Difference between revisions of "Standard 8"

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Standard 8 – Physical Resources

Campus Maps

The college’s mission–to sustain a vibrant academic community and to offer students an education that will help them excel in their intellectual, creative, professional, and community service goals–is directly affected by the ability of the college to provide modern or updated facilities for students, staff, and faculty. Evergreen has received an exceptional amount of capital funding over the past nine years. The Washington State Legislature, in collaboration with the governor, has made a cumulative investment of over $110 million to add new facilities, renovate facilities, and reduce the maintenance backlog during these years. The college has a ten-year capital plan, which is continually updated every two years. The most recent update of this plan was in 2007. The college has aggressively pursued funding for renovating existing facilities and for new instructional buildings during the past nine years. The funding has produced significant improvements in the capability of the college to teach and house its students and to provide appropriate space for the staff and faculty.

However, the success of the college in presenting its case for this increased funding has generated renewed discussion among the state’s higher education institutions regarding proportionality of the capital budget. The college’s challenge is to work with the larger higher education institutions though the Council of Presidents and the Higher Education Coordinating Board to ensure that we continue to receive an appropriate share of the capital budget that will allow for the renovation and modernization of the college’s facilities on a systematic basis. Along with allocation issues, there are indications that the future funding for capital projects may be reduced to all state higher education institutions due to an expected decrease in state revenues. The potential decrease in capital funding from the state will require the college to be more aggressive in its presentation of the capital funding request.

As the infrastructure of the buildings continues to age, more effort is required to properly maintain and efficiently operate the physical plant. The renovation of old space and addition of new space for teaching, learning, and working has enabled the college to maintain its reputation as one of the premier public liberal arts higher education institutions in the United States. Collaboration between the academic and administrative units of the college ensures that the teaching and learning aspects of the institution receive a high priority when the capital funding request is provided to the governor. Capital Budget Request and Ten-Year Plan

Standard 1 details the development of the revised strategic plan and the importance of the strategic plan for the institution. The revision to the strategic plan was started in 2004 and was completed in 2007. The college’s revised strategic plan relied on the five foci in its development: interdisciplinary education, linking theory and practice, teaching and learning across significant differences, personal engagement in learning, and collaborative learning. The adoption of this strategic plan in 2007 and the expectation of declining capital funding were instrumental in the college’s decision to provide a clear vision of the college's future needs by completing new master plan for the next ten to fifteen years of college development. 10-Year Plan & Master Plan Volume I; Master Plan Volume II; Master Plan Volume III

During the past ten years, the college has made significant improvements in its capital planning process. In 1997 and 1998, staff engaged in a significant effort to provide a campus master plan that provided the goals and policies for land use at the college. Additionally, this master plan established the Campus Land Use Committee as a standing committee. The committee comprises a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff, and provides input and recommendations on land use. The college has natural resources, including more than 700 acres of forestland, and Puget Sound shoreline. These assets are used by academics and have potential for greater use in the future. These natural areas were largely ignored for many years, but beginning with the development of the 1998 master plan there has been a developing interest on potential uses by the educational community and the college’s neighbors, who could benefit from connections to nature trails on college property.

The college began the process to provide a new facilities master plan in late 2006 and continued throughout 2007. This new plan provides an outline for the development of the campus between 2008 and 2020. The college published a request for proposals in November 2006. Between February 2007 and December 2007, the consultants and others held many meetings and forums for communication, including charettes; meetings with designated units; and work with staff, students, faculty, and the external community. An interactive Web site, individual one-on-one meetings, open forums including our external community, and participation in the Synergy Conference were used to draw response and ideas. Extensive use was made of the Web to provide the widest dissemination possible of the various drafts and to encourage review and comments on these drafts. One of the prime considerations in the development of the campus master plan was to ensure that the plan provided for sustainable development of both the built and natural environments. Additionally, the consultant collaborated with the academic programs in providing students with the opportunity to participate in the master planning effort as “consultants,” and project assistants. This input was critical in the development of the final campus master plan and ensured that there was general acceptance of the plan before its presentation to the board of trustees in January 2008, and subsequent approval by it. 10 Year Plan & Master Plan Volume I; Master Plan Volume II; Master Plan Volume III

