Learning Resources

Abstract: This article describes a renovation/addition project for Newcomb Hall, the student union facility on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, that is nearing completion. Showcasing sustainable preservation practices involved in improving an existing structure, this article highlights cooperative efforts among students, faculty, architects, and contractors to upgrade a 1950s-era building with 21st-century technologies. Newcomb Hall’s interior has expanded with new entrances, increased square footage, and state-of-the-art communication and code-safety components that will continue to serve a host of university activities and related organizations. Theater and dining facilities have also been upgraded. Further, building functions have continued throughout this multifaceted project. Maintaining operations during the renovations resulted in time and cost savings and could provide a model for other colleges and universities pursuing similar projects.

Abstract: With the advent of potential new federal mandates for stormwater treatment, campuses are seeking to find new strategies for overall water management. This article defines strategies for Integrated Water Management (IWM) at the watershed scale and argues that planners should look to cultural landscape precedents and pre-settlement hydrology for holistic solutions in both energy and water conservation. Using the Universities of Wisconsin and Louisville as case studies, the article outlines IWM strategies that respect each campus’s historic landscape while meeting future needs. The article concludes with next steps for integrating building and site systems for “regenerative” design that improves the air, soil, and water quality.

Abstract: We had hoped to incorporate this handbook, or a comprehensive summary of its elements, in this issue of SCUP’s journal. However, the timing of the Learning Spaces Collaboratory grant report did not accommodate that. When the handbook becomes available, we will provide a link to it here. Meanwhile, we interviewed LSC and Project Kaleidoscope founder Jeanne Narum, the 2010 SCUP Founder's (Casey) Award for Distinguished Achievement in Higher Education Planning, as well as LSC leaders Sally Grans-Korsh and James Swartz, about their multi-year process and what they have learned. Grans-Korsch provides a case study from the University of Minnesota and Swartz does the same for Grinnel.

Abstract: This article describes the planning process undertaken at a large, regional comprehensive university to create a space within existing buildings aimed at improving student success in introductory mathematics. It demonstrates the need for integrated planning grounded in academic priorities and student success models.

Abstract: The challenges of managing physical space in public higher education are often left unspoken and underresearched. This article is based on a multiple-case study of three urban universities; decision-making processes are examined with particular attention to who has institutional decision-making authority. Effective and efficient space management is important because the use of space on campus can contribute to research and practice by promoting innovation and collaboration, or it can isolate individuals and departments in silos. This study identifies three distinct challenges related to space management on campus: the quality of space, the location of space, and the quantity of space. The research findings accentuate the importance of (1) having a well-defined decision-making process, (2) having knowledgeable decision makers, (3) delegating decision-making authority, and (4) having accurate quantitative and qualitative data to inform decisions.

Abstract: This article summarizes the results from an October 2011 think tank called “Physical Place on Campus: Summit on Community,” which included 10 higher education associations and 50 thought leaders from the fields of architecture, planning, academic affairs, student life, and facility-related industries. Findings were developed using a qualitative research methodology, and the summit’s conclusions challenge higher education’s conventional approaches to facility planning, design, and management. Participants argued that the creation of campus community is critical for learning; significant conclusions suggest longstanding and centralized facilities may impede both community development and higher education’s civic goals, while the most significant barrier to change may be reluctance among campus leadership.

Abstract: Throughout the history of a four-year university, there are large numbers of records generated, maintained, and archived when campus buildings are constructed, renovated, or demolished. At Illinois State University, the Facilities Planning office is the keeper and protector of the university’s irreplaceable plans, manuals, contracts, and other pertinent documents. The office is currently using an external space to store these documents that is unsuitable and harmful to the documents themselves. Hence, the authors embarked on a survey research project of seven midwestern university archive libraries to determine what characteristics are important in a successful design that could be used by Facilities Planning and other architecture or engineering offices to create future archive spaces.

Abstract: A popular response to meeting the diverse spiritual and religious needs of constituents of educational campuses is to provide a multi-faith space. Users of these facilities have a wide range of cultural and aesthetic expectations for worship space. For planners, administrators, and designers, this variety of space needs and expectations can be daunting. Historic examples of multi-faith centers may not serve well as models since they were often designed for just Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish faiths. This article identifies the components necessary in today’s culture to create and evaluate a successful multi-faith space located on a campus of higher education.

Abstract: This article describes the planning process undertaken at a large, regional comprehensive university to create a space within existing buildings aimed at improving student success in introductory mathematics. It demonstrates the need for integrated planning grounded in academic priorities and student success models.

Abstract: The University of Utah administration introduced a major initiative to ensure that each student has an opportunity for a transformative educational experience. In response to this challenge, the Department of Geology and Geophysics developed a prototype for a transformative educational environment in the new Frederick Albert Sutton building. This built environment is designed to engage, inspire, and teach, and its accomplishments set a high bar for campus design. The result is a new paradigm for campus planning. This article traces the pioneering Sutton Geology and Geophysics Building as an exemplary model that uses two tangible design elements to support an outreach vision: academic branding and showcasing of the academic discipline. The reactions to the Sutton Building and the documented outcomes are the measure of ultimate success. The second half of the article presents the framework used to create a transformative educational environment, applicable to other campus buildings of any size or academic discipline. A road map of seven steps leads designers and academics to understand the creative vision and presents methods for implementing and repeating successes that change the educational environment through innovative campus design.