Learning Resources

Abstract: Campus planners have invested time and resources in designing and implementing innovative learning spaces that optimize evidence-based pedagogical approaches embracing collaborative, real-world teaching and learning. But to what degree do these physical spaces enhance learning and honing of soft skills that are ranked highly by today’s employers? To address this question, 2018/19 SCUP Fellow Jeffrey Ashley engaged alumni through surveys to quantify the development of collaborative skills in innovative classroom environments. The design, implementation and results of this SCUP Fellowship research project will be highlighted and compared to other assessment methods with the goal of understanding your own institution’s assessment needs and plans around active learning spaces.

Abstract: Access to appropriate lactation space is essential for new mothers to participate fully in work and study. Campus planners are positioned to introduce this topic at the beginning stages of new building design or facility renovation. The University of Pennsylvania and SCUP collaborated in a nationwide study to explore lactation policy and facilities in US colleges and universities. We will share results from the study, including user needs along with requirements for evidence-based lactation space design.

Abstract: Planning for a division within a university can be difficult; you must align to the larger institutional plan while also considering your division's unique mission and challenges. This session will describe the strategic planning process for a college within a university. We'll describe how we included more than 500 stakeholders, discussed enrollment declines and the upcoming demographic changes that will impact most colleges, and how we focused the plan on mission and innovation. You will leave with a blueprint for the planning process we used, from self study to training facilitators to final plan release.

Abstract: Tracking and communicating data in a compelling way can make big, positive changes in how the facility inventory is managed, from annual maintenance to capital expenditures. We will describe how the Alamo Colleges uses principles of asset management to increase facilities funding from $1.3 to $18.5 million over 10 years and to pass a $450 million bond program in 2017. We will cover how we planned and organized a facilities inventory, using the data to determine funding priorities, and methods for helping stakeholders make decisions.

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: College campuses provide an ideal setting to promote walking. This article reviews best practices for campus pedestrian planning, identifying how campuses have sought to increase pedestrian travel, reduce parking demand, and improve physical activity among students, staff, and faculty. Through case studies of 18 North American universities, we analyze common practices and innovative strategies. We find that while campuses tend to avoid siloed pedestrian planning efforts, there are a range of innovative design, marketing, and analysis strategies being put into place as part of wider campus master planning efforts and programs to support alternatives to the private car. When it comes to innovative treatments, such as shared streets, roundabouts, and pedestrianization schemes, campus projects can provide leadership for the wider community as well.

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: U.S. transportation data suggest that the number of vehicle miles traveled has far surpassed new capacity, resulting in increased traffic congestion in many communities throughout the country. This article reports on traffic congestion around a university campus located within a small town. The mix of trip purposes varies considerably in this context, with the majority of trips related to student movement to and from classes. The university itself becomes a major traffic generator, but in a complex way. This article describes how congestion in a university setting differs from that in a nonuniversity setting; what components drive this congestion; how best to reduce this congestion while adhering to overall university planning objectives; and how to set a foundation for traffic management strategies that provide environmental, social, and economic benefit to the university and, importantly, to the surrounding community. The information presented here applies beyond the campus setting to any community that contains nontraditional traffic generators and shows why context does matter when analyzing and managing traffic.

Abstract: Universities and colleges across the country are faced with growth in the campus population and the loss of surface parking lots for new buildings. The response of many institutions is to build new garages with the assumption that parking demand ratios will remain the same. Such an approach, however, can be extremely expensive—upwards of $2,000 per net new space annually. In many cases, a mix of parking and demand reduction programs—such as shuttles, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and financial incentives not to drive—can accommodate growth at a lower cost per trip. A balanced approach will also tend to support other goals, from improving town-gown relations to maintaining debt capacity. Demand management strategies have been employed by institutions for many years. However, it is less common for a cost-benefit analysis to be undertaken comparing them with new parking construction. Using examples from universities in California and Colorado, this article demonstrates a methodology to inform basic decisions on the amount of parking required to cater to campus growth, which can be incorporated into campus master planning.