Guiding Principles

These college-wide policies constitute the framework of the master plan.  They reflect both master plan analysis completed in the early stages of the process as well as extensive campus and public comments.  These policies form the strategic vision for the Plan’s 20-year life.  They are:

1:  Affirm a historic preservation-based plan as a key, long-term approach.

This policy reinforces the intent and importance of Myron Hunt’s original master plan as a framework for ongoing development and future campus planning.  This includes both a preference for Hunt’s architectural vocabulary and his approach to campus planning.

2:  The College will initiate projects as necessary to accommodate institutional programmatic needs and to enhance interaction between students, faculty, staff, administration, and community.

This policy reflects the College’s need to generate a variety of project types to respond to new program needs as they occur over time.  These could include the restoration and rehabilitation of existing buildings, the design of new buildings, open space, landscape, sustainability, transportation and/or utility projects, as necessary.

3:  Institute a long-term site, building sustainability and management of hydrology program.

The notion of “greening” the campus includes both the enhancement of existing landscape as well as implementation of prudent conservation measures through facility design.  This policy acknowledges the importance of environmental design in principle while recognizing the practical matter of engaging in such design on an ‘as possible’ basis.

4:  Utilize appropriate infill sites to accommodate needs over the long term.

As needs arise for the design and construction of new buildings or other program spaces, this policy emphasizes the use of sites located within the existing urbanized campus.  These sites are typically constrained by existing conditions.  Therefore, all future projects should address in their form the repair and completion of the area of the campus they are located within.

5:  Reconfigure campus parking and roads in the central campus to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and respect the needs of the disabled.

This policy promotes the enhancement of a pedestrian-friendly environment for both the disabled and non-disabled by new or strengthened pedestrian connections between the upper and lower campus and by the limiting of vehicular traffic and parking in its most central and prominent portions.  In some cases this will result in the transformation of roads and parking lots into service lanes.

6:  Renew the campus landscape to create more outdoor spaces, courtyards, promenades and to enhance interaction opportunities; integrate native, non-invasive plant species.

This principle seeks to enhance campus interaction opportunities by the redesign of under-utilized exterior spaces and promotion of outdoor "rooms," courtyards, and promenades.  The campus can be transformed by attending to the maintenance and redesign of its landscape at a cost that is a small fraction of the budgets typical of new building facilities.

7:  Implement “low traffic” parking and transportation measures and encourage use of multimodal transportation alternatives.

This policy provides for transportation management which reduces the impact and quantity of parking and traffic over time.  This includes measures such as subsidized transit passes, car sharing programs, bicycle amenities, and commuting and parking reduction strategies.  All of these will be exercised through careful monitoring of the campus’ transportation performance over time.

8:  Incorporate strategies to incrementally correct a wide variety of small, non-functional plan components.

This policy addresses the modification of small incrementally added building and landscape components which are ineffective and/or unsightly.  Many of these were introduced into the campus without an overall plan over the last 50 years.  They typically affect the public space of the campus and include a  broad range of items such as unscreened or improperly located transformers to poorly located exterior walks, ramps and stairways.

9:  Remodel, reconfigure, remove or replace dysfunctional buildings or buildings with limited horizons which do not support the character, scale, quality, function, or safety of the campus.

This policy provides the freedom to edit and remove buildings on campus which are badly located, ill formed, or are functionally and physically outmoded.

10:  Encourage regular communication and interaction with the surrounding community; encourage and cooperate with neighborhood-compatible development approaches.

This policy seeks means to better physically integrate the College with the surrounding community and enhance contact with neighbors on issues of mutual interest. 

11:  The Board of Trustees will approve and implement the principles of the master plan through specific projects that will monitor and periodically evaluate the master plan’s principles, goals and results.  The Buildings & Grounds Committee will serve as ongoing conduit to the Board for master plan issues and make recommendations when Board approval is required.

The Board of Trustees will serve as the principle means for the College’s approval, implementation and stewardship of the master plan.