Committee formed to evaluate and determine Classroom Master Plan

The first series of meetings by the university's Classroom Master Plan, committee to develop and improve 160 teaching spaces on campus, will take place Thursday, Feb. 7, and Friday, Feb. 8.

The committee members will build on the goals set in the first Classroom Master Plan, established 10 years ago, said Susan Breeden, the university registrar and a member of the Classroom Master Plan Committee. This plan would include an evaluation of informal spaces, in addition to formal learning spaces, she said.

It is important that to find out what is working and what isn't working, Breeden said.

School officials hired Ayers Saint Gross, a consulting firm, to assist the committee members with the study, she said. The firm employees are scheduled to come to campus four times this spring.

ASG employees will conduct a study to see how efficiently the school is using current classrooms and to decide what changes should be made to meet the needs of students and teachers, she said.

The focus is deciding what technology and structure classrooms will need in the future to accommodate new teaching methods and learning techniques, Breeden said. The outcome of the study will guide the committee as future classroom renovations are needed. Both faculty and students are encouraged to become involved in the study and can participate through surveys, workshops and focus groups, she said.

The committee is expecting a lot of input from faculty and students as decisions are made, said Steve Allred, university provost and a member of the committee. At this point, committee members are not sure how long the study will take. Final decisions may go well past the spring and into the summer, he said.

The Classroom Master Plan committee members responsible for the development include: Allred; Kathy Monday, vice president of information services; Breeden; Andrew McBride, associate vice president for facilities and university architect; Mark Detterick, associate vice president for financial planning and budget; Doug West, assistant vice president of telecommunications, multimedia services and user services; and Kevin Creamer, director for teaching, learning and technology.

The first Classroom Master Plan was developed in 2004, Breeden said.

Contact reporter Brooke Knetzger at brooke.knetzger@richmond.edu