Shawn Gaither

Part I of II: Reinventing the Academic Workplace

Student demographics are constantly evolving as new generations step onto college campuses for the first time. With each new cohort comes a different set of expectations for the physical learning environment, as well as interactions with faculty members. Faculty offices, both in locale and layout, factor into the ability for students and professors to establish meaningful relationships that help students navigate their collegiate years and beyond. So, I pose the question: How does the design of faculty and administration spaces contribute to student success?

To answer this question, we need a baseline definition of today’s student and why they rely more heavily on faculty engagement than previous generations.

 Success by Design: Improving outcomes in American higher education via Deloitte.

According to the study Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success, more than 44 percent of today’s students are over the age of 24; 30 percent are considered part-time students; 28 percent are taking care of children or other dependents; and 26 percent work full-time while enrolled. These figures indicate a student population that may not always be able to schedule their days around traditional office hours, and rely on serendipitous interaction with their faculty members before and after classes.

The University of Minnesota’s Student Cultural Center in Minneapolis by DLR Group. Photo by Brandon Stengel.

Shifts in student populations are driving institutions to rethink what the campus faculty and administrative workplace should provide, placing greater emphasis on ease of accessibility, viability, and flexibility that supports open collaboration and relationship building. In a traditional model, faculty offices are concentrated in separate buildings, many times outside the common travel path of students walking to and from class, making casual “water cooler” interactions nearly impossible. Today’s generation of students prefer frequent, informal interactions over scheduled, periodic communication.

There is a growing connection between how and where faculty workspaces take shape on campus, and the impact they have on student success. A Gallup-Purdue University study found graduates who actively interacted with professors during college were two times more likely to be engaged with their work and life after graduation. However, fewer than 14 percent of surveyed graduates reported actively engaging with faculty.

The University of Minnesota’s Student Cultural Center in Minneapolis by DLR Group. Photo by Brandon Stengel.

These statistics tell a provocative story – one that can be interpreted as an urgent need to change the way faculty offices are designed within a campus environment. As such, institutions are asking questions such as, “How do we transform traditional faculty offices into student-centric environments?” And “What do those newly configured environments look like?”

To answer those, I’ve identified three concepts centered around collaboration that enhance connections. Ideally, all concepts contain places for research, private conversations, and group work.

Programming concepts for collegiate collaboration. Image by DLR Group. 

• The meted concept, or distributed mini-suites, is achieved by disbanding a group of faculty offices from one separate building, and dispersing them throughout the campus where students spend the majority of their day.
• The magnet creates a central hub for student interaction, either one-on-one or in small groups. Private meeting space for faculty and students, as well as collaboration areas, are designed in clusters and located closer to labs and classrooms, giving students direct access to professors from their learning environment. Faculty research is done elsewhere, and specifically designed for heads-down tasks.
• The multi-modal concept elevates community and entrepreneurial spirit to a new level. This one-stop concept can be located almost anywhere on campus with the idea that it houses all aspects of a student-faculty experience. The space is open and transparent, and contains fixed and flexible environments that allow for autonomous or collaborative activities.

While no one size fits all for any campus, these concepts are gaining traction around the nation to meet the students where they are – in life and in their studies.

The University of Northern Iowa’s Schindler Education Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa by DLR Group. Photo by Michael Robinson.

Another View on the Matter
In this Insight I’ve addressed the academic workplace from the student perspective; in part two of this series, my colleague and interior designer Amy Hoffman, will address the academic workplace from the faculty point of view. Through the lens of her experience delivering change management solutions to organizations, Amy will discuss some of the ways we gain buy-in and support from faculty as we transition them into new workspaces.

Read more about our design ideas for a student-centric higher education experience.

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