Georgetown University’s Campus Plan

Georgetown University’s 2000 Campus Plan
"Georgetown University stands at a critical juncture in its history. The 2000 Campus Plan will help secure the University’s position as a premier Catholic and Jesuit academic institution, increase the University’s contributions to research and discovery, and extend the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching and its fundamental focus on spirituality and service. It achieves these objectives in ways that are respectful of our historic character, sympathetic to the city’s urban fabric, and supportive of our neighboring community." -- Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J., President

Overview

Since the adoption of the 1958 Zoning Regulations, Georgetown University has submitted nine campus plans to the DC Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) for review and approval. Because the University operates under a special use permit by the BZA, any proposed development is evaluated by the BZA with respect to impact on the surrounding community. The BZA is primarily concerned with noise, traffic, student enrollment, and other issues that might be deemed objectionable from the standpoint of the effect on neighboring properties. The University’s most recent campus plan approval was its 1989 Plan, which was approved by the BZA in 1990 and which has guided campus development over the last ten years.

Based on an architectural scale that is compatible with the goal of a pedestrian oriented campus, the 2000 Campus Plan brilliantly integrates the proposed academic buildings and our 780-bed Southwest Quadrangle into our historic campus core and the surrounding community. The proposed plan reflects a significant change from the previous plans in that we have now moved from a vision of the completion of the campus based on "podia" to one based on "quadrangles." The 2000 Campus Plan will develop the back portion of the campus on the model of a village, creating new pedestrian walkways, beautiful quadrangles, river views, and enhanced green space. Furthermore, it will strengthen student life and culture on our campus and create an even more welcoming environment for the campus community and our neighbors.

Goals

Our 2000 Campus Plan has three interrelated and mutually sustaining goals:

First, to enhance the academic excellence of the University, in a time of increasing competition and fiscal constraint in higher education;

Second, to provide a physical and architectural environment on our campus that lifts the mind, builds community, and re-centers student culture on campus by attracting students to the campus for intellectual pursuits, as well as social and recreational activities; and,

Third, to promote collaboration and community among the University and the surrounding neighborhoods, so that all of us might realize our various goals and enjoy a common high quality of life.

Major Components of the Campus Plan

1. Facilities: The 2000 Campus Plan provides Georgetown with the opportunity to develop the first new academic buildings on campus in more than twenty years and to make architectural enhancements that will dramatically bolster academic and cultural life on campus. Georgetown’s last academic building was the Bunn Intercultural Center (ICC), which was completed in 1982.

The 2000 Campus Plan proposes:

A total of four new buildings: A Science Building, a new Business School facility, an Administrative/Academic Building, and a new Physician’s Office Building at the Medical Center.

Additions and renovations to the Ryan Administrative building to create the first Performing Arts Center in Georgetown’s history. This project will help realize our goal of re-centering student life on campus.

Renovations to existing buildings, including the Leavey Center, Lauinger Library, Walsh, St. Mary’s (currently before BZA for review), Dahlgren Library (at the Medical Center), and Lombardi Cancer Center.

A redesign of Harbin Field, which will add an additional 1,300 seats, and an addition to McDonough Gym.

2. Enrollment: The 2000 Campus Plan recognizes and addresses the desire of neighbors who have asked the University to reduce the number of traditional undergraduate students living in the community. As a result, the 2000 Campus Plan calls for no increases above our current enrollment cap until the Southwest Quadrangle opens in 2003, which will increase on campus housing by 780 students. Beginning in 2003, the University has proposed a modest increase in its undergraduate enrollment cap by 389 students, which, if utilized, will be phased-in over a 7-year period. As a result of these community-focused proposals, the percentage of undergraduates living on campus will increase significantly from the current level of 78% to 90% once the Southwest Quadrangle is complete. Looking ahead, if the University were to utilize the full phased-in enrollment increase of 389 by the year 2010, no fewer than 84% of our undergraduates would live on campus. This modest proposed enrollment increase is essential because it gives Georgetown the flexibility to meet the costs of our academic programs. Georgetown has not implemented the full enrollment increase allowed under our 1990 Campus Plan.

3. Off Campus Student Life: Over the summer, in direct response to the concerns of our neighbors, and at the request of the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA), the University enhanced its Off Campus Student Affairs Program in significant ways.

Major highlights of the new and augmented Off Campus Students Affairs Program include:

Establishment of the Students’ Neighborhood Action Program (SNAP). This new program, developed by the Office of Student Affairs, will train student employees to monitor potential student-related problems in Burleith and West Georgetown. SNAP intends to:

proactively identify and approach student houses in the community that may raise concerns;
respond to calls from the off campus Hotline – which operates Thursday through Saturday; and
work more closely with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Addition of a new full-time staff position in the Office of Off Campus Student Affairs. This position will primarily be responsible for working closely with neighbors and students to address problems related to noise, trash and alcohol. Furthermore, this staff member will implement educational programs to increase civic responsibility among students, and foster better relations with the community.

Establishment of a new neighborhood council, Alliance for Local Living (ALL). This newly formed alliance will bring together University leadership, students, neighbors, and landlords to proactively address common neighborhood issues, and to facilitate communication and feedback among community members and the University.

Stronger sanctions for off campus violations of the University’s Code of Conduct. These include a new "co-curricular sanction," which prohibits students from representing Georgetown in extracurricular activities including athletics, as well as disciplinary probation, and suspension.

4. Traffic Management: Over the years, the University has worked with local and public officials and citizens’ groups to improve traffic flow and parking on the campus with particular attention given to reducing traffic on local community streets. These efforts have been recognized widely for their success.

In an effort to improve parking and traffic conditions on and around campus, the University has augmented its existing Transportation Management Plan. Recent modifications include providing additional parking space in off campus satellite parking locations for University faculty, students and staff, expanding the Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) service, and providing incentives for car/vanpooling.

The plan assumes the modification of the University’s South entrance at Canal Road. This modification will permit left turns in and out of the South entrance, thereby reducing rush-hour traffic congestion in that area.

Process

The 2000 Campus Plan was developed with rigor and care, seeking to project University needs accurately and to build on the progress we have made over the past ten years in neighborhood relations. In the summer of 1999, a Campus Plan Working Group was established consisting of two representatives of each ANC and community group. Since then, the University has met at least once a month with this group to review the Campus Plan as it has evolved and to solicit their concerns and suggestions, well in advance of the filing date.

The University presented its plan to the BZA at a public hearing on June 13, 2000. This was followed by a second public hearing on July 18, 2000. On August 10, 2000, at the request of the BZA, the University presented in writing a proposal for an Off Campus Student Affairs Program. During its September 5 hearing, the BZA announced that it would postpone its decision on the proposed Campus Plan until the University reported in writing by October 6 on the implementation of its Off Campus Student Affairs Program. The BZA anticipates issuing a decision on the 2000 Campus Plan on November 8, 2000.

For more information, contact the Georgetown University Office of Communications at

202-687-4328.