Samples of Campus Master Plan Guiding Principles

UNC Charlotte
1. Strengthen Our Collegiate Experience
2. Create Memorable Places
3. Engage with Our Larger Community

Cornell University
1. Support the academic mission
The Cornell campus shall support and cultivate academic success and growth, providing
open, collaborative and adaptable environments for teaching, research, service and
outreach, the exchange of ideas, and the nurturing of innovation.
2. Promote stewardship
Cornell shall respect and manage the physical environment of the campus and its broader
land base for the health of the university, its constituencies, its neighbors and the larger
regional ecosystem.
3. Enhance the campus experience
Cornells campus shall contain a diversity of inviting, accessible and safe places, for
social and culture interaction, recreation, athletics, and passive enjoyment by faculty,
staff, students and visitors. It will maintain and enrich its legacy of memorable
landscapes and become a more pedestrian-oriented campus.
4. Reinforce community
Cornell shall enhance the community-building aspects of campus. It will broaden housing
options, expand the campuss social and cultural infrastructure and promote a healthy,
vital greater Ithaca.
5. Ensure integrative planning and design
In the planning and design of the campus, Cornell shall integrate disciplines, engage
communities, and coordinate academic, development, landscape and infrastructure
initiatives.

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Samples of Campus Master Plan Guiding Principles

University of Iowa

1. Support the University of Iowas educational mission

By learning from campus and community leaders, we will maintain a Plan that responds
to and anticipates the continually developing strategies of the institution.
2. Establish a unifying framework for the campus
A logical and attractive organization of the different campus districts will be achieved by
effective circulation and a system of open spaces.
3. Demonstrate stewardship of buildings and land
Conservation, sustainable practices and renewal of campus resources will maintain a
quality campus environment for future generations.
4. Preserve and enhance our unique campus identity
While planning for continued development of the campus, it is critical to protect and
enhance the features of the campus that make it special to the people who learn and live
here.
5. Promote a pedestrian oriented campus
In an urban campus setting, special care must be made to provide safe and attractive
pedestrian environments and gathering places that inspire visitors and encourage
engagement.
6. Enhance the quality of the visual environment
The visual quality of the campus has profound impact on the quality of peoples
experience at The University of Iowa.

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Samples of Campus Master Plan Guiding Principles

University of Wisconsin-Madison
1. A Spectacular Setting
The university is privileged to have an extraordinary setting. Future development should
capitalize on our magnificent lakefront setting and wonderful natural areas while preserving,
enhancing and sustaining those environments for future generations.
2. Enhancing Experience of Place
The plan should promote a clear sense of place, respect the history and diversity of the
university, and stimulate the academic and social growth of the university community. The
plan should commit to the historic preservation of key buildings and open spaces that make
this place a stimulating learning environment.
3. Protecting our Environment
The universitys environmental ethic is found throughout its history from our early ties to
John Muir and Aldo Leopolds land ethic to noted landscape architect Jens Jenson. We will
continue that tradition through our commitment to preserving environmentally sensitive
areas, the development of sustainable design guidelines, building sustainable facilities, and
by reducing our impact on the land.
4. Developing Connections
The plan should foster our academic mission by supporting and creating interdisciplinary
connections between the academic enterprises, on and off the main campus. Pedestrian
spaces, bicycle routes, transit ways, open spaces, and the general campus infrastructure
should be physically connected to provide efficient and attractive linkages. The campus
buildings and connections between them should strengthen our mission and support the
constant sifting and winnowing of knowledge and experience. Specific strategies should be
developed to improve connections across the long east-west campus setting and across the
north-south divide created by heavy traffic on University Avenue and West Johnson Street.
5. Edges and Boundaries
The edges of the campus should be clearly delineated and well-defined to create an
identifiable and welcoming campus boundary with a sense of arrival, inviting the
surrounding community to participate in educational and entertainment events. The plan
should reinforce the gateways and activity centers, both on and off campus, to enhance
connections between the university and the community. No significant changes to our
current, official boundary are proposed, so we must recreate ourselves in place.
6. Our Regional Community
The plan should enhance available connections between the university and the surrounding
region and should help facilitate lifelong learning. The universitys future development
should support local and regional planning strategies dealing with growth and development
issues, with particular respect to transportation systems planning, adjacent neighborhood
plans, economic growth and environmental impacts.