The college will continue to renovate and modernize its facilities. There will need to be even more collaboration between the academic and administrative units to ensure that the resources gleaned from the state are applied to the highest priority areas. It will be necessary to ensure that resources are provided to properly maintain the facilities to meet the changing requirements of the staff, faculty, and students. There is an increased interest in making the college a model for sustainability and ensuring that the capital projects reflect our goals in this area. The integration of old and new will require all parties to look for new ways to do business in the area of physical resources. For example, the college has developed and refined the process for small repair and improvement capital projects, which involves the major units on campus – Student Services, Academics, Finance and Administration, and College Advancement. The projects are developed annually within each unit and submitted to the Space Management Committee for review, ranking, and approval. This method encourages participation within each unit, as well as collaboration between units to effectively use the funds available.

The new campus master plan and the revised strategic plan will serve as cornerstones for the college’s funding requests and allow the college to compete with the other four-year institutions for this scarce resource. This is especially important since recent forecasts would seem to indicate that the state’s ability to provide the same level of capital funding as it currently does in the future will be significantly reduced. This change comes at a time when the college is endeavoring to modernize its facilities, especially the laboratory space, in light of the state’s increased emphasis on science and mathematics. This potential reduction in capital funding will require Evergreen to strongly articulate and demonstrate its needs for capital funding. Adding to this dilemma is the continued growth of the institution and the possibility that Evergreen may have to grow beyond its stated target of 5000 FTE. If this scenario were to become a reality, the college would need to develop additional academic facilities, as well as look to increase the utilization of the existing facilities.

In the next ten-year capital plan the college expects to continue to reduce its deferred maintenance backlog, modernize its technology infrastructure, address ADA-access issues to improve accessibility throughout the campus, improve its road and trail system, and phase the modernization and renovation of its existing facilities. Evergreen will require capital funding at the level provided in the 2007-09 capital plan for the next ten years in order to meet its planned program in the minor works area – health, safety and code compliance; facility preservation; and infrastructure preservation. This level of funding will allow the college to become more accessible, significantly reduce its deferred maintenance backlog, ensure its technology infrastructure can meet the needs of the college community, and provide a safe and well-maintained road and trail system.

The college plans to continue its phased approach to modernization and renovation of its existing facilities. During the 2009-11 biennium, Evergreen expects to do a major renovation to the Communications Building and begin the pre-design planning for the renovation and modernization of the Campus Recreation Center and the Lecture Hall facility. At the end of the ten-year capital plan, assuming funding is provided by the state, it is expected that all of the college’s existing facilities will have been renovated and modernized. This effort will further reduce the deferred-maintenance backlog, and with continued state support for preservation, the college’s facilities will be prepared to meet the needs of the community into the future. Another challenge that may impact the college’s program to modernize and renovate its facilities is the expectation of 61,000 new students in the state higher education system by 2018. The college is being asked to provide a plan to accommodate some of these new students. This plan may or may not require the construction of new facilities and the subsequent diversion of funds from modernization and renovation to new construction. The development of the plan will have serious implications both on the educational program and the facilities at the college. Recent projects and future projects are consistent with the college's strategic and master planning efforts. Examples of these projects are briefly described in the following paragraphs.

A key project was the construction of the new Seminar II facility completed in March 2004 at a cost of $45 million. This project added 198,775 square feet to the college’s inventory. This building is significant for several reasons: First, it was the first building at a state higher education institution to achieve a LEED Gold certification; second, it was the first major new academic facility constructed at the college since the 1970s; and last, the teaching spaces were designed to enhance and complement the teaching style of the college.

Another large project was the major renovation of the largest facility on campus, the Daniel J. Evans Library (about 350,000 square feet at a cost of about $45 million). This renovation affected several key components of the college and is being accomplished in two phases. The first phase, B and C wings, was completed in July 2006. The modernization of the B and C wings of the Library and the completion of the Seminar II Building has created forty-nine media and computer-capable classrooms. This phase allowed better integration of the Library, Academic Computing, and Media Services. The Library was expanded to provide additional space for the collection (including rare books), more resource space, to incorporate the Learning Center, and to improve accessibility. The academic computing area expansion provided more laboratories for the various types of computers and software and increased the size of the common computer area. The media services center renovation has provided more teaching and learning spaces, additional room for media equipment (this is extensively used by students in their various programs), and better support space for the staff.

