Michigan Technological University’s board of trustees voted unanimously to adopt a new campus master plan to guide the university as it grows to 2035 and beyond.
After two years of community feedback and discussion, Michigan Tech’s board of trustees voted to adopt the university’s campus master plan at its meeting on Friday, Oct. 7. According to the resolution presented to the board, the plan represents a “set of ideas that establishes a flexible, realistic, multi-decade framework for coordinating facility improvements across the facility. While adjustments to the plan are planned as a natural facet of long-range planning, and while the initiation of specific projects will remain individually subject to board approval, the campus plan will serve as a beacon to guide Tech as it continues its steady ascent as Michigan. flagship technological university.
Michigan Tech President Rick Koubek said the campus master plan is a necessary vision document for the University, which is on track to meet its measured growth goals, including increasing student enrollment. students, faculty recruitment and research expenditures, as well as an endowment of $300 million. “The Campus Master Plan presents a collective vision of our students, staff and faculty about the future of Michigan Tech and the facilities we will put in place to support that vision,” Koubek said. “We are grateful to the Board of Directors for their support and confidence as we implement this plan for Michigan Tech.”
The news comes just weeks after Michigan Tech welcomed its second-largest class of freshmen since 1984, who have the highest college degrees in school history. Likewise, Tech recorded its second-highest fundraising total last year, as well as the highest number of research spending in the university’s history, which is expected to rise 16% from the record of Last year. In addition, since its official inauguration in April, construction is well advanced on the new H-STEM complex, which will house state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories for health-related STEM studies and, like the of the Great Lakes before him, to serve as a model for future transdisciplinary educational centers built on campus.
The two-year collaborative process included multiple campus visits from representatives of SmithGroup, a five-decade partner of Michigan Tech since the University’s original campus master plan was written in 1966. The inclusive design process facilitated by SmithGroup involved 25 stakeholder listening sessions, a student life survey that garnered 919 responses, a campus-wide survey that garnered 2,281 responses, a virtual town hall with over 275 participants, an online forum and numerous MTU Steering and Advisory Committee meetings.
Among the opportunities identified during the development of the plan was the desire of stakeholders to align the University’s facilities with its outstanding reputation and to create collaborative spaces that showcase technology. To make the most of these opportunities, the plan encourages efficient use of limited land. The result will be a sustainable and innovative Michigan Tech campus with state-of-the-art facilities designed to celebrate the outdoor space, create a public realm and engage the waterfront.
The campus master plan will be implemented in phases, beginning with extensive renovations to existing classrooms and labs. “During the planning process, we heard from our community that upgrading the educational and learning environment for our students and faculty was of paramount importance,” said Dave Reed, vice president of Michigan. Tech for research. “We listened and worked with SmithGroup to put classroom and lab renovations at the top of the priority list.”
Reed said the classroom and classroom lab renovation program will be the first phase and will be funded through a university bond issue. “Advancement is also working with a number of people and organizations to support various elements of the campus plan implementation as well,” Reed added.
One of the highlights of the plan is the Center for Convergence and Innovation, which will house the College of Computing and the College of Business. “By co-locating IT and business in the same building, the Center for Convergence and Innovation will serve as the cornerstone of Michigan Tech’s efforts to meet the workforce demands and entrepreneurial innovations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “said Dennis Livesay, Dean of the College of Computing. “As the world’s markets and economies continue to respond to digitalization, there will be a growing need for agile, digitally savvy workers who can design and implement solutions to emerging problems. The Center for Convergence and Innovation helps position Michigan Tech as a national leader in training IT and business professionals who seamlessly integrate the two fields.
To meet the additional housing needs of a growing university, the campus plan calls for the construction of a new residence hall. “Our plan calls for smart, measured enrollment growth that responds to both the growing number of students eager to enroll and the enthusiasm of employers hiring our graduates,” said John Lehman, vice president of relationships. academics and enrollments. “This plan includes considerations for expanding on-campus housing in the same smart and measured way.”
The campus master plan is one of four key initiatives Michigan Tech will launch this year, including a national student recruitment campaign, a faculty and staff hiring initiative, and the launch of a fundraising campaign. The plan will be presented in various forums on campus this fall.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and enrolls more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the top universities in the nation for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate programs in science and technology, engineering, computer science, forestry, business and economics, health, humanities, mathematics, social sciences and the arts. The rural campus is located a few miles from Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, providing year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
#Michigan #Tech #Board #Trustees #Vote #Adopt #Campus #Master #Plan