Master Plan Timeline: Spring 2013
The proposal includes four, two-day workshops at the University to accomplish the activities outlined below. The classroom audit tour will be accomplished independently of the workshops, as described below.
1. Learning Space Visioning and Demand Assessment
We perceive this study as a learning space master plan-going beyond a classroom master plan to allow for the range of venues and support services that will create a rich learning experience for UR students. Empirical information is paramount to identifying the right space planning metrics. The ASG team will meet with the Richmond COCIC as well as faculty, staff, students and other campus constituents. These meetings will help ASG understand the goals of the University of Richmond and the efforts already underway to support teaching excellence and enhanced student learning.
1.1 Pedagogy Workshop Facilitation Process
On the first day of the initial workshop we will confirm the Goals and Objectives of the Classroom Master Plan and discuss in detail the University's Mission, Core Beliefs, Strategic Initiatives, and the goals and tasks articulated in the current master plan.
ASG will organize our workshop visits to meet with representatives of the schools, academic departments, the CMPC and the COCIC and other stakeholders. They will visit key campus spaces as well. These activities will help facilitate an understanding of the pedagogical changes likely or desirable in specific disciplinary areas. This will also help identify which schools need improved learning space to better support their long term programmatic goals.
1.2 Survey to Faculty
Dugdale Strategy, in consultation with project leadership, the CMPC and COCIC , will develop a survey to faculty to identify their teaching styles and ways that would enable them to be more effective in the classroom, preferred class formats and their thoughts on teaching space requirements, both near and long term. A key aspect is probing for their interest in teaching differently in the future if more appropriate settings could be made available to them. Interest in interdisciplinary teaching, inquiry based learning approaches and other topics will be explored to understand differences and commonalities between each of the schools.
1.3 Informal Learning Space Needs Investigation
Workshops with students and staff will provide valuable input on the effectiveness of the existing informal learning spaces and where enhancements are needed to improve their learning experiences. We will study the library, computing spaces and collaborative work areas, and plans for improvements. We will investigate the effectiveness of other on campus study venues and social spaces that attract informal learning activities, and develop recommendations for an integrated learning space master plan.
1.4 Learning Support Services
Discussions between ASG, Information Services, library administration, faculty and staff will not only frame an understanding of the needs for formal learning spaces, but also provide information about the requirements of learning support services that need to be integrated into the planning and how service points should relate to formal and informal learning areas.
1.5 Summary of Findings
Information gathered from the workshops will be synthesized into key issues or core themes and documented. Another outcome of this task will be an understanding of which schools will most likely require and want to implement active learning spaces, plus information on their specific space needs.A matrix will be developed that will summarize this information, highlight the interaction and collaboration of the various groups and identify areas where collaboration is either non-existent or where overlap occurs. This will help the University identify the consolidated effort campus-wide and where space resources can be shared.
2. Classroom Audit
The consultant team will use the following base information provided by the University: spreadsheet listing of classrooms, CADD files of the buildings, annual condition reports, and prior renovation information. After determination with the University of the list of spaces to be included, the team will tour most of the classrooms on campus, libraries, and areas identified by UR as informal learning spaces. They will examine each space in conjunction with the Utilization Review to determine suitability and efficiency as well as a high level review of the AV systems.
The final printed master plan will have an evaluation and graphic for each classroom or visited space, one for each generic type. Informal spaces will be documented in a similar manner to the extent that is applicable.
3. Utilization Review and Space Needs Estimates
The project team will review the current classroom and other space inventory, the data from the previous classroom study and other data sources that may exist. They will want to understand the student station occupancy percent and average assignable square feet per station to be able to compare the University to national and peer institution utilization criteria. This analysis will also spotlight rooms that are not adequate for program delivery as candidates for repurposing.
The team will analyze the impacts of changes on utilization that have developed since the previous study, including the University's recent shift from credit hours to units and the First-Year Seminars for entering undergraduates. The project team will review the existing amounts and types of classrooms as well as informal study spaces currently on campus. The amount of space needed on campus will be determined by considering the results of the discussions with COCIC and other campus representatives, analysis of the utilization data, and application of appropriate space guidelines.
The effect of introducing active learning spaces on the existing University inventory of classrooms (110 Space Use Code) will be charted as to how, where and when these spaces will be needed to support the changing curriculum.
4. Learning Space Master Plan Program Development
The team will develop a learning space master plan and an accompanying space program for classrooms. It will include space guidelines for different types of typical classrooms, including active learning space types based upon national models and Richmond's experience in converting spaces to active learning. A similar master plan and program will be developed for informal learning space tracking.
5. Review Process
Each on-campus meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the progress of the work. As an agenda item for the last workshop, we will review a draft of the final learning space master plan and classroom program with the appropriate participants. Based on comments from this meeting, ASG will refine the draft and review it again with University participants.
6. Implementation Plan
During the final workshop, the consultant team will meet with the University to identify specific opportunities for implementation of selected initiatives over the next five years.
7. Final Documentation
Based on final comments, the consultant team will produce a final document of the Master Plan in printable electronic format.