Also, during the past ten years the college renovated the Lab II building (first and third floors) and the Lab I building (first floor). These renovations provided modern laboratory space to meet the changing needs in the various science programs. The lab renovations created multi-disciplinary space corresponding more directly to the pedagogy practiced at the college.

In 2004, the college completed a major renovation and expansion to the Childcare Center. This was a unique project in that it involved collaboration between students and the administration to provide the funds necessary to do the work. The students designated a portion of their student activities fee to cover their part of the funds required through a bond guaranteed by the fee. The project, which cost $1.2 million, increased the size of the facility to 6,447 square feet and the capacity from thirty-six children to seventy-two children. The expansion and renovation also allowed the Childcare Center to care for infants (beginning at three weeks) to six-year-old children. Further indication of the collaboration was the design of the playground for the center, which was done by students through a program contract.

Additionally, the state has provided $1.7 million for renovation and expansion of the college’s unique facility, the Longhouse. The Longhouse renovation and expansion will improve the capability of this facility to house its programs and staff and to meet the increase demand on the facility from both the Native American constituents and regular college programs.

In conjunction with the students, the state has provided funding for the renovation and expansion of the College Activities Building. This project is also unique in that it combines funding provided by the state for renovation work ($4.9 million) with bond funds secured by a per-quarter unit fee ($5.25 per unit), voted and approved by the students, which provides another $16 million for expansion and additional renovation of this facility. The design of this project began in September 2007 and is expected to be complete by December 2008 or January 2009, with construction to begin in April 2009 and be completed by August 2010.

Proceeds of approximately $7.5 million from revenue bonds issued by the college for the Residential and Dining Services area funded new roofs for seventeen residential units, provided new kitchen equipment, renovated space in the high rise residential units, modernized the elevators, and updated the fire alarm system and installed sprinklers in these same units. These significant investments, along with other capital funding during the past nine years, are having a positive effect on the academic and student life programs.

In addition to the major capital funding received from the state, the college has received significant continued funding for deferred maintenance in the areas of health, safety and code compliance; facilities preservation; and infrastructure preservation. Over the past nine years, the college has received over $33 million in order to reduce this deferred maintenance backlog. Major work has been done on most of the building roofs, the data network infrastructure, roads, and those buildings and areas not impacted by major capital projects. This amount, while significant, would not have been adequate to reduce the college's deferred maintenance backlog without the major capital renovation projects. The average over the past nine years for deferred maintenance reduction was $3.7 million. Current parameters proposed by professional organizations (APPA, for example) indicate that a higher education institution requires between 1.5% and 1.75% of its facility current replacement value for maintenance in order to preclude the growth in deferred maintenance. This means that the college needs at least $6.5 million to $7.5 million annually to prevent an increase in the deferred maintenance requirement.

Standard 8.A – Instructional and Support Facilities

Sufficient physical resources, particularly instructional facilities, are designed, maintained, and managed (at both on- and off-campus sites) to achieve the institution’s mission and goals.

8.A.1 Instructional facilities are sufficient to achieve the institution’s mission and goals.

The addition of the Seminar II Building to the college’s inventory in 2004 provided the first new major teaching space to the college’s inventory since its inception. The number of teaching spaces went from 2,769 student stations to 3,085 student stations when the building was completed. The provision of these spaces is making it possible to do the major renovations throughout the college without reducing the college’s ability to provide teaching space for its current enrollment. Additionally, as more emphasis has been placed on science and math curriculum, the college has begun a systematic renovation of the two lab buildings. This ensures that the facilities will be available to meet this increased need. The lab buildings are being renovated a floor at a time during the summer, primarily to ameliorate the impact of the temporary loss of laboratory space. The existing classroom and laboratory inventory is adequate to meet the college’s targeted enrollment of 5,000 FTE. However, while there is sufficient classroom and laboratory space, many of the spaces are outdated and need renovation to be able to more adequately support the college’s pedagogy. Campus Maps

8.A.2 Facilities assigned to an instructional function are adequate for the effective operation of the function.

