Learning Resources

Abstract: The impact of climate-related events poses a major threat to campuses nationwide, a trend expected to only worsen as the climate continues to change. However, a recent study by Haley & Aldrich found that 94 percent of organizations across many sectors—including higher education—are facing significant challenges that are delaying resilience planning and deterring progress. Instead of undertaking measures to address longer-term changes such as increasing temperature extremes, these organizations typically focus on short-term events such as weather-related emergencies. Despite these issues, the study found colleges and universities to be among the most proactive groups in addressing climate change. This is encouraging, as the impact of increasingly severe climate-related events on the aging or otherwise vulnerable infrastructure of many campuses makes planning for climate change a priority. The welfare of students, the continuity of service, and the long-term soundness of the buildings that house some of the world’s finest centers of higher education depend on it.

Abstract: New York was dealt a devastating terrorist attack in 2001, saw the fall of its financial giants in the crisis of 2008, and in 2012 was battered by a powerful storm that flooded its communities. The reality that this waterfront city continues to thrive demonstrates the magnetism of this adaptable place. Through the city’s plan for A Stronger, More Resilient New York, the state’s effort in New York Rising, and outcomes from HUD’s Rebuild By Design Competition resiliency is being implemented. Design with the place in mind is how our firm approaches resiliency. These are the stories and lessons learned from Cooper Robertson’s experience.

Abstract: Within the higher education community, there is increasing awareness of the need to plan for more frequent occurrences of natural hazards and the effects of climate change. Many institutions are recognizing the operational and financial risks posed by these threats. Case studies at the University of Christchurch, Canterbury, and The Ohio State University demonstrate the value of a campus plan for guiding decisions around resilience. Incorporating resilience planning into the campus planning process provides an opportunity to engage key stakeholders to address a campus’s vulnerabilities, align resilience-related investments with the broad campus vision, and ensure the long-term viability of the institution.

Abstract: The location of the new Whitney Museum of American Art, adjacent to the Hudson River in New York City, is particularly sensitive to rising water levels and storm surges. The building, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, anticipates the effects of climate change and protects the museum’s staff and collection. This article examines the building’s design and the technical challenges of redesigning and implementing integrated and temporarily deployable flood mitigation strategies and technologies that demonstrate a successful precedent for any institution planning to build on the world’s changing waterfronts.

Abstract: Colleges and universities typically do not gather routine feedback from community stakeholders, despite the fact that various organizations dedicated to the advancement of higher education continually have clamored for campus representatives to be more responsive to members of host communities. Recent petitions for “deep culture” change within academia—in combination with recent methodological advances in efforts to understand town-gown relationships—provide a comprehensible set of motives and details for institutions to become more fully engaged in the process of collecting systematic information from community members. A review of recent efforts to conceptualize and measure town-gown relationships using a tool known as the Optimal College Town Assessment (OCTA) is provided. After reviewing results from a previous study that piloted the OCTA tool, qualitative data gathered from a subset of community stakeholders in that original sample are presented and analyzed. The resulting themes are described and discussed in the context of enhancing evidence-based campus planning efforts that meet the call for greater higher education responsiveness.

Abstract: As headlines lament mushrooming student debt and a “higher education bubble,” Google—a choice employer and renowned innovator—says college degrees aren’t a prerequisite for the talent it seeks. So why should young people invest in degrees? Universities must change to survive, and there is an interesting model that offers ideas for a new way of learning: the academic incubator.

Abstract: In 2014, Temple University initiated a landscape master planning process to provide an integrative environment for its new buildings. The plan sought to establish overarching planning concepts and design standards that would increase the cohesiveness, identity, quality, and sustainability of the campus environment by tying together an eclectic mix of buildings and spaces, giving prominence to historic structures, and focusing on the pedestrian experience. Concurrently, a seminar on landscape performance metrics was taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture. Seminar students reviewed landscape performance tools and then vetted those tools through peer-reviewed literature and practical application. Tools that were positively vetted were used to assess campus baseline conditions.

Abstract: This study uses the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining the intent to graduate of students in introductory chemistry courses. Retention studies focus on interactional theories and high-impact practices such as student integration, student engagement through research experiences, student-faculty mentor relationships, and peer tutoring; however, these studies fail to provide a theoretical model to explain and predict student behavior. Findings echo the importance of relationships with peers, faculty, and staff and suggest that subjective norms (positive peer pressure) influence student intentions. Perceived behavioral control and attitudes play a less significant role, but may be part of a STEM retention strategy. This framework assists planners in examining current programs for improvement opportunities and identifying other initiatives to help retain STEM students. Future studies should examine the use of this model for predicting retention and staging interventions to retain STEM students.