Learning Resources

Abstract: State institutions of higher education in Connecticut are experiencing a dramatic and unprecedented period of change: the consolidation of four universities and 13 community colleges into Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) and the creation of a new administrative structure. This article charts the early stages of this process, presenting events as they unfolded during Governor Dannel Malloy’s first term beginning in January 2011, through his November 2014 reelection, until his state budget was passed in June 2015. Advocates of systemness in higher education are challenged to balance the promise of centralized leadership and localized prerogative in designing and implementing policy. Systemness offers the promise of synergy and innovation within and across the system guided by common purpose and vision. This article discusses five specific implementation processes and challenges: a systemwide credit transfer articulation program; Southern Connecticut State University’s early Transform CSCU 2020 initiatives; an ongoing effort throughout CSCU to develop a systemwide identity; the potential impact of budget constraints on systemness; and difficulties selecting and developing administrators and leaders.

Abstract: Efforts to create a more sustainable campus need to address issues of transportation. While greater bike use provides environmental, economic, and social benefits, it still represents a small fraction of campus transportation. One way to increase the number of bike riders is through a bike-share system. This article reports on the potential demand for a bike-share system at Kent State University, a fairly large public university (28,000 students) in northeast Ohio. Like at many universities, Kent State students are not likely to use bikes for commuting purposes. Yet our survey indicates that while there is demand, there are also several impediments. An existing second-generation bike-share system has been very popular but has not quite addressed the issue of commuting. A new next-generation bike-share system—with station-to-station renting—may be just the program to promote the more practical use of bikes and help shift the dominant mode of transportation away from automobiles.

Abstract: American universities are engaging to a greater degree in experiential modes of learning—similar to Montessori education—to engage learners from the millennial generation. Faculty and staff at colleges and universities must adjust to new ways of offering active and hands-on elements in academic programs to help prepare students for knowledge acquisition and lifelong discovery.

Abstract: This article outlines the challenges faced and solutions developed by the project team to address resiliency in the systems and use of the Burrowes Building at Penn State University. The project is designed to transform the space for greater learning and scholarship by faculty and students, promote administrative efficiencies, ensure adaptability for future needs, preserve the central building’s historic appearance, and improve Burrowes’s face on The Mall. The article is segmented into six sections that present a comprehensive discussion of this project’s planning process, funding, and design: - Campus Context: The Iconic Mall - Academic Purpose and Benefits - Planning for Resiliency - Programmatic Challenges - The Planning Process - Design Solutions The article closes with a report on how a seemingly unremarkable project, a simple mechanical, electrical, and plumbing renovation, can transform a building from a serviceable, “make-do” space into one that encourages and inspires its users. Further, the conclusion discusses the many ways in which the renovation of the Burrowes Building demonstrates the university’s commitment to resiliency now and in the future.

Abstract: In 2014, Temple University initiated a landscape master planning process to provide an integrative environment for its new buildings. The plan sought to establish overarching planning concepts and design standards that would increase the cohesiveness, identity, quality, and sustainability of the campus environment by tying together an eclectic mix of buildings and spaces, giving prominence to historic structures, and focusing on the pedestrian experience. Concurrently, a seminar on landscape performance metrics was taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture. Seminar students reviewed landscape performance tools and then vetted those tools through peer-reviewed literature and practical application. Tools that were positively vetted were used to assess campus baseline conditions.

Abstract: Given the increase in student commuters, part-time students, and online learning, institutions of higher education are evolving to embrace a blended campus experience. The emerging importance of student connectivity and interaction can be seen in the new role of the student union as a center of student life and learning. This article explores how University of California, Berkeley, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, and Portland Community College have leveraged new student union complexes—including associated open space—to address changing student needs and increase social interaction.

Abstract: As headlines lament mushrooming student debt and a “higher education bubble,” Google—a choice employer and renowned innovator—says college degrees aren’t a prerequisite for the talent it seeks. So why should young people invest in degrees? Universities must change to survive, and there is an interesting model that offers ideas for a new way of learning: the academic incubator.