More green spaces, an athletic training facility and other structural improvements would give Georgetown a different look by the year 2020, according to a draft of the university’s 2010-2020 campus plan.
Among the new proposed projects are pedestrian-friendly walkway additions to Lauinger Library and Torndorf Road, a bridge for the Reiss Science Building, renovations to the Medical Center, improvements to Kehoe Field’s roof, enhanced air-quality measures and a contemplative space in Dahlgren Quadrangle.
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Georgetown files a campus plan once every 10 years, per city law requirements, that outlines future infrastructure projects and development on the Main Campus and Medical Center. The D.C. Zoning Commission must approve the plan.
The current campus plan expires on Dec. 31, 2010, and the university hopes to file the next proposed campus plan in January 2010, said
Charles DeSantis, associate vice president and chief benefits officer and chair of the group steering the campus plan.
University administrators have identified four guiding principles for the upcoming plan: academic quality, on-campus community life, civic engagement and sustainability.
“This campus plan reflects Georgetown’s ongoing commitments to enhance our academic mission and the quality of campus life while also contributing positively to our environment and the community beyond our gates,” said
Spiros Dimolitsas, the university’s senior vice president.
Additionally, plans for road construction will allow the Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) buses to turn around on campus and provide for several pick-up points on campus, rather than the current one stop per route. The number of GUTS passengers has doubled over the past 10 years to 2 million per year, DeSantis said.
University leaders will present these proposed projects and more during a series of upcoming community meetings.
Two of the meetings on Nov. 18 and 19 will give residents from neighborhoods around the university an opportunity to comment on the latest draft of Georgetown’s campus plan. Both gatherings will run 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. in the Heritage Room at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School on the second floor. The school is located at 1524 35th St. N.W.
“We’ve been gathering input from residents for several months. These meetings are a chance for everyone to look at the first draft of the plan,” said DeSantis.
The meetings mark the third set of community gatherings for residents of nearby neighborhoods to comment on the campus plan. Meetings held in May and earlier in this month focused on specific issues such as transportation, housing, enrollment and off-campus living. This week’s meetings will be the first to focus on the overall campus plan.
Jeanne Lord, associate vice president of student affairs, said keeping up good community relations with the university’s neighbors remains a priority during the planning process.
“Georgetown University is committed to engaging with our neighbors in conversations about issues of common interest and concern,” said Lord. “The focused conversations taking place right now, as we prepare to submit the campus plan early next year, are of particular importance. They give us the chance to share our vision for our campus and to actively solicit the thoughts of our neighbors about our plans."
Georgetown bases its campus plan largely on the needs that stem from projected enrollment. Full-time, traditional undergraduate student enrollment is projected to remain steady at 6,011 per year. But university officials estimate that nontraditional undergraduates -- commuters, students over 25, veterans and second-degree students -- will increase by 170 students to about 1,055 by 2020.
Provost James O’Donnell expects graduate enrollment to increase by 3,200 students to 8,700 in 2020.
“Georgetown continues to expand graduate programs in selected areas, the better to strengthen our faculty, serve important student needs and fulfill our overall academic mission,” he said.
Two additional meetings for faculty, staff and students will take place Nov. 17, 1 – 4 p.m. in Copley Formal Lounge and Nov. 20, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Bunn Intercultural Center auditorium. Administrators from University Facilities and Student Housing, the Office of the Provost, the university architect’s office and student affairs will make a formal presentation during each session.
For more information about the university’s campus plan visit the
Web site.
