Project Idea (short title): No. 2: Classroom and Facilities Upgrade Plan

AQIP Component to which this primarily relates:  Supporting Institutional Operations

Briefly describe what you would like this project to accomplish (about a paragraph):

This project would establish a regular process to update the physical, aesthetic and technology needs of classrooms, laboratories, and landscape of the campus.  At present, we have a hodge-podge of approaches on classrooms, depending on whether a department has external funds or not and the vagaries of state appropriations.  Spaces primarily “university” in nature are often left untouched for years and have even fallen into significant disrepair. Partly due to the absence of an upgrade plan, departments ‘take over’ the university spaces, thus leaving other users with even fewer choices.  The university has a space committee, but not an upgrade committee or plan.  Similarly, there is no consistent plan for funding classroom IT maintenance or upgrades.  Some on campus believe the landscaping needs significant changes.

Where did the idea of stimulus from this Action Project originate?

Three stimuli account for this project. First, the President set up a committee on Campus Enhancement, which recommended significant attention to classrooms.  Second, in 2005 the State of Michigan offered a one-time shot of funding to upgrade and maintain university facilities.  We took this opportunity to work on buildings, one in such disrepair that the ceiling leaked and faculty and students complained about the classrooms and tried to avoid them. These efforts led to a broader discussion among faculty, staff, students, and administration of a plan that would be executable and fundable so that we could better prevent this situation in the future.  Possibly, a plan would also help us understand more accurately, our actual level of deferred maintenance.  Third, the Task Force on Central Computing Funding Practices recommended "A systematic approach for funding maintenance and future enhancements (including installation and long term support) of classroom technology across campus must be developed"

Which specific needs of your students or other external stakeholders would be better met if you accomplished this Project? How?

We could be more rational in the repair of our buildings and in the use of resources from potential donors.  We could have rooms that students and faculty would like to use due to high quality technology, functionality, and aesthetics. We could maintain the state-of- the-art laboratories so essential to a first class technological university.  Visiting parents, scholars, employers, and potential donors to the university could see visible evidence that we care about our teaching.

How would doing this Project allow you to better meet your employees’ needs? Which, specifically?

We would have a pleasant and safe place to work, research, and teach.

How would accomplishing this Project change or affect your institution’s culture?

It would reinforce our culture of learning.  A plan might inspire more giving to the university for the on-going well-being of the physical aspects of the university.   

What leadership and employee enthusiasm and support is there for doing this Project now?

Extraordinary support from the President and Provost, faculty who use the rooms and their students, staff/faculty who are in the buildings.

Then, rate the project on the following three dimensions

Challenging             o           o           X            o            o            Easy

Simple            o            o           X            o             o             Complex

High Payoff            X           o           o             o             o             Low Payoff