Gallaudet University Board of Trustees Approves the University’s 2022 Campus Plan - Campus Planning

Gallaudet University announced on May 21 that its Board of Trustees has approved the goals and direction of the university’s 2022 campus plan.

The campus plan is expected to be submitted to the District of Columbia Zoning Commission this summer and articulates the university’s vision for the campus and provides guidance for the physical development of campus facilities. The goals of the 2022 campus plan are to plan for a growth in enrollment, increase and enhance on-campus housing, revitalize the heart of the campus and increase density, integrate physical accessibility and sustainability, and to build new connections with the local community.

“We see the 2022 campus plan as a major tool in advancing the University, both in the opportunities that will be afforded to our students, and to the surrounding community,” said Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz. “We envision a campus where the city residents and students intermingle freely and enrich one another with their diversity and their support for each other’s dreams.”

Led by a steering committee consisting of representatives from a cross-section of Gallaudet students, faculty and staff, the 2022 campus plan is the culmination of input from the campus community and beyond. Over the past 15 months, students, faculty and staff participated in series of eight campus workshops focusing on such topics such as sustainability, academics and research, “DeafSpace” design concepts and accessibility, and campus life followed by several town hall-style presentations.

Last September 2011, an advisory panel from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) conducted interviews of: people from the campus community; local area merchants and individuals from neighborhood associations; officials from the D.C. government, including the Mayor’s Office, Parks and Recreation, D.C. Public Schools, and city planners; local Advisory Neighborhood Commission members; local and citywide Chambers of Commerce members; representatives from other area universities and the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area; and other stakeholders. Recommendations resulting from these interviews and other analyses were recently published in a report entitled Repositioning the Institution, Renewing the Community.

Last spring, the university conducted several community-based forums and a workshop to encourage public participation and input in the 2022 campus plan. The Gallaudet Community Relations Council has also been involved in the planning process and additional opportunities for feedback from both internal and external stakeholders will continue to be made available.

Highlights of the 2022 campus plan include:

• Renovation of three historic campus buildings which are part of the Gallaudet College Historic District, a U.S. National Historic Landmark district.
• Creation of a new pedestrian entrance to campus from the corner of Florida Avenue and 6th Street Northeast.
  Construction of a new residence hall for the Model Secondary School for the Deaf, a residential high school program located on campus.
• Establishment of a new student learning commons to replace the library on the current site of the university’s visitor center and admissions office.
• Refurbishment the “Gallaudet Mall” to enhance the space as an outdoor gathering area.

Next steps for the 2022 campus plan development include continued meetings with the District Office of Planning and with Ward 5 and Ward 6 stakeholders. A public hearing with the District of Columbia Zoning Commission is expected to occur in late 2012.

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. Gallaudet maintains a proud tradition of research and scholarly activity and prepares its graduates for career opportunities in a highly competitive, technological, and rapidly changing world.

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