Campus Master Plan

Master Plan Progress Report (January 2, 2008)

Student forum in September.

The first five months of the Wake Forest master planning process have been fruitful. Efforts to meet publicly with a large cross section of the campus community — students, staff, faculty and administration — as well as meeting with representatives from local neighborhood associations have resulted in a wealth of information that now guides the planning process. In total, over 37 group meetings have been held in the last five months. In addition to the public sessions, the planning process has also benefited from the comments submitted on this web site, including input from alumni and the parents of current students who are very interested in this effort. Finally, the Advisory and Steering committees, which include cross-campus representation, have been actively involved in reviewing the session information and providing guidance to the process.

From this first five months, several emerging themes have been identified:

• Campus entry, arrival, and circulation are challenges to future campus growth — particularly the many locations where vehicles and pedestrians share the circulation network — and the need for effective campus wayfinding. Students and Faculty have recognized the need for informal social spaces for student-student or student-faculty interactionsoutside of offices or classrooms.
• The campus lacks sufficient facilities for new academic initiatives and some current teaching or research programs.
• The campus lacks modern recreational facilities to meet student, faculty and staff needs.
• Environmental issues, such as biodiversity and storm water management, need attention to ensure the campus landscape continues to be an asset.

Next Steps: Precinct Studies

Using the information gathered to date, as well as themes outlined in the WFU strategic plan and recently completed space assessment, the next phase of the master plan will focus on identifying physical requirements to address themes of concern. These focus sessions, called "Precinct Studies" will look at specific needs. The precinct studies will determine options to improve vehicle and pedestrian movement, consider possible locations for new buildings, and evaluate options to "revitalize and re-purpose" existing campus buildings to meet campus needs. This precinct study phase will occur between January and April. The three focus areas are:

• Academics: January 16 & 17
• Student Life and Housing & Athletics/Rec Sports (Phase 1): February
• Student Life and Housing & Athletics/Rec Sports (Phase 2): April

Results of these precinct studies will be made available to the campus in April during public forums to discuss the developing plan. Those public sessions will be held during the week of April 28th. Specific dates and locations will be announced well in advance.

As the planning process continues, please continue to provide your comments and suggestions using the comments link on this page. Thank you for your interest and assistance in the development of the new campus master plan.