Dr. Gail Barbosa, College of Nursing, discuss technology needs for the broader geographic delivery of instructional programs with Les Sanders, left, of Perkins & Will, and Dr. Tom Basler, director of library and learning centers.

Efforts that will result in a new University Master Plan for development of the MUSC campus during the next 10 to 15 years were initiated this week with the help of representatives from the architectural and engineering firm, Perkins & Will, with the assistance of another architectural and engineering firm, Ayers/Saint/Gross.

Preparations have been under way for the past year in anticipation of developing the master plan. MUSC president James B. Edwards, DMD, approved the creation of the first University Facilities Planning Committee in 1996 to advise the MUSC administration on space and facilities-related issues throughout the campus. The committee was not activated, however, until mid-1997 in order to allow for the development of the university's first comprehensive strategic plan. Now that that plan has been approved by the Board of Trustees, the way is clear to develop the physical planning for buildings, grounds, and infrastructure the university needs to fulfill the strategic plan.

Membership of the University Facilities Planning Committee, chaired by Tom Basler, Ph.D., director of libraries and learning centers, was purposely structured to be inclusive of the entire university community. Basler said that this all-inclusive character of the committee will prevail throughout the master planning process.

In its regularly scheduled April meeting, the MUSC Board of Trustees approved the selection of Perkins & Will which, with Ayers/Saint/Gross, has been engaged in similar campus planning projects at academic health science centers, medical centers and universities.

Perkins & Will is ranked one of the top 10 companies of its kind in the country, said MUSC director of planning John Sutusky. Its clients include Emory University, University of Colorado, Kuwait University, Umm Al-Qura University, Ohio State University Medical Center, Old Dominion University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Georgia and University of Virginia.

Officials estimate that the planning process will take about a year to complete. Catalyst readers can expect periodic updates on the progress being made on the master plan with that and other relevant information available on the web.