Imperative 8
8
Enrich
Our Campus
The
physical environment of our campus should
be conducive to scholarly work and study.
Texas A&M University has an efficient and
well-maintained campus. However, during our
rapid growth over the past four decades, the
physical unity of the campus has been diminished
by the presence of Wellborn Road and the railroad
tracks. Innovative planning and bold leadership
are needed to redress this division for reasons
of safety and convenience as well as aesthetics.
West Campus has not maintained the human scale
that exists on the Main Campus. Through judicious
planning, we need to attain there the same
pedestrian-friendly scale and green space
that gives the Main Campus its character.
The use of large areas for surface parking
needs to be reconsidered so that the unity
of the campus is maintained as new building
occurs to accommodate growth. As more of the
university’s current land holdings are consumed
by non-agricultural uses, acquisition of land
on or near the Riverside Campus for agricultural
development should be a high priority.
P
R E C E P T: M A I N TA I N A
N D E N H A N C E T H E C
A M P U S
E N V I R O N M E N T S
Our facilities
and the support they provide for people to
do their best work are essential to our continued
evolution as a university. The laboratories,
classrooms, libraries, and lecture halls are
all important in providing the environment
needed for the highest and best learning and
inquiry. In addition, the campus setting itself
should promote interaction and be a place
of reflection and inspiration. It should provide
meeting places and present the image of an
organization dedicated to quality in all it
undertakes. Movement of students, faculty,
and staff around the campus should be convenient.
Guests should feel welcome. Former students
should be reminded of their days on campus.
Users should find efficiency in the organization
of facilities. These characteristics mark
the very best institutions of higher learning.
Provide
new residence halls equipped for the technological
climate of the 21st century. Also, provide
for innovative transportation between main
and west campus.
T
A S K F O R C E I D E A
-
Create
a culture that values the aesthetics and
functionality of the physical settings in
which people work and one that appreciates
the opportunity for interaction and growth
that a thoughtfully planned campus supports.
Break down the distinction between east
and west campus. Develop pedestrian, bike,
and vehicular pathways for the safe movement
of people. Maintain the pedestrian-friendly
character of the campus as it grows.
-
Plan buildings and physical facilities that
are recognized for their excellence. Build
structures and execute campus plans that
are recognized by users and national professional
architectural and planning organizations
for their aesthetic and functional value.
P R E
C E P T: VA L U E T H E R
E S I D E N T I A L E X P E R I E N C
E
Texas A&M University
will build upon our existing strength in attending
to the whole student to earn recognition as
one of the best residential learning centers
in the world. One facet of university life that
should be available to all undergraduate students
is the opportunity to reside on campus. To provide
such opportunity, additional on-campus housing
will be required, as will alternative living
environments, such as apartment-style housing.
Increase
opportunities for all students to develop
academic and social connections that facilitate
academic success and involvement in the life
of the institution. Possibilities include
on-campus housing for all freshmen who request
it, living-learning communities, student groups
with coordinated courses and class schedules
. . . and summer bridging programs.
T
A S K F O R C E I D E A
