Dickinson College Strategic Plan

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March 2005

FACILITIES PLAN UPDATE

Dickinson's campus is a source of pride for the College, for reasons of good stewardship and great planning that started with the design of Old West at the inception of the 19th Century and continues with the current development of new science facilities to usher in the 21st Century. The campus organization and flow, the quadrangles and green spaces, and the limestone that unites its edifices work together to create a unique and distinct setting for young scholars to learn and grow and become leaders who will meaningfully engage the world.

At the dawn of the new millennium, in the year 2000, Dickinson developed a Facilities Plan that has successfully guided the College towards many important projects and facilities initiatives over the past five years. These projects and initiatives include:

• The Stern Center For Global Education
• The Goodyear Loft Apartments and Fine Art Studios - Creating an excellent living and learning community and 118 new "independent style" beds.
• The Morgan Hall and Baird McClintock Renovations - Modernizing these residence halls and moving them from the bottom to the top of the housing stock.
• The Residence Hall Modernization Program - identifying the programmatic need for three types of housing: (1) Socially Integrated; (2) Transitional; and (3) Independent.
• The creation of a recurring fund source for Residence Hall renovations and modernization projects, in response to the identification of over $20 million of deferred maintenance and/or deferred modernization in Dickinson's housing stock.
• The creation of a recurring fund source for Campus Utility Plan (C.U.P) projects, in response to the identification of $17 million of deferred maintenance in the College's Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and HVAC systems.

The FY 2000 Facilities Plan was developed in tandem with the College's Strategic Plan and a large effort was made to understand the Strategic Plan and to use the plan as a guideline for making and prioritizing decisions. Now, in FY 2005, the Facilities Plan remains viable in many ways but like any master plan requires modification to keep current with new initiatives and to respond to changes and updates to the College's strategic plan, which is also experiencing renovations.

The FY 2000 Facilities Plan originated with the identification of a list of "Hot Topics" that needed to be addressed. For example, a "Hot Topic" in FY 2000 was to re-program the former Tome Scientific Building. The plan considered all the competing academic program needs along with the Strategic Plan's emphasis on Dickinson's global distinctiveness, and subsequently identified the best use of this prominent building to be for a Global Education Center.

In 2005 there are new "Hot Topics" which are affecting decisions pertaining to facilities and ultimately influencing the update of the plan. These new "topics" include:

• The New Science Facilities and Associated Dominos
• The New Central Energy Plant
• The 5 Course Teaching Load effect on Facilities
• Changes at the Law School
• Programming The Reeves Hoffman Building
• Identifying the best use for Althouse after Chemistry moves out
• Continuing to improve the Housing Stock and establishing Learning Communities in the Residence Halls
• A greater emphasis on environmental soundness, including consideration of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards where appropriate in new construction and renovation projects.
• An emphasis on Green Space, Wayfinding, and an expanded sense of campus centrality.
• Improvements to the Hub
• Less "Hot", but still worth noting since they are large projects is a new Auditorium, improved space for the Arts, renovations to the Biddle Field Complex and specifically a new 8-lane Track, and a new Varsity Sports Center.

As these topics are considered and the Facilities Plan is updated, the College's Strategic Plan continues to serve as a useful tool for proposing the best choices. The Strategic Plan's emphasis on distinctness, visibility, accountability, and financial strength all fit in very neatly with tenants of the Facilities Plan. Perhaps the most important planning link is the Strategic Plan's defining characteristic of "Lifelong Affiliation." Dickinson's campus is an important part of the Dickinson Experience. The campus itself provides a strong impression and point of affiliation on visiting high school students, current students, and alums. The Facilities Plan of FY 2000 and its current update in FY 2005 are committed to maintaining this unique and positive affiliation for many years to come.

The facilities management team will partner with other appropriate campus entities like the Committee on the Environment to develop plans which calculate the ecological footprint, set resource benchmarks, and exhibit transparency to hold the College accountable for its progress toward environmental sustainability as plans are set for the future of the campus.