By Mike Cook | 6 May 2017
Virginia Tech’s 2017 Master Plan addresses campus development in response to the growing number of students, staff and facultyBLACKSBURG - The state of higher education in America has been fluctuating over the past ten years. In 2010, the nation experienced a record high number of college and university enrollments, and, since then, these figures have been on a slow decline.
However, experts aren’t concerned. The National Center for Educational Statistics predicts a rise in the number of students attending degree-granting higher education institutions. Studies suggest current trends could change and lead to the enrollment of 19.8 million undergraduate students by 2025. Virginia Tech is proof of increasing enrollments. The Blacksburg college has seen a steady increase in student population since its establishment in 1872. Currently, more than 31,000 students are enrolled at Virginia Tech. The college expects this figure to rise approximately three percent by the commencement of the Fall 2017 semester. As the Virginia Tech population increases, the college’s Planning and Construction Facility has issued plans to accommodate for an influx of students, staff and faculty. Those behind the master plan expect the rising number of people will dramatically affect the campus life experience and the Blacksburg township. |
A Growing College in a Growing Town:
It’s no secret that Blacksburg is vastly comprised of students attending Virginia Tech. The 2010 census reported that roughly sixty percent of the town’s population were students. Blacksburg resident Alessandra Young has lived in the region for over 18 years and has seen the growth in the area. Young believes the region would look greatly different without the presence of the college students. She, like many other residents in the region, compares Blacksburg to a ghost-town in the summer when students return home. Virginia Tech remains in the top 2.5 percent of higher-degree education institutions in the United States, rising four positions to place 118th in Forbes 2016 Top Colleges in the country. “[Virginia Tech] is a popular school,” said Young. “I’m not really surprised people want to go here.” The university’s college of engineering and college of business are nationally recognized as top undergraduate programs. Young believes Virginia Tech’s reputation is an underpinning factor that impacts prospective students’ decisions to apply to the Blacksburg institution. “We’re known for having a great college experience and I think that attracts a lot of people,” said Young. “I think it brings a lot more students and a lot more diversity to the area.” |
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A Plan of Action:
In mid-March Virginia Tech’s Campus Planning and Construction Facility released the latest iteration in is master plan for developing the Blacksburg college to cope with this increasing population. Mike Dunn, Transport Planning Engineer and assistant to the Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer of Planning and Construction, is one of the faculty members in charge of overseeing the master plan’s development. “Every 10 years we have a basic update to the plan and every 30 years we dive a lot deeper,” said Dunn. “This year happens to be one of those years.” The development of the master plan has been spread over 18 months and is comprised of five stages. As of late April 2017, the master plan development was in Phase II: Area and District Planning. Dunn estimates the completion of the master plan by the end of 2017. “We want to lay out what the campus could look like in 20 years or so,” Dunn said. “The overall goal of our plan to follow the strategic mission of ‘beyond boundaries’.” Dunn believes the master plan will restructure the campus and foster the Virginia Tech student life experience. One of the major developments of the plan for students will be turning the Cowgill Hall into the new commons area. “We have around 7,500 students passing that area over the course of a weekday,” Dunn said, “so we plan to make that a central location for a student center.” The master plan also tackles improving social spaces, parking issues and the potential for refurbishment of existing buildings. The plan also proposes a 21st Century Living/Learning Community. The master plan proposes to develop a student social space beneath Burruss Hall, extending the tunnels as part of the 21st Century Life & Learning Community (CLLC).
Currently, the Virginia Tech campus can house 9,070 residential students. However, development plans propose almost a thirty percent increase to 11,766 beds on campus. Once completed, the proposed buildings would accommodate forty percent of the undergraduate population.
Virginia Tech housing caretaker Jan Lang has said that renovations in some of the major accommodation buildings have already begun in preparation for an influx of students in the Fall 2017 semester. “They’re expecting about 900 more freshmen,” Lang said. “They’ve started shutting down lounges and getting ready to make them into dorm-rooms.” However, Lang is concerned that, without the construction of more accommodation buildings soon, the current dorm halls could become overcrowded. “Some of the dorm rooms will have three people living in them,” said Lang. “There’ll be two [resident advisors] in each room, so they’re not going to get a room of their own again next semester.” Despite concerns that students living on campus might feel the pinch of more constrained living arrangements, Dunn believes that focusing time and effort on compiling the master plan will be crucial for the construction and development of the Virginia Tech campus. “We need to have a comprehensive plan in place to prepare for the future so we can know what to do and where we’re going,” Dunn said. “When the campus grows, the plan will help us do it so it benefits the college best.” |