vtsu master plan
In the Summer of 2020, the Vermont State Colleges System began work on a major internal transformation which led to the merger of three of the system’s four institutions to become Vermont State University (VTSU).
VTSU committed to developing a new master plan with the goal of building a strategic menu of capital projects that could optimize efficiency, enhance campus vitality, and promote the educational experience of existing and future students across five primary campuses totalling 2.2 million square feet. The plan is rooted in a context of constrained resources, declining enrollments, and overbuillt campuses relative to their current and expected populations.
Master plan work was split across two phases: analysis and implementation. The analysis identified emergent themes across the five campuses, including academic identity, right-sizing, placemaking, community connections, athletics, and inclusion. The key idea was consistent across campuses: to consolidate within a clearly identified core area, centered on a defining open space, to promote vitality and enhance the student experience. In total, the initial options considered amounted to a 32% decrease in overall square footage and a 33% decrease in deferred maintenance.
Scenarios also highlighted where investment and capital renewal should focus, addressing quantitative and qualitative challenges simultaneously, and advancing the university’s twin goals of financial sustainability and enhanced campus vibrancy.
