Learning Resources

Abstract: This book shows how a campus is defined through its physical image—buildings and landscapes are designed to communicate the institution's purpose, presence and domain as well as generate an image charged with symbolism. Design principals, methods, and procedures with wide applications are described. Two key design components, placemaking and placemaking, are used as the basis for numerous case studies. Originally published by John Wiley & Sons in 1992, re-published by SCUP in 2003. In the new foreword, Dober notes that “there is an ever-widening realization that a distinctive sense of place can have a positive impact on recruiting and retaining students, faculty, staff, trustees, and governing boards.” That makes the reprinted-in-full edition of this 1992 campus planning classic a required reference for all who care about the planning and development of an institution's buildings, grounds, and surroundings. Richard Dober (1928–2014) was a planning and design advisor to more than 450 colleges, universities, and cultural institutions worldwide, as well as to foundations and government agencies, the World Bank, and UNESCO. He wrote nine books and numerous articles on planning and design and was a founder of the Society for College and University Planning. He led consulting firms since the early 1960s, including most recently, Dober Lidsky Mathey, a firm specializing in campus planning and facility planning services.

Abstract: Book Review: Access Through Innovation: New Colleges for New Student, by James W. Hall. ACE/Macmillan, 1991. 179 pages.

Abstract: Book review: How Colleges Affects Students: Findings and Insights from Twenty Years of Research, by Ernest Pascarella and Patrick Terenzini. Jossey-Bass, 1991. 894 pages.

Abstract: Book Review: Accounting and Budgeting in Public and Non-Profit Organizations: A Manager's Guide, by C. William Garner. Jossey-Bass, 1991. 252 pages.

Abstract: Declining enrollment of traditional students (22-24% decline from 1980 to 1995) has spurred a tremendous emphasis on recruiting, promotion, and advertising activities from colleges and universities. Full color brochures, newspaper and magazine advertisements, and mailing lists have been designed to attract new students. In addition, attractive and innovative new programs, and market research to determine what prospective students are looking for, are being established. To compete in higher education's tight market, institutions must not only concentrate on academic programs and faculty quality but improve physical appearance sends messages to students and their parents on what it stands for. It plays an important part in recruiting students and faculty, in retaining students, and in enhancing the learning experience. A university's buildings, interiors, spaces, furniture and landscaping evoke prospective students' emotions and show its special emphasis. The physical quality of a campus, especially one that is memorably distinctive, is a valuable enrollment market strategy.

Abstract: Book Review: Keeping College Affordable, by Micheal McPherson and Morton Owen Schapiro. The Brookings Institution, 1991. 262 pages.

Abstract: Book review: The Role of Student Affairs in Institution Wide Enrollemtn Strategies, edited by Alan Galsky. National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, 1991. 131 pages.