Learning Resources

Abstract: FLEXSpace—The Flexible Learning Environments eXchange—and the Learning Space Rating System (LSRS) are tools that can help you plan, design, assess, and improve learning spaces on your campus. In this session, you will learn about the newly released FLEXspace 2.0 along with the LSRS. We'll cover the features and benefits of both tools and how they can be incorporated into the planning process. Come learn how to use these tools to inform designs and support end users from planning through post occupancy.

Abstract: As institutions build out their campuses and land becomes limited, they must find creative and economical ways to expand. Johns Hopkins University (JHU) leased a high-rise building in downtown Baltimore as an alternative campus environment to develop its new Carey Business School, a strategic move JHU made to connect to business leaders, faculty, and potential students. The business school has taken on more space as it has grown, which required the school to plan through the lens of short-term and medium-term timeframes in a high-rise environment. This session will delve into the opportunities and challenges involved with locating a professional school in a leased, downtown, high-rise building mixing students with other occupants of the building.

Abstract: Pedagogies, study needs, and socialization habits are changing as student bodies become more diverse. Planners and architects must respond with new, more responsive spaces to create successful facilities. In this session, we will focus on both in-depth and high-level overviews of four new projects and how they specifically address STEM students' evolving space needs, including needs particular to first-generation and underrepresented minority students. Find out what's working at Amherst College’s newly opened Science Center and discover innovative designs for types and configurations of learning spaces at several new undergraduate STEM facilities.

Abstract: In this session we will discuss the green gauges methodology, which was developed to organize complex design information within a simple structure and help institutions invest in design strategies that serve environmental and financial goals. Design and construction teams will use this methodology to communicate strategies with stakeholders early in the process and provide consistent information regarding operational energy and the resulting carbon savings. Come learn how to use the green gauges methodology at your institution and discover the cost per metric ton of avoided carbon over the operation life of a particular strategy.

Abstract: In this session, we will demonstrate how Rutgers University aligned its development model with city planning initiatives to be a partner in urban renewal at its Camden and Newark campuses. With cities around the country struggling to effect urban renewal, Rutgers University has shown how strategic off-campus development can play a significant role in revitalizing downtown centers. Come learn how large urban academic campuses can redefine their relationship to the city by partnering in the implementation of strategic urban planning initiatives, blurring their campus boundaries, and aligning campus development with community need.

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: This presentation will demonstrate how an innovative new typology for student small-group living has transformed and expanded group living options, locating student housing in surprising, incongruous campus spaces. Lawrence University successfully prototyped new group housing typologies in under-utilized residential spaces, supporting its goal to be fully residential without adding campus buildings. You will learn how the expanded project team, tasked with thinking outside the box, invented a new housing typology uniquely connected to the existing campus culture and the site.

Abstract: The StudentLink Center, New York University's consolidated services model, has transformed student services delivery. Our highly efficient student-centered model focuses on simplifying services by removing barriers to students. We will show how to maintain a friendly warm-touch environment that leverages technology to streamline business processes, collect data, and utilize obtained data to cross train your team and improve productivity. You will walk away from this session with an understanding of how our service model works and how data collection can serve to enhance cross-training efforts and increase productivity.

Abstract: Both the City of Bridgeport and the University of Bridgeport were experiencing a renaissance before Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012. Now, they are working together to catalyze greater growth through a commitment to environmental resilience. The city and the university have partnered on a new project that achieves different, but compatible goals. This approach has created access to additional (and unusual) project funding and financing. In this session we will outline strategies for identifying multi-benefit projects, including finding potential partners and alternative avenues for project implementation.

Abstract: The City University of New York's (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) assists students in earning associate degrees within three years by providing a comprehensive range of financial, academic, and personal supports. Completion rates at community colleges remain extremely low; however, CUNY's ASAP students earned their associate degrees at substantially higher rates than non-ASAP students, even when a longer timeframe was considered. In this session, you will learn about CUNY's ASAP model, how it receives operating and capital funding, and how the physical spaces that support the program were identified, designed, and renovated.