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Samples of Campus Master Plan Guiding Principles

University of Vermont
1. Sense of Place welcoming, organized and comprehensible
2. Circulation continued improvement of the pedestrian campus, provide linkages to minimize
vehicular traffic
3. Inclusive & Accessible settings for a diverse community that facilitates communication
4. Compatibility enhance continuity of open space and building by respecting scale, materials,
and massing of adjacencies
5. Environmental Sustainability conserves resources, minimizes environmental impacts,
incorporates environmental safety practices
6. Flexibility develop facilities, utilities, open space, circulation that allows evolving and
changing academic/research needs

UNC Chapel Hill

1. Support Carolinas mission.
The physical form of the University should enhance Carolinas mission of teaching,
research and public service.
2. Export the qualities of McCorkle and Polk places.
The low stone walls, brick walks and natural landscaping of McCorkle and Polk places
are the physical essence of Carolina. Extending their graceful balance of buildings, open
space and trees to developing areas of campus will improve the University as it grows.
3. Enhance the Universitys intellectual climate.
A rich intellectual climate is based on connections. Connecting the humanities with the
sciences, academic life with residential life, health care with academics, the campus with
the town and the built environment with the natural environment will foster a vibrant
intellectual community.
4. Support local and regional planning strategies.
As the Research Triangle area grows, local communities grapple with transportation,
housing and environmental issues. The Universitys future growth should support local
and regional planning strategies dealing with growth issues.

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Samples of Campus Master Plan Guiding Principles

Davidson College
1. Davidson College is an institution of higher education committed to providing a
comprehensive liberal arts experience in a residential setting
Enhance the quality of academic facilities, student housing and extracurricular environments that
are supportive of body, mind, and spirit for students, faculty and staff by
maintaining faculty, staff and student ratios as the college grows
providing ample resources, including space, for faculty and student research
recognizing the central role of the library for the liberal arts
maintaining the on-campus residential student population at 95%
exploring living and learning environments that connect directly to programs while
recognizing the role of student housing as respite from the academic rigor of the college
developing new, and enhancing existing, centers that will provide a comprehensive,
coordinated set of resources to engage and support all students and faculty
enhancing and developing facilities to support studies, disciplines, and activities that are
mentally, spiritually, and physically supportive and liberating, for students, faculty and
staff
creating a wider variety of venues for social interaction
creating facilities that increase opportunities for personal relationships between students
and teacher
increasing the number of, and technology for, small-group study rooms
increasing facilities for physical education and recreation
creating informal spaces outside of classrooms that encourage spontaneous learning and
exchange of ideas
2. Davidson College is a pedestrian campus that values community building at all levels and
is connected to the beauty of the Piedmont region
Capitalize on the beauty and compactness of the campus, build community, and create opportunities for increased wellness by
avoiding sprawl and retaining the walkable campus
respecting the role of the Alvarez College Union as the core of campus community
considering views in placing of new facilities
strengthening the arboretum and ecological preserve
developing more peripheral parking to free up core campus space
making changes to parking policy to discourage driving across the campus
removing the perceived barrier of Main Street through design enhancements, continuous
routes, etc.
increasing landscape amenities and outdoor learning and social spaces
providing sufficient outdoor lighting and coherent wayfinding systems
Davidson College is committed to economic, social and environmental sustainability
Serve as stewards of Davidsons beautiful, historic campus, its mission of creating and
supporting community, and its role in the local economy by
acknowledging the intention to spend resources wisely so as
designing all new buildings and renovations to be certified as LEED Silver or higher
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Samples of Campus Master Plan Guiding Principles

exploring renewable energy projects, including solar, wind, and geothermal

planning and designing for flexibility so that facilities can easily be retrofitted for future
uses
maintaining and enhancing legacy open spaces and balancing developed space with open
space
supporting sustainable grounds initiatives and maintenance practices that enhance the
aesthetics of the campus and improve efficiency

3. Davidson College takes seriously its role as steward of its past as it moves forward into
the 21st century
Develop facilities that connect to the colleges strong architectural heritage but do not limit its
aspirations by
respecting and preserving the historic physical campus
repurposing historic buildings to meet current needs
considering the role of technology to ensure full and seamless integration
enhancing and expanding facilities that support academic departments while also
encouraging interdisciplinary research and scholarship
creating facilities to support modern methods of teaching and learning, offer efficient
work environments
providing resources to support multi-modal learning across the curriculum
celebrating the history of the college and the town throughout the campus, including
considering a museum
4. Davidson College is a campus in the Reformed Tradition of the Presbyterian Church
Davidson values diversity, recognizing the dignity and worth of every person by providing a
range of opportunities for worship, civil debate, and teaching that enrich mind and spirit. The
campus reflects the values of the college, such as openness, inclusivity, collaboration, creativity,
excellence, and integrity by
creating places for the celebration of diverse cultures, including a multicultural space
supporting the diversity of beliefs by creating a multi-faith center
developing facilities to hold events supportive of the colleges mission
giving ample opportunities for exploration and imagination
5. Davidson College is a campus that is committed to its role in the Town of Davidson, the
local region, and the world
Contribute to the ways that Davidson Colleges faculty, students, and staff actively participate in
the community by
supporting the commitment to community service
providing opportunities for the community to engage in campus life through public
lectures, theatre, athletic events, and music performances
creating welcoming and coherent campus entrances
considering additional opportunities to extend the campus to Main Street, including retail
functions that the community will support
addressing traffic and parking issues that affect the college as well as the town
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Samples of Campus Master Plan Guiding Principles

continuing to engage the town in planning efforts, in identifying opportunities to share

resources, and considering joint pursuit of funds for projects that will enhance both the
town and the college.

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