Facilities Master Plan

The Facilities Master Plan summarizes various facilities planning documents into one concise reference for use by senior campus administration. The relevant supporting documents include the Campus Master Plan, the Campus Development Plan, the Long Range Maintenance Plan, the Campus Parking Plan, the Residence Life Master Plan and the Space Use Plan. The purpose of the Facilities Master plan is to:

1. Provide an overview and analysis of the quantity and quality of all University facilities in terms of how well the facilities support the mission and vision for the University community.

2. Outline facilities planning assumptions for the University for the next six years.

3. Identify facilities planning and policy issues with recommended steps to address the issues and challenges.

Accomplishments

• Completed a $1.1 million renovation of the second floor of Dempsey Hall. The work involved a major upgrade to office space utilized by Integrated Marketing and Communications, Administrative Services, and Grants and Faculty Development.

• Completed the $6.3 million purchase and renovation of a vacant food store located at 450 Witzel Avenue. The facility was converted into a Campus Services Center and provides space for Facilities Management, Postal Services, Document Services and Stores Operations. Occupants moved into the newly renovated facility during August 2009. The existing Facilities Management Center was demolished in September 2009 in order to prepare for the construction of the new academic building.

• Completed the renovation of the Department of Military Affairs maintenance repair facility located at 663 Third Ave. This two-acre parcel was retrofitted for use as the Facilities Management Grounds and Vehicle Maintenance Facility. Work was performed during the first six months of 2009. Personnel moved into the newly renovated space during August 2009.

• Completed the design and solicited bids for the construction of the new academic building. Bids were opened on Sept. 29, 2009, and the following multi-prime contractors were awarded the work: B & P. Mechanical (HVAC), Design Build Fire Protection (fire protection), Faith Technologies (electrical), J.P. Cullen (general contractor) and Monona Plumbing (plumbing). The total bid package for the project came in at $39 million or about $9 million under budget. A ground-breaking ceremony featuring Governor Doyle was held on Oct. 16 to kick off the construction. The project is scheduled to be completed for the fall 2011 academic year.

• Completed the design and solicited bids for the renovation and addition to Elmwood Commons ($7.54 million budget). On Sept. 16, bids were opened, and the project was awarded to Miron Construction with a bid that came in $1.28 million under budget. This renovated facility will be re-named the Student Success Center and will house Academic Advising, Counseling Center, Career Counseling and other student-support functions. The facility will feature the state’s largest geo-thermal heat pump system and will be very energy efficient. Work currently is in progress with a completion scheduled for fall 2011.

• The architectural team of Berners-Schober Associates in partnership with VOA was selected to develop the design and manage the construction of the $34 million new residence hall. Design documents currently are at the 25 percent completion phase, and the project is expected to break ground in September 2010.

Executive summary

The key components of the Facilities Master Plan include a discussion of strategic goals, program trends, planning issues and themes, space needs, near-term capital development, and major maintenance and renovations.

Strategic goals 

The University is guided by five strategic goals:

• Community: Develop a diverse, engaged community of lifelong learners and collaborative scholars that will be regionally based and globally connected.

• Teaching: Enhance the scholarly and physical environment for teaching excellence, active learning and dynamic curricular programs.

• Scholarship: Sustain, support and enhance a vigorous scholarly environment for research, intellectual activity and creative expression. 

• Partnership: Expand and support collaborative relationships that contribute to the development of knowledge and its application in new situations while maintaining its core values. 

• Stewardship: Promote accessible, representative and altruistic leadership; responsive shared governance and flexible resource stewardship.

Program trends 

The following intents and trends will materially affect space needs and the configuration of existing space within the University over the coming decade:

• Increasing enrollment within the College of Nursing has created severe space constraints upon the teaching of basic science courses. This affects both the undergraduate and graduate programs and increases the need for laboratory space on campus. The FNP program continues to see increased demand and will require access to additional operational clinic space.

• Increased emphasis on evaluation of student performance will necessitate access to self-paced learning laboratories, mostly microcomputer-based, for students pursuing needed skills.

• The University’s designated Centers of Excellence (geology and international studies) are beginning to develop areas of focus that will need support space and access to research facilities. The University also plans on creating several more Centers of Excellence within all four colleges in the near future. As these programs develop, additional demands will be placed on existing facilities.

• Three trends are worth noting: (1) younger, more active researchers are joining the faculty, (2) emeritus faculty are remaining to teach one or more courses a year and (3) there are new and evolving program specialties.

Planning issues and themes

The top 12 planning issues and themes, by priority, are:

General Purpose Revenue (GPR)

1. The College of Nursing is in immediate need of additional instructional, hands-on labs, including multiple state-of-the-art simulation labs.

2. The College of Education and Human Services lacks adequate instructional labs, faculty/staff/support offices and grant/special project space.

3. The department of foreign language and literature requires a second language lab to meet the large number of students in their programs.

