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When
Not to Initiate a
CAMPUS PLAN
if you can avoid it and what to do when you can't
The most productive campus plans are organic processes that require stable, sure leadership; an inspiring vision of the institution's future; accurate, current information; and meaningful, timely engagement by an active campus community.
When
you lack an internal advocate for the outcomes
This is the most crucial requirement. Without a respected, authoritative internal point person, any plan process is likely to falter at some stage. It must be obvious to the leadership team on campus who this person will be before starting a plan. If, for reasons of institutional culture or politics, the president will not be the lead person, it is the president's responsibility to identify, cultivate, encourage, and support the best person for this role.
Institutional planning is a continuous activity at well-managed campuses. Having the right person leading the effort is essential to producing meaningful, vibrant, successful plans, and eliminates the possibility of its becoming a going-through-the-motions routine.
When changing administrations
Campus planning processes
benefit from strong leadership at the highest levels. When a president
or a vice-president involved in a plan suddenly moves on or is due to
retire, it can have a crippling effect on plan process and quality. People
are often too unsure of the new administration's direction to participate
confidently. The re-ordered priorities of the incoming leadership can
reconfigure academic, student life and administrative initiatives championed
by the outgoing administration, creating a difficult environment for planning.
If this happens,
design the process to go into hiatus when the campus and program analysis
is complete and initial plan concepts have been drafted. The incoming
administration can then get settled and take the leadership of the development
of plan alternatives.
When
you have a micro-managing board
While an institution's
board must have solid connections with campus planning processes, hands-on
direction from an overly enthusiastic individual will not result in excellent
planning, no matter how well intentioned the person may be.
Effective
campus planning is an administrative responsibility that the board needs
to participate in, but should not direct.
Before
you have agreement on enrollment projections or enrollment scenarios
Without a holistic understanding of enrollment goals and a strategy for achieving them, the campus plan's attempts to accommodate future needs become mere conjecture. Have an enrollment plan in place early so it dovetails with the physical planning.
When
you don't have adequate documentation of your physical assets
This seems obvious, but it is not fully in place at many institutions. This documentation is essential to the integrity of planning efforts. You can't manage what you don't understand. If materials such as an up-to-date campus map and building floorplans, a room-by-room facility inventory, and building condition assessments do not exist in useful formats at the outset of a plan, then include them as a part of the effort and appropriate funds to this fundamental data generation.
George Mathey
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Good
Client/Bad Client
Colleges
and universities hire planning consultants, architects, and other design
professionals to address institutional issues and needs. In doing so,
both parties enter into a legal, corporate, institutional, and personal
relationship.
Whether
or not the assignment is productive depends as much on the skills and
experience of the consultants as on your preparedness and on the degree
to which you are a responsible client.
Planning
should be an on-going institutional endeavor. Bringing in a consultant
to help your institution demonstrates good stewardship. However, the presence
of a consultant does not eliminate your responsibilities -- setting priorities,
making decisions, and becoming engaged.
"The
planning effectiveness of a campus depends on the planning effectiveness
of its presidential leadership. There is no escape from this situation.”
John Millett
As
the institution's leader, you are responsible for describing the problem.
You
are responsible for establishing priorities. Consultants can then help
you understand the implications of your choices. Here are some useful
rules-of-thumb.
If
your project involves new construction, be realistic about the expenses
above basic construction costs. For planning purposes, a new construction
project can be 1.25 to 1.35 the cost of construction.
Be
realistic about schedule.
A campus plan, should take about 9 months to
complete.
A facility program usually requires a minimum of 3 to 4 months.
New construction for an academic building will take 18 to 24 months.
If
you set a challenging schedule, then you need to recognize the impact
this will have on your institution. Consultants are experienced in meeting
deadlines, but be sure the institution does not cause delays.
Don't
be shy about being a demanding client -- of your consultant and yourself.
You will both be more successful.
Arthur Lidsky
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