Learning Resources

Abstract: During his year of ACE fellowship, Robert Schultz, department chair for teacher education at the University of Toledo, had a front row seat as Ohio State University adjusted to COVID-19, seeing firsthand the remarkable pivot a large institution can make when its leadership has spent significant time and effort on teamwork development. He discusses the need for collaborative governance and transitioning to the planning and change leadership that is necessary for schools to effectively strategize for what’s next.

Abstract: Challenges with technologies, historical spaces, and resources make it hard to provide the learning spaces new pedagogies require. Harvard University has found a creative solution to these challenges. As the university re-evaluates undergraduate learning environments, a pilot classroom in historic Harvard Hall is the springboard for integrated planning and design processes. We'll discuss our process (including how we used utilization data and stakeholder feedback during decision making), the classroom's design, and how we're using lessons learned to iterate the space.

Abstract: Come dive into the world of e-scooters and other micro-mobility options, which are on the rise nationwide. We will discuss current micro-mobility trends, benefits, challenges, and ways that planners can integrate micro-mobility safely, aesthetically, and strategically into their campus environments. With foresight and planning, micro-mobility can fill gaps in traditional campus transportation modes while mitigating challenges such as rider injury, pedestrian safety, and unsightliness. You will learn about micro-mobility trends, strategies, and policies you can apply and adapt to your campus infrastructure and reap their benefits.

Abstract: The Ohio State University (OSU) strategically planned and designed research and academic spaces for their growing College of Engineering program. This phased renovation and addition to existing laboratories within a prominent campus core provided OSU with a contextual gateway as well as essential research and academic space to support growing enrollment. We will share how the Biomedical and Materials Science Engineering Complex’s (BMEC) renovation required diligent management of project objectives to achieve the best use of space, phased construction, budget, and sustainability goals for a signature project.

Abstract: Swarthmore College’s leadership shares insight into how the college’s newest addition, Maxine Frank Singer ‘72 Hall, decided to create a collaborative environment by combining three academic departments—Biology, Engineering, and Psychology. Each floor combines functional areas for teaching, research, and learning. The unique common space, both indoor and out in the adjacent gardens will foster connections with nearby academic programs and enrich the mission of The Scott Arboretum.

Abstract: Harvard University’s Smith Campus Center has repurposed an entire city block, providing innovative new spaces for collaboration and a welcoming “front door” to the university. The campus center has been transformative for Harvard, revitalizing a prominent site at the campus's crossroads and providing the wider community of 44,000 people with new central gathering and events spaces. Come learn how we successfully navigated stakeholder outreach and generated a design solution within the existing building.

Abstract: Public-Private Partnership (“P3”) procurement models for built infrastructure serving higher learning institutions started to gain attention in North America in the late 1990s—mostly as an alternative approach to adding student housing at select universities and colleges. More recently, P3 models have been applied to a diverse range of higher learning projects, with some serving core academic and research functions.

Although many institutions are considering P3 approaches among their options to address emerging pressures to expand or update their facilities, their implementation is not yet common. The researcher’s intention was to better understand P3 models and learn how they have performed, possibly generating some useful lessons for how P3 models can be applied with desired outcomes.

Abstract: Camden, New Jersey, a city of 80,000 located directly across the Delaware River from center-city Philadelphia, is, by any index of urban decay, one of the nation's most distressed urban centers. While severely ineffective, the city houses the essential building blocks of future recovery: branches of four colleges and universities and two major hospitals. A failure to recover during one of the strongest economic upturns in the nation's history, coupled with an unfortunate history of corruption and mismanagement, caused the state legislature to take two extraordinary actions to stabilize and revitalize the city: installing a state-appointed chief operating officer for the city, whose powers supercede those of the mayor and council, and putting forth an investment plan for the city that built upon its remaining institutional strengths in higher education and health care. A working group, the Camden Higher Education and Healthcare Task Force, was formed by the city's higher education and health care institutions at the behest of key legislators to coordinate their development efforts in order to advance the recovery of the city.