Planning, Space Management and Capital Projects

A student is seen pinning a flag on a board that says "Where should the university make investments that would enrich your college experience?" The rest of the board contains a map of campus that have flags marked from different individuals.

About

What is a "Campus Plan"?

A campus plan is a roadmap that guides future change to the physical campus environment. One can think of a plan in a series of layers: land and building use, site and landscape, infrastructure, transportation/parking. At a strategic level, the campus plan provides direction for the institution to align with its strategic and mission-driven goals (e.g. improving academic success, expanding research, addressing holistic health). Finally, the campus plan identifies specific projects for implementation, and it includes prioritization and phasing so that the college is equipped to act in the near-term while also planning for long range and aspirational goals.

Launching WMU's new Campus Master Plan

Dear campus community, We are pleased to announce that Western Michigan University is embarking on a yearlong journey to create a new Campus Master Plan. This initiative is a crucial step in shaping our future physical environment, aligning with our University’s mission and strategic goals. The master planning process designs a campus that meets the needs of our students, faculty and staff as they learn, work and enjoy campus. Your input is critical to our success in envisioning the future campus of WMU. Our institution’s previous Campus Master Plan was established nearly 25 years ago, and it provided a broad vision to guide the development of our physical infrastructure over time. Master plans encompass various aspects of campus, including land and building use, site and landscaping, infrastructure, transportation and parking. While it serves as a compass to help provide direction in developing major projects, it is not a rigid blueprint. It is designed to be a dynamic framework that balances immediate needs with a flexible conceptual vision. The new plan will identify potential projects, prioritize them and establish a phased approach that can help us address immediate needs while planning for long-term and aspirational goals. This approach will align our available resources, strengths and evolving needs over time. During the Campus Master Plan development process, we will hold input sessions and solicit engagement in other ways to ensure our community's ideas shape this transformative journey. Because master planning directs the growth of the WMU campus over time, it must be developed with and supported by the University community. Bringing together a broad range of campus users and neighbors, the planning process seeks individual perceptions, opinions and priorities to forge consensus on important issues and plan recommendations. In the coming weeks and months, we will provide more details about how you can contribute and stay engaged. Your input is invaluable in forming the future of WMU, and we are excited to collaborate on this crucial endeavor. Thank you, Jan Van Der Kley Vice President for Business and Finance

Why master plan?

Alignment with strategic priorities of Western Michigan University
Think big and explore ideas
Improve efficiencies and ensure that proper infrastructure is in place
Enhance the sense of place and weave connections back to the community
Identify needs, develop cost effective solutions and prioritize investment

Alignment with strategic priorities of Western Michigan University

Outline of three people connected with a dashed line to a plus sign above their heads.

Think big and explore ideas

Rectangle with a double sided arrow going up and down to the left and a zig zagged arrow to the left and up, below the shape.

Improve efficiencies and ensure that proper infrastructure is in place

Six pointed shape with curved lines and circles at the top of each point.

Enhance the sense of place and weave connections back to the community

Identify needs, develop cost-effective solutions and prioritize investment

How can the campus plan support WMU?

Increase retention through student experience and placemaking
Engage and plan with DEI groups and initiatives
Reduce carbon emissions through integrated sustainability planning
Enable research growth through innovative lab and facility planning
Prioritize well-being and safety for faculty, staff and students in process and recommendations

Engagement and Process

University input, feedback and decision-making in the process of creating this plan was robust over the 12-month planning timeline. Faculty, staff, students and administrators were engaged through open houses, online surveys, an updated website and in user group and committee meeting structures.

The Space Advisory Committee—a standing committee of executive administrators focused on planning, space management, and capital projects—provided direction on scenarios and recommendations of the plan.

Graphic representation of the engagement process for the campus master plan.

Number 1 in a white circle with a gold outline and blue background.

1. Initiate

First of several open houses and user group meetings. The Campus Master Plan 2025 and Beyond website was launched.

Number 2 in a white circle with a gold outline and blue background.

2. Discovery

Second open house was conducted and engaged 10 user groups, online survey was launched and the first Workshop session with the Space Advisory Committee took place. The Space Advisory Committee created six related Taskforces to support the Master Plan development with tandem initiatives.

Number 3 in a white circle with a gold outline and blue background.

3. Big Ideas

In this phase a design charrette was conducted to begin developing visuals to support the big ideas beginning to develop. Workshop #2 was conducted with the Space Advisory Committee.

Number 4 in a white circle with a gold outline and blue background.

4. Develop

Further engagement with external stakeholders and at the annual student Bronco Bash. Workshops #3 and #4 were conducted with the Space Advisory Committee.

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5. Refine

Following Workshop #5, the final Master Plan documentation began to come together. Public campus community sessions are scheduled and the final Board of Trustees presentation prior to approval.

Continued Alignment and Updates Toward Implementation

Graphic representation of how the WMU Strategic Plan was developed into the Master Plan.

The WMU Strategic Plan fed into the the Master Plan through two areas:

WMU and consultants from Sightlines developed utilization and facilities assessments. This work was used by task forces, created by the Space Advisory Committee, who were given specific charges.
WMU and the Perkins and Will team created groups to review land use, facility use and adjacency, open space and ecology, transportation and parking, and sustainability and energy, to develop a long-range campus framework plan.