University of Toledo officials will solicit campus and community opinions this week during four public forums intended to help create a new UT master plan.
Forums for students, faculty, and staff will take place at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Driscoll Alumni Center on the main campus and at 3:45 p.m. Thursday in Collier Building Room 1200 on the Health Science Campus.
Community members are invited to sessions at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the alumni center and 6 p.m. Thursday at the Collier Building.
The consultant firm SmithGroupJJR will use the feedback as it develops a comprehensive campus master plan, the first for UT since merging in 2006 with the former Medical College of Ohio. UT will pay $750,000 for the planning work, said spokesman Meghan Cunningham.
One aim of the master plan project is to identify ways the university could reduce its physical footprint by up to 15 percent. UT officials are considering eliminating unnecessary space in an effort to lower the cost of maintenance, security, and utilities.
Toledo’s interest in shrinking its size complements a recent recommendation from the Ohio Task Force on Affordability and Efficiency in Higher Education. The Oct. 1 report by the group, formed by Gov. John Kasich, suggested universities study how to optimize physical space and noted that “underutilized buildings and other spaces require energy, maintenance, and other services that are inefficient.”
At UT, cutting 15 percent of its space would eliminate about 1.2 million gross square feet.
The master plan work includes an evaluation of existing facilities, open space, and infrastructure.
Students have been particularly interested in two specific master planning areas: parking, which is a perennially “salient” campus concern, and dining, said Ian Michalak, a junior from Toledo and vice president of student government.
Mr. Michalak said those working on the project have done a good job trying to involve students in the process.
The upcoming forums are intended as an opportunity for students, faculty, and the public to meet consultants and discuss ideas and concerns.
Consultants will hold additional sessions with various campus and city representatives this week.
The consultant’s work is expected to be complete in about a year and result in a master plan that covers the university’s next decade.
Contact Vanessa McCray at: vmccray@theblade.com or 419-724-6065, or on Twitter @vanmccray.
First Published October 13, 2015, 4:00 a.m.