A facilities master plan is a university’s campus footprint that gets updated every 7-10 years. It includes where existing buildings are, where new buildings might be built and talks about properties the school doesn’t currently own, but might in the future.
The plan that was just adopted has been in the works since April, 2014. The committee for this plan ranged from board members to student representatives to people in the community. The university also invited a professional organization from Indianapolis called Interdesign to help them with their vision.
In this campus master plan, the committee looks at the existing site and projects where they might want to be with those buildings. The plan also involves any new buildings that might become part of Huntington University.
“I’m thinking this plan we looked at really involves two things,” Sherilyn Emberton, president, said. “First of all, what existing buildings needed attention, and then if we were going to do some proposed additions to our campus plan and what they might look like.”
One of the main parts in the plan was creating a better space for students to gather and call their own, although it is still in the beginning stages.
“Of course the focus, obviously, is on developing a strategic plan for a student union building, you would call it the HUB,” Emberton said. “Looking at a way to renovate the HUB and create a true student union building.”
Another area of the university the committee discussed was the infamous Lake SnoTip. The committee deliberated on ideas of how to make the lake more accessible to students and how to make it more picturesque.
The plan was presented before the university leadership team, which includes people such as academic chairs and staff members.
A larger presentation of it was made on Thursday, Oct. 22 before the vote was finalized on Friday.
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