204027 WVU Facilities - West Virginia University

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Statement of Purpose
The purpose of the 2006 Master Plan
is to update and plan the direction of
West Virginia University’s land usage,
construction and renovation of facilities,
and programs. This plan includes: physical
improvements to land, identification
of potential building sites, current land
and facilities assessments, construction
of new facilities, space needs, and
assessments. A working document
that will be updated in five years, the
Master Plan provides the framework for
design and the context for short-range
decision making and assesses the funding
required to implement Master Plan
goals.
Master Planning Context
During WVU’s first 139 years several master
plans were developed for the campus. The most
recent plan, developed in 1996, focused on new
construction, including the Student Recreation
Center, Life Sciences Building, Downtown Campus
Library, and One Waterfront Place. These facilities
have been well received and have contributed to the
enrollment and research growth at the University.
It is notable that new construction outlined in the
1996 Master Plan is completely built out, a rare
occurrence among university master plans. With its
completion, however, University leaders recognize
that there is more to do. A number of projects are
under way or in the planning stages: renovations
are in progress at Brooks Hall, Colson Hall, and
the historic Oglebay Hall, for example. Building on
the momentum of the last Master Plan, the current
plan strives to continue to make WVU a truly
great campus, one that is equal to the institution’s
national and international reputation.
Recruitment and retention of quality students and
faculty members depends, in part, on the quality of
the facilities at West Virginia University. WVU’s
Ten-Year Master Plan provides an opportunity
for the University to reflect upon its history and
heritage, to assess the condition of its campus and
facilities, and to develop a course of action to address
future needs.
The Master Plan is conceived to integrate academic,
fiscal, and physical planning as a foundation for
making sound decisions on the development of
campus facilities and improvements. The Plan,
however, is more than the sum of these components.
At its most comprehensive level, the Master Plan
provides a vision for the future campus environment
and defines the linkage between the 2010 Strategic
Plan, which reflects the overall direction for the
University and the Capital Program. The history
of campus planning shows that the most enduring
plans link the mission of a university and its
physical campus. The campus Master Plan aspires to
reflect in the physical environment the quality and
importance of the institution and its mission.
The 2006 Ten-Year Master Plan uses the 2010
Strategic Plan as a guide to organize and prioritize
the directions the University will take in terms of
land usage, facilities, and programs. All planning
of physical land improvements and new facilities,
as well as the assessment of potential building sites,
current real estate, aging facilities, and space needs,
are refracted through the lens of the 2010 Strategic
Plan.
When the last campus Master Plan was completed
in 1996, enrollment was 21,743. Ten years later,
enrollment has increased to 27,000, with a goal of
serving 28,500 students at the Morgantown campus
by 2010. This growth has impacted the University
in many different ways, from the need for more
research and instructional space to the need for
additional housing and dining facilities.
Sponsored programs have grown from $71 million
in 1996 to $143 million in 2006, with a goal of
achieving $200 million in 2010. To accommodate
this growth, additional research space is required.
Opportunities are limited for additional research
space until space is freed up or reallocated. This is
the case for academic units on both the Downtown
and Evansdale campuses. Plans are under way for
building additions to the existing Engineering
Science Building and Chemistry Research Laboratory
Building to accommodate new opportunities for
research space. Another significant opportunity
may come from the renovation of White Hall, as
outlined in the 2006 Master Plan.
Demands on instructional space have also been felt
with the growth of the University. Once renovations
to Brooks Hall and Oglebay Hall are complete,
the University will have 18 new state-of-the-art
technology classrooms, ranging in size from 35 seats
to 350 seats. This will satisfy the immediate need for
larger classrooms. The 2006 Master Plan project list