[ Master Plan ]

Goals of the Plan

The 2007 Master Plan has six overarching goals:

Goal 1: Improve the ability of the College to achieve its educational mission and aspirations.

The campus plan addresses the most pressing needs of the physical plant as they relate to the academic enterprise. The expansion and enhancement of academic space and technological support will continue through the various phases of campus development.

An important early project is the renovation and expansion of science facilities. Another priority is the construction of a new theatre. The construction of a major hall for music performance is a long-term campus goal.

The plan presents a framework for the responsible development of the campus as a more vibrant center of teaching and learning. It anticipates the redistribution of academic space within current buildings to maximize pedagogical effectiveness. Finally, it seeks to maintain the close-knit character of the campus community by continuing to situate academic and residential buildings in close proximity, thus blending the varied, complementary elements of student life.

Goal 2: Reinforce and deepen the sense of community on the campus. 

The plan aims at a campus that enhances the learning and social experiences of both resident and commuter students. Each group will benefit, directly or indirectly, by an expansion of the campus’s relatively modest residential capacity. The plan seeks to accommodate a significantly larger cohort of students who choose to engage the campus community to the maximum extent possible, 24 hours a day.   

Over time, the plan supports an increase of residential capacity to approximately 1,200 students. Early steps include a new residence hall for 170 students. The new facility, already under construction, is designed and sited to promote the development of a cohesive campus community.

As funding becomes available, the College will renovate existing residence halls to bring them up to the standards of current best practice in the field, and will explore additional campus residential options. Elmhurst will continue to use supplementary student housing near the campus as it expands its residential capacity.

The College also plans to expand and renovate student athletic facilities and other vital common areas, including dining facilities, and to enhance the accessibility of the campus as a whole. 

Goal 3: Sustain the look and feel of the historic campus.

The plan respects the beauty and openness of the current campus, while taking advantage of the limited space available for further development. The location and development of new buildings and open landscapes will complement the campus’s existing look and feel, and reflect the responsible carrying capacity of the land.

The plan builds upon existing structures, landscapes, and axes, and preserves historically significant buildings and grounds. It works to clarify the campus’s organization—connecting Kranz Forum and the College Mall more emphatically with the rest of campus, for example, and extending the network of open spaces and connecting links to newly developed areas. It enables the campus to grow as an integrated whole.

By extending the memorable character of the campus to the 
edges, the plan seeks to strengthen the College’s identity by defining its boundaries and creating more powerful entry points. By developing new view corridors and other outdoor spaces defined by the built and landscaped environments, the plan seeks to enhance the beauty of the arboretum campus.

Long term, a key event is the planned move of Langhorst Field from south to north of Alexander Boulevard. This move will permit a more adequately sized track-and-field complex, and will improve the campus’s overall appearance and functioning. 

Goal 4:  Develop the campus as a model of sustainable design.

The tradition of the arboretum campus is a significant educational and institutional asset. It can form the foundation for an even broader commitment to exploring and protecting the natural environment.

The new plan embraces a commitment by the College to design principles that minimize the negative impact of development on natural resources, on the health and well-being of the campus community, and on the environment of the surrounding city and beyond. This approach to growth and progress is consonant with our heritage and mission. It has long been an implicit component of the College’s self-understanding. The plan makes explicit this commitment to preserving the environment.

Goal 5: Enhance the campus’s relationship to the larger community.

The College’s commitment to expanding its service to the larger community drives its new campus plan. It calls for the addition of campus assets, including arts and athletic facilities, which will serve as community resources as well.

The plan maintains Alexander Boulevard as an open street for local residents while enhancing its role as a campus entrance. It envisions new entry gates, traffic calming techniques, and improvements in walkways, roadways, landscaping, lighting, and signage. The resulting campus will present a more attractive and welcoming face to visitors.

Goal 6: Provide adequate parking while sustaining other campus values.

Parking is a necessary amenity for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. At the same time, parking consumes a vast amount of valuable land on a compact campus—an amount larger than the entire College Mall. The plan works to increase the quantity of campus parking while limiting its negative impact on the landscape.

A key element is a new parking deck on the northern edge of campus. Built in two phases, the deck will accommodate the College community’s parking needs for the foreseeable future. At the same time, it will make vehicular traffic less intrusive, mitigate the effect of paved services, and preserve the campus’s character as a pedestrian haven.