Only two students attended the first master planning meetings held on the ASU east campus by the consulting firm Ayers/Saint/Gross last week.
The firm was hired by ASU to create a Master Plan - a plan for growth and development for each of the University's campuses.
"At least we matched the number of students they met at Main," said Gary McGrath, dean of student affairs at East. According to Ayers/Saint/Gross, only two students came to the meetings for the main campus planning as well.
This was the first opportunity for students, faculty and administrators to share their ideas and concerns with the people who ultimately will be responsible for drawing the blueprints of ASU East's future.
The purpose of the meetings was to introduce the concept of a master plan, begin the discussion of what the physical form ASU East should become and gather input to create a unique physical identity and master plan for East.
"The four campuses would become four strong centers that would provide programs for each campus, provide their own personal identities, personalities and their own population" according to Crow's vision, said Kevin King, the project manager for the Ayers/Saint/Gross consulting firm.
"I hope students speak up. I think [the firm's members] are good listeners, and the students are the recipients of what we want to impart," McGrath said.
There will be a Web site where people may contribute ideas. Steve Nielson, director of Campus Planning, said, "An interactive component will be added to the Web site so that there can be a running dialogue between students and consultants." However, this Web site is not yet up and running.
The master plan should also be thought of as "a business plan," King said.
"As a business plan, it should support the mission, increase enrollment yield, provide an optimized hopeful outlook for the future, and it should raise money," King said.
According to the consulting firm, the goal of a master plan also is "to preserve and enhance the natural systems and to improve the aesthetic character of the campus to a level that strengthens relationships with surrounding neighbors."
A few attendees at the meeting expressed keeping alive the history of the Air Force base by creating a museum with relics currently in storage dating as far back as 1941.
David Schwalm, vice provost of academic programs, said, "I hope by the year 2020, nothing that is here now will still be here then. I hope we'll be looking at an entirely new campus."
King had visuals displaying the projected population growth of the Valley climbing from 3 million to up to 6 million by the year 2025.
Employment centers also are projected to grow along the same areas where all the four ASU campuses are located.
The next meetings and discussion groups will be held in the spring.
Reach the reporter at erika.camardella@asu.edu.
