Learning Resources

Abstract: A critical concern of universities today is ensuring that students remain in their selected major and graduate promptly. In addition, there has been a renewed emphasis on scientific education presented to non-science majors. Through the renovation of the Ritenour Building, Penn State’s Eberly College of Science created an Academic Support Center as a hub of advising and assistance for prospective students, science majors, and science education. The center’s layout provides opportunities to share knowledge of science teaching with advising staff and the online learning department. The design of this space has been crafted to enhance these retention and educational goals.

Abstract: Wellness—including mental health counseling, medical care, fitness and recreation, and other services—is now recognized as a crucial service for higher education institutions to provide to their students. This article discusses current trends in wellness centers at U.S. colleges and universities and challenges the reader to consider questions such as how campuses will meet increasing demands for mental health counseling. We describe how institutions are establishing best practices and building state-of-the-art facilities to serve the needs of the person as a whole. In preparation for renovation or new construction, we recommend that higher education professionals and architects implement a data-driven process to determine how best to serve the student population.

Abstract: The design of higher education facilities is increasingly seen by university leadership as a strategic tool to attract and retain top faculty, staff, and students. The design of space has also been linked to increased levels of innovation, creative thinking, and collaboration. But with greater pressure from state and national governments to cut costs, how can institutions of higher learning ensure that the buildings they design are cost efficient and still effective? In her article, architect and SCUP member Debi McDonald outlines five trends in higher education design and how they can assist institutions in meeting their objectives.

Abstract: The demand for interdisciplinary teaching and research suggests the need to understand how universities are undertaking and fostering interdisciplinarity. Through an examination of strategic and master plans at 21 research universities, this article explores how institutions plan and foster interdisciplinary engagement through the use of space on campus. The construction of such space acknowledges that the discrete functions of the university, frequently attributed to the disciplines and departments, are not generally conducive to interdisciplinary engagement. Physical space is a necessary component for successful interdisciplinary initiatives both functionally and symbolically.

Abstract: Leveling or even declining enrollment and the current economic recession in higher education have forced many colleges to suspend or cut back plans for new construction and to consider the re-use and recycling of existing buildings. One candidate for rehabilitation: the campus chapel. The possibilities were examined at a two-day conference at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio February 26-27, which provided the basis for this article.