Sizemore Group begins master planning process

Master planning for Augusta State University got underway February 13 when consultants met with campus and community representatives to detail the planning process. Lillie Berrios, the lead planner for the Sizemore Group, explained the seven-step planning process and the components that will need to be considered as the group develops the master plan.

“The plan must be mission driven,” Berrios explained. “The first step is to determine the university’s academic future and then develop a facilities plan to support the academic mission,” she said.

The new plan will address areas of concern with the 1998 master plan, such as the planned loop road around campus, location of continuing education, and a new student center.

An important new component of this master plan is capacity. The consultants will determine the university’s capacity with both surface and structured parking. This capacity study will be the basis for a University System-wide template for determining capacity. The new plan will also study the university’s projected enrollment growth to determine when the capacity can expect to be exceeded.

Berrios stressed the importance of coordinating planning efforts with the master plans of the city, the Medical College, and Augusta Technical College. Capacity was also emphasized by the university’s special coordinator for academic and master planning, Kathy Hamrick. "We have to look at what is to be done when enrollment exceeds capacity,” she said. “Our mission is to provide access to a quality education for individuals in our community. So, as Augusta grows, the university must grow. We cannot stop growing when we reach capacity on this campus,” she explained.

The consultants will also develop an implementation timeline for the master plan. This master plan will tell what direction the university should take in the next 15 to 20 years and the steps that need to be taken to get there.

Consultants met with campus representatives throughout the day to address particular components of the plan relating to technology, capacity, academic programs, enrollment projections, and facilities. The process is expected to take about six months, with a finished master plan to be presented by Sizemore in August. The master plan will be presented to the Board of Regents by the president in the fall. Sizemore Architectural Group was also the designer for Allgood Hall.

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