In general, the facilities provided for instructional use are more than adequate, although some of the spaces are not as electronically sophisticated as necessary for the use of electronic media. There is a plan to renovate and modernize the remaining instructional space over the next ten years. In the case of the lab buildings, it is necessary to do the renovations floor by floor in order to ensure the availability of laboratory space during the normal school year. The renovation of the lab building space is especially critical for two reasons: First, the increased emphasis on science and math education; and, second, the need to update the existing laboratories to be able to provide facilities that reflect current, and, in some cases, state-of-the-art technologies. The other four buildings scheduled for renovation, Seminar I, Communications, Campus Recreation Center, and the Lecture Halls, which are able to provide for the general instructional function, are between thirty and thirty-five years old now and need modernization of not only the instructional space but also the general infrastructure. These facilities are scheduled for modernization over the next ten years, which means some of them will be almost fifty years old before they are modernized. The college has been able to secure capital funding for small repair and improvement projects to help with the modernization of various rooms and spaces to meet new program needs or to improve the existing capability of the space. These funds averaged about $560,000 over the last ten years, with amounts ranging from $100,000 in the 1999-2001 biennium to $930,000 in the 2007-09 biennium. These funds enabled the college to provide deionized water to laboratories, an updated dance floor, improved restroom facilities, and other significant, but minor, renovations and upgrades. 10 Year Plan & Master Plan Volume I; Master Plan Volume II; Master Plan Volume III 10-year Capital Plan

8.A.3 The institution’s facilities are furnished adequately for work, study, and research by students, faculty, and staff.

The college has made a commitment to ensure that the facilities are furnished and equipped adequately for all aspects of college life. All capital projects have funds designated for furniture as well as equipment. The college expended $747,748 in FY 2007. The college has also provided $6,746,000 for the new Seminar II building; $1,147,000 in the Daniel J. Evans Library Modernization, Phase I; $135,140 in Lab II, third-floor renovation; and $165,000 in Lab I, first-floor renovation. Additionally, the college has budgeted $1.12 million for furniture and equipment in the Daniel J. Evans Library Modernization, Phase II project. Allocation Process & Equipment Inventory & Equipment Funding History & Capital Equipment and Fixed Asset Inventory – June 30, 2007

Academics has been consistent in providing funding for furniture and equipment as part of the ongoing facilities modernization and renovation. From 1998 to 2007, the Academic division has provided $293,000 to ensure that those programs not affected by modernization or renovation were provided with the necessary furnishings to ensure that the space was effectively utilized by faculty, staff, and students. Information regarding furnishings is provided from users and facility reviews on pending renovation or modernizations. While many spaces continue to operate effectively with decades-old furniture, the college has committed to systematically reviewing the furnishings as part of the renovation and modernization of the facilities across campus per the college’s ten-year capital plan and campus master plan.

Maintaining, replacing, and procuring new instructional equipment is a constant challenge. Ranking of expenditures is based on curricular need but is predominantly for the science laboratories and media. In support of academic programs, the college has a dedicated equipment fund of $250,000 per year. In addition, $225,000 from summer school revenue is dedicated to the acquisition of computers, software, and peripherals for faculty and academic staff. When a critical need arises, the Academic Division uses its reserves to purchase equipment. An example of this is $150,000 dedicated to purchase scientific instrumentation in order to equip the lab facilities created in the Lab I first floor. Faculty, in collaboration with the Grants Office, write equipment grants to fund needed equipment that is beyond the means of the college, primarily scientific analytical equipment.

¹Academic Grants only

²Primarily supplement to Library Phase I furniture budget

8.A.4 The management, maintenance, and operation of instructional facilities are adequate to ensure their continuing quality and safety necessary to support the educational programs and support services of the institution.

In 2006, the state of Washington Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) published the results of its 2005 comparable framework study regarding deferred maintenance in higher education. This audit indicated that the college’s facility condition index [FCI; this index measures the maintenance backlog (preservation backlog) divided by the current replacement value of the college’s facilities.] was 10.9%. In comparison with the other four-year institutions in Washington, Evergreen had the second lowest FCI of the six institutions with only the University of Washington having a lower FCI (10.3%), a clear indication that the college has been steadily working to reduce its maintenance backlog. These studies began in 2002, and were done again in 2004 and 2005. The JLARC studies tested methods to survey, assemble, convert, and translate infrastructure and building renewal information. In order to provide a more detailed look at the college’s facilities, the college contracted with Marx/Okubo Associates, Inc. in August 2005 to do a detailed facility audit of all the state-funded campus facilities and one residential facility. This facility audit used the methodology developed by JLARC. This audit was completed in December 2005 and the results were used to develop the minor works capital program for the 2007-2017 ten-year capital plan and the capital request for the 2007-2009 biennium. 2005-2007 Facility Condition Survey & Refresh of Preservation

In the legislative session which concluded in April 2007, the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) was given funding and the responsibility to update their comparable framework. The HECB has developed the methodology and schedule to complete this update by March 2008 with the final report issued in April 2008.

