Since January, I’ve joined a team of nine Augustana College campus leaders to envision the future of Augustana by developing a new campus master plan. From time to time, like other organizations and businesses, Augustana reevaluates its strategic priorities. The seeds of this current work began after the inauguration of our ninth president, Andrea Talentino, in 2022, and coincided with the launch of a new strategic plan, Bold & Boundless.
Our scope is not restricted to reviewing and revising our housing stock for Augustana’s 2,500 students, nor is it limited to merely evaluating the flexibility of our classroom spaces. Augustana’s campus master plan, expected to be finalized later this year, is a holistic look at reevaluating our goals and priorities to design Augustana’s strong future.
These multi-year plans — both the campus master plan and strategic plan — will guide us in providing impactful educational experiences within the geographical boundaries of campus and include a strong emphasis on the importance of developing a vibrant community to support the needs of our students and neighbors.
The campus master plan team is considering improvements to social gathering areas, residential locations and dining facilities to foster engagement opportunities and cultivate a stronger sense of belonging at Augustana. This work will also enhance the first impressions of visiting incoming prospective students.
An evaluation of campus utilization and classroom mapping indicates Augustana has the space needed to accommodate our learning community. The mission is to optimize these spaces to best serve students and faculty who are living and delivering the Augustana experience every day.
We know strengthening our physical spaces will have lasting positive impacts for campus and the community alike. Campus improvements may drive economic activity — spurring construction of adjacent Rock Island spaces and paving the way for new business owners. This may mean new service providers for campus and residents. It could also lead to internship and work experiences for our students and provide a pipeline of work talent for QCA employers and beyond.
Rather than paint a picture of future desired campus-community synergy, we can look today at the successful City of Rock Island-Augustana partnership on the creation of the tennis court complex at Lincoln Park. Work will wrap up this month on the creation of the six new tennis courts, which double as pickleball courts, for student and community use. This is the result of leaders of Augustana and Rock Island uniting to be good neighbors, envisioning a future that is enriching and vibrant for the Quad-Cities community.
As the tennis complex’s bathrooms and bleachers are finalized, we’ll reflect on the lessons we’ve learned with an eye on keeping the momentum going for future collaborations between Augustana and the City of Rock Island.
In the end, that’s what our campus master plan work is — dreaming up the future for enhanced campus spaces for a stronger Augustana and a stronger Quad-Cities.
Kirk Anderson, a 1993 Augustana College graduate, now serves as the Rock Island college’s chief financial officer and vice president of administration. He can be reached at [email protected].
