In late October, members of the Marquette community and the Marquette campus were well represented as the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) hosted their three-day North Central Regional Conference in Milwaukee.
SCUP is a professional association dedicated to the integration of planning (academic/business/physical) in higher education institutions. The organization consists of approximately 5,000 members in 33 countries.
Over 200 people attended the regional conference to share case studies, resources, research and best practices that address the many challenges facing higher education including the continuing confluence of a global pandemic, shifting demographics, financial challenges and culture change in social justice.
Christopher Gluesing, director of planning and project delivery for Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M), served as the conference chair. A year-long effort, this involved leading all aspects of planning and executing the conference.
Dr. Jody Jessup-Anger, chair and professor of educational policy and leadership and Student Affairs in Higher Education and coordinator of the Student Affairs in Higher Education master’s program, delivered the conference opening keynote session.
In her speech titled “Designing for Student Success: The Role of the Built Environment,” Jessup-Anger used examples from her teaching and research to demonstrate how the built environment is a major factor in students feeling a sense of belonging, engagement and community on campus.
Joel Smullen, project manager in FP&M, served on the conference local host subcommittee and organized a Marquette campus tour that included The Commons and the Physician Assistant Studies Building.
FP&M Project Managers Kathleen Kugi-Tom, Kurt Young Binter and Colleen Balco also attended the conference and assisted in leading the Marquette campus tour.
Lora Strigens, vice president for planning and facilities management, served as a panel member during the “From Siloed to Sustainable: How the Connected Campus Builds Long-term Value and Agility” session.
The session addressed how campus spaces play a vital role in student success. Case study examples were used to show how organizational and operational changes to campus space can improve utilization as well as better respond to transformational shifts in higher education.
More information about the conference is available online.