4. Many general access classrooms and lecture halls have poor aspect ratios, viewing angles and some lack full ADA accessibility. In addition, they lack modern technology typically used in today’s delivery of instruction.

5. The lack of a central HVAC system in the old portion of Dempsey Hall makes for a substandard working environment.

6. The quality of instructional space in Harrington Hall is substandard and insufficient to accommodate Geology’s and Archeology’s space needs.

7. The campus is cut lengthwise by two one-way high traffic roads, which feed to downtown Oshkosh. The traffic on these roads is disruptive, noisy and presents safety hazards to students and other pedestrians.

Program Revenue (PR)

1. Residence hall rooms lack configuration varieties. The rooms are small and, in general, are double occupancy.

2. Donner and Webster halls are in need of total overhauls that address backlog maintenance, lack of room variety, program space and social gathering space needs.

3. Reeve Union lacks an ADA-accessible, inviting main entrance off of Algoma Boulevard.

4. The student leadership and involvement space in Reeve Union needs additional space for offices, meetings and casual gathering for the many student groups on campus.

5. The campus faces a shortage of conference space due to the flooding damage to the River Center.

Space needs

The major space needs, by space category, are as follows:

• Classroom facilities: Most existing classrooms were built before 1971, lack technology, are not ideally configured, are otherwise inadequate and in need of renewal. Much of the existing need will be addressed with the construction of the New Academic Building; however, significant classroom-related renovations are planned for various buildings, including Clow Social Science and Swart Hall.

• Laboratory facilities: The College of Nursing and College of Education and Human Services lack adequate lab space and have needs for additional lab space. New younger, active researchers across the University are joining the faculty and require lab space.

• Office facilities: Virtually every department has experienced some growth and is in need of additional office space. The situation is particularly acute in the College of Education and the English, Foreign Language and Math departments.

• Residential facilities: The Resident Life facilities are old, dated and lacking in a diversity of living environments. Appropriate space is needed for older students.

• Conference facilities: Due to extensive flooding damage during the summer of 2008, the existing conference facilities at River Center were damaged beyond repair. The campus is in need of replacement of this 50,000-square-foot facility.

Near-term capital development

 
2009-2011

• New academic building (construction): This $39 million project began construction in November 2009 with completion scheduled for August 2011.

• Student Success Center (Construction): This $7.54 million project also began construction in October 2009.

• New residence hall construction (design): This project evolved as a result of an extensive Residence Life master planning effort. The new residence hall is to provide a type(s) of housing not currently available on campus. The project is currently in design with an expected construction start of September 2010. Estimated $34 million construction cost.

2011-2013

• Clow/Nursing Education renovation: The renovation of Clow Social Science Center and Nursing Education basement are considered crucial to the redevelopment of the academic core. The project addresses the critical space needs of the College of Nursing and the College of Education and Human Services. Estimated $26.8 million construction cost.

• Donner and Webster halls renovations: This project will address much-needed backlog maintenance, reprogramming of space and general updating. This project is the next phase of residence hall work to be completed, as identified in the Residence Life Master Plan. Estimated $19.9 million construction cost.

• New conference center: Extensive water damage to the River Center in 2008 necessitates the construction of new conference facilities. $15 million construction cost.

• Lincoln School remodeling: This project entails the purchase and renovation of the former Lincoln School, located at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Algoma Boulevard. The building will be converted for use by the campus daycare and for the Center for New Learning. $5.6 million.

 
2013-2015

• Reeve Union entrance expansion: The Reeve Union entrance expansion and renovation project will develop the western entrance to the building into an inviting and ADA-accessible main entrance off Algoma Boulevard. $3.3 million.

• Dempsey Hall HVAC renovation: The project will install a central HVAC system in the 1918 portion of the building. Installing a central system will provide the most cost-effective way to properly condition the spaces, provide a healthy and comfortable working environment, and allow the removal of the inefficient window air conditioners. $16.6 million.

• Dempsey Hall remodeling: The project will remodel all spaces not remodeling within the last five years. This project involves the reallocation of space vacated as a result of the construction of the Student Success Center. $14.0 million.

2015-2017

• Pearl Avenue road development: The Pearl Avenue road relocation project is a key component of the exterior-site development of the campus. It is anticipated that negotiations between the owners of the AxleTech property and the University will reach a positive conclusion by this biennium so that this road relocation can occur.

• Clow lecture hall remodeling: The Clow lecture hall remodel redevelops two inaccessible, outmoded lecture halls into modern ADA-accessible classrooms that are a required component of the campus’s classroom inventory.

2009-2011 All Agency Submittal (major maintenance and renovations)

A) Facilities maintenance and renovation

Requested projects, in priority order, are listed below:

B) Programmatic remodeling and renovation

Requested projects, in priority order, are listed below:

Click here to read last year's report.