The resources necessary to operate and maintain instructional facilities are reviewed and updated in the budget process as necessary and within the college’s overall budget. An electronic work order system is used to track maintenance and repair issues. The college is currently inputting preventive maintenance data into the system, which will allow us to monitor preventive maintenance and help identify high value systems that need to be replaced or overhauled. This information, along with the facility audit, enables the college to assign appropriate operation and maintenance resources.

The capital funding request requires that the college evaluate the need for additional operation and maintenance resources for any new construction that is requested. This requirement enables the college to secure the funding resources necessary to operate and maintain a new facility. The college and the state expect any major renovation to make the facility more sustainable and decrease the utility and operational costs by providing - when economically feasible - a more energy efficient system and facility. At this time, the funds allocated for repair, operation, and maintenance of the college are adequate to maintain the utility and safety of the facilities.

8.A.5 Facilities are constructed and maintained with due regard for health and safety and for access by the physically disabled.

The college provides a portion of its capital budget specifically for health, safety, and code compliance projects. One of the categories funded over the last two biennia has been to improve access by the physically disabled. The biennial capital request uses information provided by the college’s Access Services (part of Student and Academic Support Services), as well as studies done in support of road renovation and trail and sidewalk restoration projects. Health, safety, and code compliance, including accessibility requirements, are integrated into major capital projects that involve renovation or modernization of the space.

The college uses the following statutory requirements in its facilities planning to ensure the health, safety, and accessibility of the facility: Americans with Disabilities Act; Washington State Indoor Air Quality Code; Washington State Energy Code; International Building Code; International Fire Code; International Mechanical Code; Uniform Plumbing Code; National Electric Code; National Fire Protection Agency; Washington Department of Labor and Industries regulations, various Environmental Protection Agency regulations; and Occupational Safety and Health Agency regulations.

8.A.6 When programs are offered off the primary campus, the physical facilities at these sites are appropriate to the programs offered.

The college operates one off-site location that it leases in Tacoma. The Tacoma campus is maintained and operated under the same regulations and guidelines for health, safety, and disabled access as the campus in Olympia. This property was specifically renovated to house the programs currently offered when the college leased the facility in 2000. The college has one full-time maintenance custodian who is assigned to handle minor maintenance and responds with staff from Olympia on major items that are the college’s responsibility under the lease. The property manager is responsive to those needs within the owner’s responsibility. The college ensures that the maintenance operations for this facility provide the necessary program support for the students, staff, and faculty at this location. Tacoma Campus Site Map

8.A.7 When facilities owned and operated by other organizations or individuals are used by the institution for educational purposes, the facilities meet this standard.

The college provides additional off-site programs through its Reservation-Based Program. These programs are located in facilities at various tribal locations in western Washington. The Nations where Evergreen has provided or currently provides these programs are: the Tulalip Tribe, the Nisqually Tribe, the Muckleshoot Tribe, the Quinault Indian Nation, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, the Makah Tribe (not currently active), and the Skokomish Tribe (not currently active). These programs receive support from the various Nations, and the facilities meet the same criteria for health, safety, and access as the Olympia facilities.

Standard 8.B – Equipment and Materials

Equipment is sufficient in quality and amount to facilitate the achievement of educational goals and objectives of the institution.

8.B.1 Suitable equipment (including computing and laboratory equipment) is provided and is readily accessible at on- and off-campus sites to meet educational and administrative requirements.

