NSU launches first Master Plan, website

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Development of Northeastern State Universitys first-ever Campus Master Plan is now underway. Individuals can visit nsuok.edu/masterplan to follow its progress and to lend their voice to this 16-month journey of discovery. The website features links to news, projects, frequently asked questions, upcoming events, resources and the project team.

NSUs Master Plan will provide a long-range vision for NSU, encompassing all three campuses. The goal will be to provide a single, unified master plan while respecting the unique identity of each of the three campuses in Tahlequah, Broken Arrow and Muskogee.

According to Tim Foutch, vice president for operations at Northeastern, the process is designed to encourage consensus building by providing numerous outreach opportunities for both the campus and community.

The master planning process is a critical decision making tool the University will use to determine its future, Foutch said.

The five-step process begins with the Discovery Phase which serves as an introduction to campus and an opportunity to establish goals for the future direction of NSU. Analysis follows and is used to further understand each campus by its systems (vehicular, pedestrian, building uses and natural features) and its space utilization.

The third step, Idea Generation, seeks to derive a single preliminary Campus Master Plan from the best ideas presented in the three concepts. The Refinement Phase provides the necessary time to review the master plan and make adjustments.

The Master Plan concludes with the documentation of the entire process into a report that will be used as a tool for addressing the physical, social, and intellectual and sustainability challenges in the upcoming decades. It is designed to provide a realistic road map.

The Master Plan will identify short and long-term strategies that will be visionary and realistic for the future of the campus. This will provide a flexible framework for campus development and will establish capital priorities and optimize resources and adjacent opportunities. Most importantly, the Master Plan will be participatory and consensus based, implementable and defensible.

We need to ensure that we are providing facilities and classrooms that enhance the learning experience, Foutch said. Otherwise this process did not achieve its goal.