Learning Resources

Abstract: Colleges across the United States have become greener, and efforts are underway to enhance their sustainability practices and reduce their carbon footprint. This article is not about the greening of our campuses. It is about planning and preparing for the effects of climate change. It concerns the need to adapt our campuses for the future. This article makes the case that life on our campuses will have to change. We will have no choice. We need to prepare for this change, adapt to it, and reengineer ourselves to be more resilient in the face of it. Moreover, it is our position that it would be fiduciarily and morally derelict not to do so. This article argues that one way to persuade boards of trustees and others within institutions of higher learning that the time to prepare is now is to present the science within the context of the coming effects on our own campuses. This article uses our own campus as a template and makes several suggestions for how to start both the conversation and the planning.

Abstract: Succeeding at integrated planning at colleges and universities is a challenge. Many planning models do not work in higher education because they are not designed for higher education. Planning processes designed for corporations or non-profits do not account for the complex environment of higher education nor its unique challenges.

Many institutions struggle to leverage planning into lasting change because they create plans in a vacuum. They do not grasp the institution’s strategic issues or create a sound value proposition. They are not prepared for good planning.

To provide guidance on where to prioritize efforts, SCUP partnered with the Baker Strategy Group in 2015 to conduct a study with more than 2,200 leaders who plan at colleges and universities, and ran quantitative analysis on their responses. Several themes emerged around planning challenges and how to respond, which are explored in this report.

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: 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: New York was dealt a devastating terrorist attack in 2001, saw the fall of its financial giants in the crisis of 2008, and in 2012 was battered by a powerful storm that flooded its communities. The reality that this waterfront city continues to thrive demonstrates the magnetism of this adaptable place. Through the city’s plan for A Stronger, More Resilient New York, the state’s effort in New York Rising, and outcomes from HUD’s Rebuild By Design Competition resiliency is being implemented. Design with the place in mind is how our firm approaches resiliency. These are the stories and lessons learned from Cooper Robertson’s experience.

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.

Abstract: Aged buildings, streets, alleys, back lots, a dense neighborhood, and historic landmarks—can these puzzle pieces add up to campus opportunities? The University of Chicago conceived an unexpected and dynamic new campus destination, gaining 150,500 sq. ft. of academic space and creating a new landscape with 36,000 sq. ft. of new open space and 60 new trees. Neighbors, aldermen, administration, and faculty shaped a campus planning process applicable to large and small colleges and universities, developed from creative and sustainable planning principles.