Learning Resources

Abstract: First generation and marginalized students often have difficulty accessing campus services. Holistically supporting students through integrated services so that they feel valued, respected, and included is critical to graduation and retention rates. The University of Arizona (UA) radically transformed access to student services, bringing together previously disparate services into the co-located Student Success District that renews existing campus assets into accessible, flexible, human-centric spaces. This session will share a model for bridging strategic and facilities planning with universal principles and qualitative and quantitative metrics for leveraging existing programs and building resources to improve student outcomes.

Abstract: Today’s students are coming to school with diverse gender identities. Designing facilities with gender equity in mind helps to support marginalized communities and future proof the campus. This session will present case studies and inclusive best practices for ‘designing beyond the binary’ to foster belonging in campus housing, restrooms, and gathering spaces. You’ll discover strategies to foster belonging and wellbeing for a spectrum of gender identities through programming and operations as well as learn about design tools and tips to create belonging in spatial environments.

Abstract: Individuals with disabilities are not a homogeneous group and planners and designers have an ethical responsibility to shape the physical campus environment in response to their needs. Using the University of California (UC), Berkeley as a contextual framework, we’ll examine how past planning efforts have shaped the campus through an accessibility lens, how the disability rights movement has defined disability, and how current models are shaping our understanding of equitable access. Looking beyond prescriptive codes, join us to explore how to transform old frameworks and infrastructure into inclusive and functional spaces, leaning into equitable experience and access.

Abstract: In our hybrid environment, it’s more important than ever to pull people away from their devices to build community and connection on campus. Food has the power to bring students and faculty from different backgrounds together and provide a fundamental academic experience. Through campus and workplace examples, we’ll show how food venue design can set a positive tone for interaction and support meaningful connections and wellbeing. Come learn how to plan campus food venues that serve an academic purpose, refine venue goals, and inform venue design through operations to make it more impactful and sustainable.

Abstract: Colleges and universities must adapt to changing issues around student safety and determine how to address these concerns while maintaining connections with the local community. This session will discuss the University of Pennsylvania’s (Penn) Stouffer Hall, a recently renovated residence hall that exemplifies the evolution of attitudes towards community, security, and student life on campus. Come learn how to create programs for increasing community engagement, address housing security concerns, and align residential life and building goals with current attitudes around safety.

Abstract: Students’ sense of belonging is strongly connected to wellbeing and academic success. How does a student develop a sense of belonging and mattering and what does that look like in the campus built environment? In this session, we’ll explore the critical themes of belonging and mattering for design in higher education to illustrate how design choices can shape student experiences. Join us to explore how you can asses campus spaces for belonging and mattering and make quick design interventions to effect meaningful change.

Abstract: Higher education campuses have changed very little since the post-industrial era despite the diverse and evolving needs of the modern student. As students seek opportunities for interaction and engagement, institutions have a responsibility to not only provide them with knowledge, but a welcoming environment in which to thrive. This session will explore the diverse experiences of students, faculty, and staff on campus and how they correlate with a sense of wellbeing and belonging. Join us for a workshop that will help you reimagine your own campus's academic environments through empathy, adopting different perspectives, and identifying elements of inclusion and exclusion.

Abstract: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and biophilic design principles may often seem at odds, but great ideas for integrating security and wellness for your facilities may come from unexpected sources...as long as you engage users early on in planning and design. Illustrating the latest security, wellness, and biophilic design integration strategies, this session will provide you with essential tools for evaluating both prospective designs and existing conditions on your campus.

Abstract: Environmental features can have a profound impact on social, mental, and physical health and wellness. This session will provide an in-depth look at integrated planning initiatives to create a framework of policies, systems, and environments that advance campus health and wellness. You will learn one campus's holistic approach to wellness for its students, staff, and faculty, and how master planning and landscape design efforts aligned to wellness initiatives.

Abstract: Underrepresented students increasingly form the majority of most student bodies, but most built environments are not designed with these students' needs in mind. Why? Because most facilities planning processes do not engage underrepresented students in a way that elicits their experience of the built environment. This session offers new practices that yield social equity in campus planning and building design. You will learn new engagement and assessment tools that you can implement now to reveal and remedy the disparities that underrepresented students encounter in the built environments of the campus.