The college maintains and provides equipment at the main campus and its Tacoma campus to ensure it is readily accessible to meet both educational and administrative requirements. As indicated in 8.A.3 the educational equipment needs are met through a consistent provision of funds every year ($250,000), plus grant funds and, when necessary, through the use of unit reserves to ensure there is appropriate equipment available for newly constructed or renovated educational space. The strategic plan specifically addresses this standard in its strategic direction #7: “Evergreen will intentionally foster secure, sustainable, flexible, easy-to-use, and accessible information technologies that support and enhance our teaching and learning philosophies and the administrative needs of the institution...Classroom spaces will be technologically current and functional for meeting curricular needs.” Computer labs are equipped with a computer for each student and most classrooms now include a computer, along with projection and display systems. The operating budget provides funding for the purchase and maintenance of equipment in the administrative areas. Each unit prioritizes its equipment needs and uses available funds to meet these needs or to defer the purchase until the funds are available.2. Allocation Process & Equipment Inventory & Equipment Funding History & Capital Equipment and Fixed Asset Inventory – June 30, 2007

8.B.2 Equipment is maintained in proper operating condition, is inventoried and controlled, and replaced or upgraded as needed.

A recent assessment, conducted in January 2007 by an independent contractor, Edutech International, found that Evergreen spends 6.7% of its total budget on technology, ensuring that the hardware, software, and infrastructure are suitable for its educational and administrative requirements. Edutech International indicated that this percentage when dedicated to technology was about right for an institution the size of the college. In the last fiscal year, $2.3 million was spent on hardware and software in support of the college’s mission. Fifty-nine full-time equivalent staff develop and support the use of technology across campus and at the Tacoma campus.

The college maintains an inventory of its fixed equipment, capital equipment (items over $5,000), and small and attractive items (cameras, PDAs, laptops, etc.). The fixed equipment, vehicles, and other motorized equipment are maintained by Facilities Services through the operating budget and the capital funds allocated by the state legislature for preventive maintenance ($760,000 this biennium). Staff plan preventive maintenance and respond to on-demand requests to repair failed fixed equipment. The costs associated with the maintenance of the various items of fixed equipment are reviewed and the item is either repaired or replaced depending on the age, the cost to repair, and the number of times repaired. The smaller non-fixed equipment is maintained via the operating budget of the unit responsible for the equipment. The college tracks equipment (worth more than $10 million) that is required to be recorded and depreciated through an inventory control system managed by Business Services.2. Allocation Process & Equipment Inventory & Equipment Funding History & Capital Equipment and Fixed Asset Inventory – June 30, 2007

8.B.3 Use, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials are in accordance with the institution’s prescribed procedures.

Disposal of hazardous materials is controlled by the environmental health and safety coordinator. Additionally, the college has established procedures for training on the handling of hazardous materials and for dealing with any type of incident involving hazardous or dangerous wastes. Individual units order, receive, and stock hazardous materials in accordance with appropriate rules, regulations, and procedures. The environmental health and safety coordinator approves products for use on campus, reviews storing of hazardous and/or dangerous materials, and manages the proper disposal of hazardous, dangerous, and universal wastes. The college continues to stay current on new regulations and policies, as well as the technologies for identifying and handling of regulated wastes. There is a continuous emphasis in Academics, Residential and Dining Services, and Facilities Services to reduce the amount of hazardous and dangerous materials handled at the college. The extent of the college’s efforts to reduce the amount of hazardous and dangerous materials is evidenced by the fact that since 2004, the amount of dangerous and hazardous materials disposed of has decreased from almost 6,500 pounds to 2,345 pounds. The college has made a serious commitment to ensuring that the environment, staff, faculty, and students have minimal exposure to potentially hazardous and dangerous wastes. The college is pesticide- and herbicide-free; green chemicals are used in the cleaning of the campus; low- and no-VOC paint and carpet materials are used in renovation and construction projects, as well as during maintenance operations; and other materials are selected based primarily on their green characteristics.

The proper procedures for the use, storage, and disposal of hazardous and dangerous materials at the college are described in the various college policies, Washington Administrative Code, and college procedures developed and maintained by the environmental health and safety coordinator. All hazardous, dangerous, and universal wastes generated by the college are properly disposed of in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Dangerous & Hazardous Waste Disposal

Standard 8.C – Physical Resources Planning

Comprehensive physical resources planning occurs and is based on the mission and goals of the institution.

8.C.1 The master plan for campus physical development is consistent with the mission and the long-range educational plan of the institution, and the master plan is updated periodically.

