Economic downturn. Budget constraints. Cost of attendance. Campus infrastructure needs. Building to compete. For many colleges and universities, these phrases have become all too familiar over the last five years. With today's economic challenges, educational institutions are finding themselves in constrained financial positions. They are…

Campuses of higher education are physical artifacts of the institutions' culture. No matter the institutional type, geographic location, or population it serves, "the campus is a visible, physical manifestation and indicator of organizational life" (D. Martin, 2006, p. iii). Artifacts serving as symbols of the institution's…

Students are creating content in a variety of ways and using numerous technologies to share that content that did not exist when their teachers were students. Students are interacting with the new technologies they see on TV, at the movies and through their social networks. They are creating and sharing websites, posting self made videos and…

Proper planning of school facilities is critical for all school districts no matter how large or small, whether major construction is in the works or the district is managing enrollment declines. When school districts properly plan for their school facilities they have better schools, more public use and higher value for public spending. This…

Most educational institutions have faced the decision whether to demolish, abandon or sell a facility. This article discusses how institutions can decide whether to renovate or build new. The author suggests to develop a campus- or districtwide master plan. A long-range master plan includes assessments of deferred maintenance, educational…

Master planning identifies long-term ways to improve and expand a campus. The end product typically is a beautifully rendered campus site plan showing enhancements to green spaces, improvements to vehicular and pedestrian circulation paths and parking, additions to existing buildings, and new buildings. These plans imagine what a campus could…

Like homeowners with limited budgets and a long list of repairs, school districts often must make tough choices when it comes to deciding what building systems to modernize, renovate, or repair--or when to build new facilities. With $44 billion now available for states and schools under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, stimulus…

A campus master plan cannot predict the future of a campus, but it can provide a valuable and productive road map for future development. This article suggests that such a road map might best meet an institution's needs and resources when it is linked to the reasons it decided to plan in the first place. Identifying the reasons for planning…

The decision to develop a transportation master plan for a school or university is often is a gradual process determined by changes that might have seemed insignificant in the beginning, but have combined to create problems that no longer can be ignored. Many circumstances can bring to light the need for a transportation master plan. In some…

Why do construction projects fail? Ineffective communication and collaboration, and poor pre-planning processes are among the reasons given by building owners in a recent survey. To avoid those pitfalls, colleges and universities need to take a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to preplanning, financing and carrying out their master plans…

Discusses how to develop confident budgets for school facilities construction at the master planning stage with limited information. (EV)

Presents two examples of Texas university and college campuses considered beneficiaries of the best and most beautiful campus master plans. The campus planning processes for the University of Texas at Austin, and Southern Methodist University (Dallas) are examined. Both examples represent schools who have recently instigated new initiatives to…

The Detroit Public Schools (DPS) have been battered by substantial outside forces over the last decade. The school system was taken over by the state; its elected school board was dissolved and replaced by an appointed body; its many operating systems were privatized; its citizenry were encouraged to flee to charter schools; and its resources have…

Discusses the development of lighting master plans, which allow education institutions to provide adequate illumination and enhance campus beauty. (EV)

Describes the campus design of the University of Houston (Texas) as an example of an urban campus where space is limited; the siting of new buildings was straightforward; and the planning focused on the campus' identity, accessibility, and enhancement. Two drawings of the campus layout from the master plan are included. (GR)