Standard 8: Facilities

At Dartmouth the physical facilities and the overall campus environment contribute very significantly — and very positively — to the educational mission of the College. It is a beautiful campus in one of the world's great settings. The care that has been given to both the buildings and the overall appearance of the campus is a tribute to the careful stewardship of generations of Dartmouth men and women, and their gift to today's students and faculty.

There has been a very significant amount of planning and construction in recent years, and much more is likely in the next decade or more. Like every other college or university, Dartmouth's appetite for academic space is very substantial, and the need for more and better space is an important concern. The good news about the way that Dartmouth is going about the process of growing is very good, indeed. Dartmouth has developed a master plan with the help of architect Lo-Yi Chan that establishes standards and expectations for campus development, including a landscaping plan. Dartmouth places a healthy emphasis on rehabilitating and reusing existing facilities, rather than proposing new buildings to meet every new need.* Finally, the Trustees have formed a new committee to oversee all of this activity.

The process for setting priorities for major construction and rehabilitation projects and integrating this space planning into the College's long term financial planning is a great challenge. It is important for the administration to consult broadly, explain decisions fully, and to state clearly what the financial constraints are and how they were determined.

As we indicated earlier, the condition of most campus buildings appears to be excellent, and that obviously is a high priority for the College. As the 1998 external audit of facilities conditions reported, Dartmouth's problem is less one of "deferred maintenance" than deferred modernization, a problem that is shared by all colleges and universities in this ever changing — and ever more challenging — academic world. We are encouraged that the College is addressing the issues associated with the maintenance needs of the campus.

* The land swap with the hospital in the 1980s presented the College with wonderful opportunities of this kind; this was a wonderful gift from the Trustees and others who made that courageous decision.

Dartmouth is also wrestling with how the maintenance needs of campus buildings should be accounted for in the College's financial plans and planning processes. For example: Is there an adequate level of maintenance funding built into long-term College budgets? Is there enough money for preventive maintenance and for periodic rehabilitation as part of the operating budget, and not just as special capital projects that are dependent on external fundraising? Are there sufficient resources for the normal short-term fixes? Is adequate provision made in the budget for the operations and maintenance costs of new buildings before the decision to build is made? It is absolutely essential that physical planning and financial planning be integrated into an overall facilities plan for the College and that operational budgets and capital budgets be consistent and mutually reinforcing.

These are the questions and issues facing all colleges and universities in regard to their facilities. Dartmouth, more than its peers, is positioned to address them all with a high degree of success.