Learning Resources

Abstract: The article explores campus design implications for socially equitable college and university environments. Two institutions that carry the value of social equity as dominant themes in their mission and strategic plans are showcased. Bellevue College’s equity plan acts as the cornerstone for social justice on campus. Oregon State University’s new Strategic Plan 4.0 includes sense of belonging and inclusion as core values. For both, the physical campus framework plans, used to guide campus development and design over time, fully integrate social equity through processes of engagement and physical solutions that improve a sense of welcome and inclusion.

Abstract: A global health crisis intersecting with a racial reckoning has led to a renewed commitment to reflect on complex histories and plan for more inclusive futures on many American campuses. Institutions, which benefitted from traditional hierarchies of power, are starting to grapple with histories of developing indigenous lands and the legacy of a western and able-bodied vernacular within campus design that continues to reinforce in-groups and out-groups. The authors are presently leading first-of-their-kind DEI planning initiatives; in this article they unpack how a public institution is meeting their past head-on to plan better futures.

Abstract: “In 2013 TRU established ‘increasing sustainability’ as one of its five strategic priorities for 2014-2019. This Strategic Sustainability Plan (SSP) is aligned with the university’s strategic plan, and provides a focus for TRU’s efforts toward sustainability over the same period. The SSP is comprehensive in nature, and includes more than 130 recommended strategies across four key focus areas: Operations & Planning, Advocacy & Engagement, Learning, and Administration. The SSP is intended to provide a framework for each TRU department and operational unit to incorporate sustainability initiatives into their own planning processes (the structure of the plan is illustrated on the opposing page). . . . Unlike some strategic documents, the plan takes a comprehensive approach of documenting strategies over the next 5 years. These strategies are not all the responsibility of one department or office, but rather are shared among many. This comprehensive approach will allow each office or department to see where and how it can play a role in TRU’s sustainability journey.”

Abstract: Space is not neutral; we perceive physical environments differently based on our backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. Every student brings a unique perspective to campus, and therefore every campus will have individual needs.

This research project collected a body of evidence around student preferences for welcoming and inclusive physical campus environments, sourced from engagements with more than two dozen institutions and more than 200 students. The author used these findings to develop a playbook to guide institutions and design teams through key strategies and possible metrics relative to DEI to use when planning, designing, and assessing physical campus space. The playbook serves as a conversation starter—a way to get planners, designers, and institutional stakeholders to the table and move the needle toward a more supportive physical environment that embodies the strategic values of DEI.

Abstract: Stories from the Educational Underground: The New Frontier for Learning and Work
by Peter Smith
Kendall Hunt Publishing: Dubuque, Iowa: 2021
148 pages
ISBN 978-1792472930

Abstract: by Laura T. Hamilton and Kelly Nielsen
The University of Chicago Press
294 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-60540-1 (cloth)
ISBN-13:978-0-226-74745-3 (paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-74759 (e-book)

Abstract: Over the past several years Temple University’s Main Campus has undergone an impressive physical transformation, the result of completed multiple projects from two facilities master plans and a landscape master plan. The campus has redefined its identity from an assemblage of bland modernist-era buildings to a dynamic environment with signature contemporary architecture, an active and unifying landscape, and a preserved historic architectural core. This campus tour will explore how Temple University has improved the student and visitor experience through facility upgrades and the use of ’found’ outdoor and interstitial spaces to expand its footprint.

Abstract: This session will focus on the development and use of consistent metrics through the program review process and other key university processes to support integrated planning at the department, school, and university levels. Using coordinated data at multiple levels of an institution can better inform both strategic planning and budget decisions. We'll share successful examples from Northwestern University that you can apply at your institution, including school-level dashboards that inform the annual strategic planning process as well as department-level planning.

Abstract: This session explores the impact of climate change on higher education and how academia may respond. We begin by examining potential changes to physical campuses, from transportation and food service to grounds and the built environment. Next we consider implications for university research, curriculum, and teaching, then envision how relationships between campuses, their local communities, and the world. We conclude by outlining ways academic institutions can strategize and plan for medium- and long-term transformation, starting now.