The college has just finished a major effort to update and revise its campus master plan, which was initially developed in 1998 and revised in 2005. The latest revision of the college’s campus master plan was keyed to the college’s revised strategic plan in 2007 and the need to clearly define the capital projects necessary for the future development of the campus. The campus master plan was developed to be consistent with the college’s mission “to sustain a vibrant academic community and to offer students an education that will help them excel in their intellectual, creative, professional and community service goals.” The process began in February 2007 with meetings with the college’s senior management team, the Master Plan Committee, and the students and faculty in the sustainable design program. Throughout the spring, the consultants met with a wide variety of constituencies to gather input for the development of the new facilities master plan. The board of trustees, the planning units, students, the Sustainability Task Force, and various other community organizations were engaged to gather the data necessary to ensure that the new master plan met the needs of the campus and incorporated its mission and values.

In the development of the new master plan, sustainability played a key role, along with the stated goal for the campus to be carbon neutral by 2020. One of the key features of the new master plan was the recommendation to develop learning/education centers throughout the campus property that would provide learning opportunities for the students in a wide variety of areas related to sustainability: storm and wastewater education, waste stream and renewable fuels education, forest observation, and terrascope education. The draft master plan was presented to the college, the local community, and the board of trustees in November 2007 in a series of meeting to gather feedback on the draft plan in order to take the final master plan to the board of trustees in January 2008 for approval. Throughout the process, input was actively sought and all elements of the campus community were engaged to ensure that the plan reflects the mission, values, and vision of the college. The college has posted its last three master plans and revisions on its Web site. The college plans to review the 2008 campus master plan in 2010.4. 10 Year Plan & Master Plan Volume I; Master Plan Volume II; Master Plan Volume III

8.C.2 Physical facilities development and major renovation planning include plans for the acquisition or allocation of the required capital and operating funds.

The heart of Evergreen’s planning process involves not only the campus master plan but also the ten-year state capital budget plan. The college also develops a biennial operating budget based on the college’s revised Strategic Plan and the governor’s priorities. The campus master plan, the ten-year state capital budget plan, and the biennial capital and operating budget requests identify the facilities that will be constructed or renovated, serve as the basis for developing the various timelines, and provide the capital resources necessary for the projects. The college’s revised strategic plan also serves as a guide to developing and implementing the program.

The process for the ranking of capital projects for higher education institutions was changed in the last session of the Washington State Legislature that ended in March 2008. The state’s Office of Financial Management (OFM) has been charged with developing a new process for the ranking of capital projects in higher education. The college’s senior management team will establish Evergreen’s priorities for the next biennium once the process has been developed and provided to the college. OFM will coordinate the prioritization of the state’s higher education capital plan and submit the priority list to the Office of the Governor for consideration in the governor’s biennial budget. ESHB 3329 Prioritization of public four-year institution capital project requests

The prioritized projects are systematically developed and revised on a continuous basis once these plans are finalized. The campus master plan serves as the base and vision for the ten-year plan and the implementation is based on the current and future needs of the college. The plans include systematic development for the pre-design (in major capital projects over $5 million), schematic, and design development to ensure the resources necessary for the implementation are available and adequate for the planned projects. The ten-year plan accounts not only for major and minor capital projects, but also for preservation and programmatic projects. There is a continuous review to update campus priorities and to identify necessary resources to ensure the biennial capital budget meets the college’s needs. New construction and major renovations require not only the development of a capital plan, but also an operating budget plan to ensure that the necessary resources are available to operate and maintain the facility.

8.C.3 Physical resource planning addresses access to institutional facilities for special constituencies including the physically impaired and provides for appropriate security arrangements.

Universal access is the goal for the campus. In the last two biennia, the college has allocated funds in the minor works program to move the college towards universal access devoting $150,000 in the 2005-07 and $275,000 in the 2007-09 capital plans. The environmental health and safety coordinator, the assistant director for planning and construction, and the director for access services are involved in the development of various major and minor projects to address the college’s goal of universal accessibility for the physically impaired. The college’s facilities were developed at two distinct elevations, which pose a problem in meeting the goal of universal accessibility. The planning stages for either new construction or a facility renovation involve various campus constituencies, as well as the architects and engineers to ensure “that the work meets the applicable federal, state and local regulations for access." The college’s next major renovation, the College Activities Building (CAB), is being planned with the intent of providing an access path from its first floor to Red Square without the use of an elevator. Security and safety issues are continually reviewed and the capital program has various projects that address these needs. In this biennium, the college has requested and was provided funding ($3 million) for health, safety, and code compliance minor works. Current processes include the continual implementation of ADA-accessibility standards to move the college to universal accessibility, electronic locking systems on college facilities, and other campus safety and security projects as appropriate.

