How the strategic plan intersects with a proposed campus master plan

Editor’s note: At October’s Board of Trustees meeting, President Andrea Talentino shared the intersection of the college’s new strategic plan, Bold & Boundless, with a proposed campus master plan. The following is her summary of key points.

Goal 1: Prioritize engaged learning

Anchor curricular and co-curricular learning around interdisciplinary, active, hands-on learning to prepare graduates for success as impactful leaders.

Campus Master Plan connections

1. Renovation of classroom spaces — A priority of the campus master plan is to renovate and improve existing spaces to correspond to flexible, engaged methods of learning. We will reimagine the standard tablet chair, row seating approach to classrooms to create spaces more conducive to collaborative work; moving/ recombination of furniture; and interactive methods of teaching. Phase 1
    
2. Renovation of art and art-adjacent teaching and learning spaces — Upgrading older facilities and creating comfortable, collaborative spaces that allow more effective art teaching and practice are priorities. Targeted areas include Abbey House and the pottery studio. Phase 2
    
3. Potential new academic building — The old tennis courts remain an open space that can be filled in the later phases of the plan as academic needs emerge. At present there is no final plan for that area, though the possibility of a collaborative innovation space that could house different community-facing activities that advance both engaged learning and our community focus have been discussed. Phase 2 or 3

Goal 2: Maximize student potential

Make student success our central focus by identifying the strengths and needs of our students so we can help them achieve their life and career goals.

Campus Master Plan connections

1. New Welcome Center — A new welcome center is a high priority to create the best first impression possible and to support prospective students and families. It will also allow for offices connected to student recruitment and registration processes to be located in the same place, more effective definition for the front door for the college, and more open and connected engagement with our surrounding community.
   
   All these changes will help us strengthen our position as a student-ready college from the first moment students engage with Augustana. This facility also connects to the strategic plan’s third goal related to community partnership, because of its potential to reimagine our front door and how we interact with the surrounding community. Phase 1
    
2. Student villages — To maintain the benefits of our housing philosophy of a progressively independent residential experience; to maximize student enjoyment; and to ensure sustainability of the college, we will transform some of our Transitional Living Area (TLA) residences into student villages, with renovated/ expanded living arrangements, recreational and communal activity spaces, and a stronger connection to the college’s visual identity.
   
   This will improve the look and upkeep of our housing stock and allow us to model quality residential space in the community. This also will likely allow us to expand our engaged learning into the villages in a variety of ways, whether with faculty and staff connections, living-learning communities or other programming that uses living arrangements to advance educational goals. The first village is slated to be built in Phase 1, with subsequent villages in each phase. Phases 1-3
    
3. New fieldhouse — Augustana sponsors the largest number of NCAA teams in the CCIW, and nearly 38% of our students are engaged in NCAA athletics. We have outgrown our current facilities and need to expand to provide more practice and performance space for existing teams. At present, we are forced to schedule teams at difficult hours to allow everyone to use the facilities.
   
   Creating additional space will allow our student-athletes to have more stable schedules and a greater ability to maintain academic and athletic balance in their day. As we continue to advance our commitment to combining athletic and academic success, this new facility will be essential in allowing effective scheduling of academic and athletic needs. This is one of the largest projects in the master plan, and one of the largest projects ever planned for Augustana. Phase 2
    
4. Relocation of the softball field — This is necessitated by the concept of a new fieldhouse, which is expected to occupy the current softball space. Beyond that, our current softball field facility is inadequate and does not reflect the high quality of our program, coaching or players. A more appropriate facility with expanded space for fans, improved lighting and the potential to play in different weather conditions is necessary. Phase 2
    
5. Renovation of Carver Center — Carver is becoming dated and isn’t supporting our current athletes or students as well as in past years, nor serves as an attraction for recruits. Renovating the entry to allow for a more exciting fan experience — including expanded concession and retail space, display cases for awards and trophies, and overall flow of the building— will benefit not only athletes but all students with a facility that can enhance the overall experience and help create excitement around athletics. Phase 2
    
6. New Multicultural Engagement Center — Creating a centralized hub for multicultural activities as well as a hosting facility for on-campus or off-campus groups will expand our student life facilities. Our existing culture houses are an asset to the college and enhance our goals of community and sense of belonging, but our enrollment has outgrown them and they are increasingly difficult to maintain. Combining them into a single multicultural engagement center allows us to improve and expand facilities to support cultural groups.
   
   The new facility also has the potential of creating conference space and outdoor hosting/recreation space. Increased space will allow us to develop more connection among all cultural groups and expand programming, and still support individual cultural identities within a larger concept of sense of belonging, diversity and connection to the college. Phase 3

Goal 3: Connect through partnership

Work with Rock Island to contribute to community vitality, enhance neighborhoods around campus, and be an engaged presence in the region.

Campus Master Plan connections

• Purchasing/developing property on 14th Avenue
• Purchasing/developing property on 30th Street
   

1. Residential and economic vitality — The college will work with local developers to purchase properties/ sites designed to connect to our third goal and our effort to partner with Rock Island to spur residential and economic vitality. We are establishing a Community Development Corporation (CDC) to help us with real estate purchases, connections with developers, and access to municipal grants.
    
2. Partnerships — We will partner with Rock Island City government, businesses and citizen groups to focus on projects that appeal to and benefit our students and favorably impact our neighborhood. The CDC will be designed to connect with and draw on our community partners to inform how we use these properties and the buildings we support for the benefit of our students and Rock Island citizens. Phases 1-3