Planning Facilities that Serve the Undergraduate STEM Learning Environment

February 12 - 13, 2009

Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids Campus

Audience: The workshop was open to institutions in early stages of planning and/or moving forward in the planning process. Institutions were encouraged to send a team of planners that includes STEM faculty and administrative colleagues from facilities, finance, technology services, and academic affairs.

Agenda: The workshop was an opportunity for your team to work through the various stages of planning, both in plenary and break-out sessions. These sessions were facilitated by academics and architects who are experienced PKAL workshop leaders: Jeanne Narum, Director of PKAL, Jim Swartz, PKAL Consultant and Grinnell College, Zibby Ericson, Principal, Kahler Slater, Brenda Lyseng, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and Jon Crump, Principal, Leo A Daly.

They worked with participating teams to explore issues such as how to:

  • plan teaching and learning spaces that accommodate inquiry-based pedagogies, reflect research in the learning sciences, facilitate student collaboration, and enable faculty to effectively use information technology
  • plan a facility that will meet institutional goals of sustainability
  • plan spaces that are welcoming destinations for all students, and signal the value the institution places on learning, teaching, and research in STEM fields
  • plan spaces for teams of STEM faculty and undergraduates engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations and undergraduate research

Each institutional team developed a 'planning agenda for action' during the workshop.

Thursday, February 12

2:00 - 3:00 Registration and Refreshments

3:00 - 3:15 Welcome, Logistics, and Expectations

3:15 - 5:00 Setting the Stage: Snapshots & Questions to Ask Powerpoint (PowerPoint 68.4MB Mar3 09)

What questions is your team asking? What should you be asking?

5:00 - 5:45 Cluster Session: Campus Team Time with Similar Teams

What is your vision? your goals? What is needed to accomplish your goals?

5:45 - 6:45 Dinner

7:00 - 7:20 The MnSCU Context Powerpoint (PowerPoint 19.3MB Feb4 09)

Led by Sally Grans-Korsh,System Director of Facilities Planning & Programming, MnSCU

7:20 - 8:30 Telling Your Story - Century College

What story do your facilities tell?

Friday, February 13

8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast

8:30 - 9:15 Phases of Planning and Design Powerpoint (PowerPoint 3.7MB Mar3 09)

9:15 - 10:15 Building the Institutional Planning Team Powerpoint (PowerPoint 718kB Mar3 09) Sample Charter (Microsoft Word 137kB Mar4 09)

10:15 - 10:40 Networking Time

10:40 - 11:30 Sustainability and Renovation Powerpoint (PowerPoint 5.4MB Mar3 09)

11:30 - 11:50 Lessons Learned - Southwest Minnesota State University

Led by Betsy Desy, Dean, and Cindi Holm,Facilities Director

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch, Tour of ARCC labs

1:45 - 2:30 Built Pedagogies Powerpoint (PowerPoint 12.1MB Mar3 09)

2:30 - 3:30 Consulting Time

3:30 - 4:15 Campus Team Time: Agenda for Action

4:15 - 5:00 Reporting Out Campus Action Plans (Microsoft Word 36kB Mar3 09)

Pre-workshop Requirement: We asked that each institutional team complete the assignment (Microsoft Word 37kB Jan12 09).

Questions? Contact Brenda Lyseng, STEM Project Specialist at the Office of the Chancellor at 651-649-5773 or brenda.lyseng@so.mnscu.edu.