All college facilities when renovated are designed to meet or exceed current federal, state, and local regulations regarding access, safety, and security. The college works closely with the McLane Fire District, the Thurston County Fire Marshall, Department of Labor and Industries, and Thurston County to ensure that all building codes have been met prior to occupancy of the space or facility.

8.C.4 Governing board members and affected constituent groups are involved, as appropriate, in planning physical facilities.

The college’s board of trustees, as well as its internal constituents and external stakeholders, are continually presented with the appropriate information on various capital projects and minor works projects. During the development of the college’s new campus master plan, the consultants met with various groups on sixteen different dates, many times for an entire day. Additionally, the college staff and the consultants had three different meetings for the external community. Also, the new campus master plan was published on the Facilities Services Web site and comments were solicited from the entire college community from early July through mid-December 2007. A blog was also established in mid-November 2007 and remained active through the end of the calendar year 2007. The ten-year capital plan and accompanying biennial requests are also presented to senior management and the board of trustees. The various projects within the ten-year plan are discussed with various affected constituent groups to develop the preliminary program so that the cost can be estimated. The college prioritizes the capital projects by communicating on an ongoing basis with the Council of Presidents, the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Office of Financial Management, as well as the other four-year institutions, ensuring that the college receives important feedback regarding project planning and implementation.

Standard 8 Findings and Conclusions

Findings and Conclusions:

1.) The college continues to provide the physical resources necessary for it to accomplish its mission.

2.) The $110 million dollars appropriated for campus facilities in the past decade has significantly enhanced the teaching and learning environment at the college. Work on the Lbrary renovations has supported the development of the conceptual integration of Library and media and computer services. Renovated laboratory space has strengthened the capacity of the college to support laboratory-based teaching.

3.) The collaboration between Facilities, Academics, and students in design has both helped to improve the usability of the spaces and supported the college’s emphasis on sustainability. The new campus master plan, developed with significant input from across the community, provides a structure for campus development to the year 2020. The Facilities area has continued to develop a collaborative relationship with Academics, particularly in support of the work on the campus master plan. This work has emphasized sustainability and has helped Evergreen become a leader in sustainable facilities management.

4.) There is an ongoing need for adequate state capital funding for deferred maintenance and renovation on existing buildings.

5.) As the college approaches 5,000 students, the potential need for additional space may arise. Over the past several years, Facilities has found effective ways to involve and work with the college community.

Commendations:

1.) The building of the new Seminar II Building has effectively used a process of staff, faculty, and student collaboration, along with professional architects and engineers, to help design the state of Washington’s first LEED Gold Certified Building. Seminar II is also the first major new building that has been designed and organized to facilitate student learning through collaborative, team teaching, and the integration of sophisticated computer and media capacities. The inclusion of teaching gardens into the facility and its surroundings further integrates natural history learning with the built environment.

2.) Facilities has worked hard to consult broadly with staff, faculty, and students as the potential users of facilities in the design of its renovations and long-range planning.

3.) The college has made a concerted effort to design with Academics the new upgraded laboratories and equipment. These facilities have significantly supported teaching in chemistry, geology, botany, microscopy, environmental analysis, and others.

4.) The renovation of the B and C wings of the Library allowed for and helped promote the integration of Library, Media Services, and Academic Computing facilities in an innovative and seamless way. This design has helped connect learning and teaching across these areas.

5.) Over the past ten years, the college has made significant improvement on its deferred maintenance backlog with the help of consistent state funding.

Recommendations:

1.) The Facilities area should continue to involve all sectors of the campus community in the design and planning of major physical projects.

2.) The Facilities area needs to continue to keep the facilities master plan updated every two years to meet the changing needs of the college.

3.) The college needs to make sure that adequate funding exists for computers and scientific and media equipment repair and replacement.

Plans:

1.) The college’s ten year capital plan for 2009-19 is currently being developed to identify and rank projects for state renovation and deferred maintenance.

2.) The Campus Land Use Committee as an ongoing standing committee has the responsibility of reviewing the campus master plan and consulting on all significant projects.

Supporting Documentation

See Supporting Documentation for Standard Eight