John Morrel and I attended the 3-day SCUP Mid-Atlantic Conference held this year at the University of Maryland, College Park. We attended seminars that spanned a wide array of topics related to the latest trends in college and university design and operations. We also took the opportunity to mingle with our higher education clients and other professionals in the field.
Interestingly, we learned that educators are placing a greater emphasis on online learning. There has been an increasing number of students who live on campus but take online courses. We also learned that there are some changes happening in the healthcare education field. As procedures and treatments become more sophisticated, teaching labs are becoming even more technically oriented – incorporating even higher levels of equipment and patient care manikins. These technologies are assuming a larger percentage of construction and operations budgets.
The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) is a community of higher education leaders who strive to create strategic, integrated planning on their campuses. SCUP focuses on implementing the strategic plan while incorporating the institution’s vision and mission. We are a gold level sponsor of the Mid-Atlantic Region and truly believe in the mission of this organization. The Mid-Atlantic Region benefits by having a very large number of top-rated universities and colleges, and MCA understands our responsibility to stay current with trends that are transforming Higher Education institutions. Our firm’s commitment to ‘Do the Right Thing’ for each planning or design opportunity helps us bring value to the design of spaces where future leaders will be shaped and educated.
