a living and learning neighborhood to enhance student life and success in the midst of the pandemic. Come learn about this project’s guiding principles, research-based design, lessons learned, and best practices for adapting to a changing environment.

Abstract: In response to COVID-19, Colorado State University beefed up its online systems, created specialized pandemic teams, and built a robust website with information for teachers, students, workers, and researchers. Learn from Provost and Executive Vice President Rick Miranda what they also discovered: upgrading their teams’ ability to communicate regularly was what kept things moving forward, allowing critical everyday elements to proceed without interruption.

Abstract: Zero net energy (ZNE) is a formidable goal and one that is not easily grafted onto a project once the design is in progress. We will explain why it is necessary to evaluate ZNE opportunities before the request for proposal. This session outlines a process for leveraging energy modeling early to gauge and clarify ZNE feasibility and articulating the value proposition of high-performance design leadership. Come learn how to set meaningful energy targets, identify crucial design decisions, and demonstrate to stakeholders that setting ZNE goals is vital during procurement.

Abstract: Nationally, many campuses are finding innovative pathways to achieving carbon neutrality that are feasible enough for others to build on. We will share how two universities charted paths to carbon neutrality and have become living laboratories where new ideas can be tested, refined, and prototyped. This session will provide tools and techniques to comprehend a campus's carbon profile, set carbon reductions goals, and explore alternative solutions to carbon-intensive practices in campus and space planning, infrastructure, and operations.

Abstract: Over their 150-year history, land-grant universities have played a tremendous and vital role in the development of the United States and the education of its people. Most of these institutions were established as the result of the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862. How has this mission, drafted in a much different time, held up over the years? As we move toward the third decade of the twenty-first century, many universities are evolving to better embrace changing student demographics; build industry partnerships; and reframe campus legacies to ensure that the land-grant mission still supports the needs of our times.

Abstract: Today, the amount of space devoted to research at research universities exceeds that of classrooms and class laboratories. This research space portfolio presents important policy and management challenges. As stewards of this portfolio, universities must address issues of funding the construction of research facilities, equipping and maintaining them, allocating and accounting for space used for research, and managing, in broadest terms, the physical and administrative infrastructure in which research is conducted. As this article illustrates, managing the balance between the growing demand for and the supply of research space is complicated. To address the issues of research space, universities have developed a variety of space management methods to fit their unique research missions, priorities, and operational culture. This article provides important insights into this little studied aspect of higher education space planning. The article is an overview of research space management across the U. S. on general campuses and in health science centers. It is based on interviews with senior administrators in selected research universities conducted specifically for this study, information about research space management available on university documents on the Internet, and on the work of Ira Fink and Associates, Inc. in programming research facilities on a multitude of campuses nationwide.