Forum Summary
The following goals and strategies were
developed from comments received, in part, from Focus Group and Open
Forum meetings. Each issue is listed by goal in order of priority
as determined by discussion with participants.
|
GOAL
1:
Develop
the Campus as a Community Resource |
| A. |
Expand
and strengthen partnering with the local medical and business
community |
 |
| B. |
Utilize
a 50-year outlook for University land acquisition strategies |
|
|
| C. |
Make
campus resources such as computer labs and the library available
and accessible to the Billings community. |
|
|
| D. |
Integrate
and develop shared resources with the local community such as
public transportation and power co-generation. |
GOAL 2:
Enhance the Student Experience
|
| A. |
Student
Union Building |
|
- The Student Union Building
should be a student activity and recreation center.
- Remodel the outdated Book Store.
- Expand hours of food
availability
|
| B. |
Student
Services |
|
- Encourage use of alternative
methods of class registration such as Internet and mail.
- Provide central one-stop shop
for student business.
- Develop a central information
station.
|
| C. |
Student
Experience |
|
- Provide on-campus daycare.
- Equalize access to athletics and
recreation in gym for both students and athletes.
- Develop outdoor spaces for
dining, recreation, and social areas.
- Provide additional athletic
fields.
- Be sensitive to and address the
different needs of commuter and residential students.
|
| D. |
Residence
Halls |
|
- Provide additional student
housing.
- Remodel residence halls to
better serve the needs of students.
- Access all rooms to technology.
- Residence halls must serve the
special needs of disabled students.
|
| E. |
Academic
Experience |
| |
- Modernize science labs and
provide adequate science lab equipment
- All classrooms must have
technology, appropriate furniture, and adequate equipment.
- Expand library hours to enable
computer access.
- Optimize access to technology.
- Renovate or replace the Liberal
Arts Building.
|
| F. |
College of Business |
| |
- Current facility is not adequate
for the future.
|
| G. |
College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences |
| |
- Expand and/or replace sciences labs.
- Provide more research space.
- Change dry labs to wet labs.
- Provide enlarged coffee shop with late
evening hours in Liberal Arts building
- Relocate art studios out of Liberal Arts
building
- Enlarge faculty offices.
|
| H. |
College of Technology |
| |
- Strengthen ties to East Campus community.
|
| I. |
Library |
| |
- Greater access to technology.
- Potential for future expansion
to accommodate computer facilities.
|
|
| GOAL
3:
Increase the Efficiency of Parking, Pedestrian and Vehicular Traffic Flow |
| A. |
Parking should be
adequate, convenient to classrooms, well lit, and user-friendly. |
| B. |
Designate adequate
parking for residence halls, faculty, disabled, and visitors. |
| C. |
Improve convenience
and handicapped access of city MET bus service to the campus. |
| E. |
Parking garages are
preferred over surface parking lots to conserve land. |
| F. |
Prohibit University
parking in neighborhoods. |
| G. |
Improve and define a
pedestrian pathway to Virginia Lane parking lot. |
|
GOAL 4:
Strengthen Campus Image and Character |
| A. |
Determine and
strengthen the campus image and aesthetics, "we want to
look like a 'University'" |
| B. |
Improve the campus
social community. |
| C. |
Examine and refresh
community perceptions of MSU-Billings as more than a 'teachers
school'. |
| D. |
Improve the 27th
Street view of the campus. |
| E. |
Define main and
secondary campus entrances to be distinctive and welcoming. |
| F. |
Improve
campus directional signage. |
| G. |
Develop
a pedestrian oriented campus. |
| |
- Identify a 'heart' of the campus.
- Improve campus open space definition.
- Improve pedestrian circulation.
- Screen service areas.
- Minimize parking impact.
|
| H. |
Landscape
the north entrance to residence halls and Student Union Building. |
|
| GOAL
5:
Evaluate Deferred Maintenance |
| A. |
Provide appropriate
equipment, tools, technology, and furniture in all classrooms. |
| B. |
Provide a
stimulating and appropriate environment for education in all
campus facilities. The Liberal Arts, Science, Cisel, and Art
buildings are identified as especially deficient. McMullen has
been identified as especially inadequate as a "welcoming and
customer friendly" administrative building. |
| C. |
Address the
accessibility needs of campus users especially with: |
| |
- elevators throughout campus;
- McMullen access;
- Liberal Arts and Science Buildings;
- special technology for disabled students;
- eliminate campus circulation hazards;
- improve public transportation access
points for disabled students.
|
| D. |
Provide maintenance,
updating, and enlarging of bookstore. |
| E. |
Review residence
halls for adequacy to meet student desire for single rooms,
remodel restrooms and shower areas. |
| F. |
Improve lighting and
drainage in 27th Street tunnel. |
| G. |
Provide a
professional faculty environment to enhance productivity,
attitudes, and retention. |
|
| GOAL
6:
Develop a Space Utilization and Growth Plan |
| A. |
Academic Spaces |
|
- One centralized department responsible
for space assignments/scheduling.
- Update science labs to enable teaching
and research.
- Consolidate Art program to one location.
- Distribute computer capacity throughout
campus.
- Optimize utilization of classrooms.
|
| B. |
College of
Technology |
|
- Determine long-term mission and affirm
appropriateness of location.
- Plan for College of Technology expansion,
a potential for large program growth.
|
| C. |
Athletics |
|
- Indoor tennis courts.
- Plan for gymnasium expansion.
|
| D. |
Process and
Operations |
| |
- Develop central information point for
visitors and students.
- Remodel McMullen to be welcoming and
"visitor friendly", and eliminate confusion.
- Develop a one-stop student service center
in McMullen.
|
| E. |
Petro Theater |
| |
Develop an orchestra
pit and effective sound system for performances. |
| F. |
Technology |
| |
Determine the most
effective locations for computer centers for student and community
use. Link campus computer system to residence hall and family
housing. |
| G. |
Land Utilization |
| |
- Plan for long-range
campus expansion west to Virginia Lane.
- Acquire low cost land in the North Park
neighborhood to expand campus housing facilities.
- Re-evaluate the potential of the
Chancellor's house.
|
|
| GOAL
7:
Enhance Campus Security and Safety |
| A. |
Address campus
security issues; don't wait for problems to occur. |
| B. |
Campus access
issues: |
|
- Limit public access to residence halls.
- Limit public access to science rooms and
labs.
- Limit after hours general access to
classroom and faculty office areas.
|
| C. |
Lighting |
| |
- Improve exterior lighting for pedestrians
and in parking lots.
- Improve Liberal Arts building security
and interior lighting to better serve late hour and weekend
uses.
|
| D. |
Improve campus
police response time. |
|
| GOAL
8:
Develop Implementation Strategies |
|
A. |
Identify approximate
phases for campus improvements based on short and long-term
priorities. |
|
B. |
Determine conceptual
cost estimates for all recommended campus improvements. |
|
|
|
 |
|
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