Provost Wheatly, Vice President Pete Sala Convene First Campus Facilities Advisory Board Meeting

Photo by Steve Sartori

Michele G. Wheatly, vice chancellor and provost, and Pete Sala, vice president and chief facilities officer, convened the first Campus Facilities Advisory Board (CFAB) meeting on Thursday, Feb. 16.

The CFAB co-chairs, in collaboration with Cathryn Newton, special advisor to the Chancellor and the provost and lead faculty advisor to the board, spent more than an hour tackling a lengthy agenda. That agenda included a review of the board’s charge, an update on the status of several Campus Framework initiatives, an overview of the facility condition assessment that was conducted last summer and a discussion about next steps and action items.

“This group of deans, students, faculty and staff will play a critical role in advising University leadership on what projects to prioritize, where to allocate financial resources and how to best align Syracuse’s physical presence with our Academic Strategic Plan,” says Provost Wheatly. “Each member of this board was selected because of their unique expertise, diverse perspective and their commitment to rolling up their sleeves and getting things done. I look forward to working with these talented individuals as we begin to bring the Campus Framework to life.”

At each meeting, the CFAB, which was charged with assessing all academic and non-academic investments within the Campus Framework, will be asked to vote on and provide guidance on key issues and initiatives. During yesterday’s meeting, the board unanimously endorsed two recommendations:

• Supporting the draft Campus Framework’s recommendation to position the physical heart of the campus as the academic core of Syracuse University: All current space physically situated around or near the Shaw Quadrangle will be used for academic departments, student-service units and administrative support offices that provide invaluable support to Syracuse students. As new space becomes available near or around the academic core, the space needs of academic and student-support units will take priority.
• Supporting a time sensitive request by an important academic unit to identify additional space for teaching, learning and research.

“We made substantive progress during our first meeting,” Newton says. “This broadly constituted board is critical to ensuring that decisions being made about the campus’s infrastructure are being informed by constructive and candid feedback.”

The CFAB is also charged with developing best practices for all campus engagement, decision-making and communication, particularly in relation to renovation, new construction and best use of facilities.

The members will also provide guidance on the following initiatives:

• Phasing and Scope of New Construction: Review of building programs, building sites, regulatory implications and impacts on campus space.
• Phasing and Scope of Major Renovations: Review of renovation programs, building and grounds areas affected, regulatory implications and impacts on campus space.
• Campus Space Planning: Review the impacts of new construction and major renovations on campus space, and provide review and approval authority to space utilization plans.
• Campus Architectural Standards: Review and provide guidance on campus architectural standards to the Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction.

To learn more about the Campus Framework, visit CampusFramework.syr.edu. To read the Academic Strategic Plan, visit http://fastforward.syr.edu/academic-strategic-plan-draft-trajectory-to-excellence-june-2015/.