2008 Woodie Awards
MASTER PLAN: Campus, Community Members Discuss Plans for New Rennovations
Bryanna Lindblom: Muleskinner
Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: News
UCM students, faculty, staff and Warrensburg residents filed into the Lovinger Auditorium for the first UCM Campus Master Plan Town Meeting. Gould Evans Associates, Kansas City, is the planning team in charge of the UCM Master Plan; they eagerly awaited the meeting to begin as the last of the crowd found their seats.
As President Aaron Podolefsky walked on stage, the light chatter eased and eyes focused in anticipation.
"It's a very important process we're beginning this year; that is to look at a master plan, a direction for the growth and physical development of the University and campus," Podolefsky said.
After attention had been established throughout the Lovinger Auditorium, Gould Evans' Dennis Strait, managing principal, jumped into explaining where they are in the process of the Master Plan.
"What we're trying to do in this stage is to get to know the campus as well as possible," Strait said. "We wanted to have a session like this to solicit inside observation from those of you who use the campus on a daily basis."
Before the audience could lay out thoughts and concerns, Strait went on to explain that the plan consists of seven guiding principles.
The first of those is to target enrollment of 12,000 to 14,000, including online and other campus locations. This is to be accomplished by a projection of a three percent growth rate every year for the next 10 years, which results in a 34 percent growth.
The second goal focuses on the core campus; it's boundaries; and it's edges. This goal is important to the identity of the University and focuses on building a better-defined edge of campus. Strait said UCM has "the strength of core campus but some challenges with the boundaries of campus."
Strait said the next goal within the plan will address how welcoming the campus appears, and how "the physical campus setting presents UCM to a first time visitor coming onto campus."
The fourth goal seems to tie into the others with its concern on developing an academic village that advances UCM students. This principle will look at buildings that make a statement and those that just fill space and are neutral. It will look at gaining a strong-statement campus.
As President Aaron Podolefsky walked on stage, the light chatter eased and eyes focused in anticipation.
"It's a very important process we're beginning this year; that is to look at a master plan, a direction for the growth and physical development of the University and campus," Podolefsky said.
After attention had been established throughout the Lovinger Auditorium, Gould Evans' Dennis Strait, managing principal, jumped into explaining where they are in the process of the Master Plan.
"What we're trying to do in this stage is to get to know the campus as well as possible," Strait said. "We wanted to have a session like this to solicit inside observation from those of you who use the campus on a daily basis."
Before the audience could lay out thoughts and concerns, Strait went on to explain that the plan consists of seven guiding principles.
The first of those is to target enrollment of 12,000 to 14,000, including online and other campus locations. This is to be accomplished by a projection of a three percent growth rate every year for the next 10 years, which results in a 34 percent growth.
The second goal focuses on the core campus; it's boundaries; and it's edges. This goal is important to the identity of the University and focuses on building a better-defined edge of campus. Strait said UCM has "the strength of core campus but some challenges with the boundaries of campus."
Strait said the next goal within the plan will address how welcoming the campus appears, and how "the physical campus setting presents UCM to a first time visitor coming onto campus."
The fourth goal seems to tie into the others with its concern on developing an academic village that advances UCM students. This principle will look at buildings that make a statement and those that just fill space and are neutral. It will look at gaining a strong-statement campus.
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