Another Brick in the Wall? Increased Challenges Face the Physical Campus

Presidents, trustees, and senior administrators at New England colleges and universities all feel the pressures: keep tuition down, be competitive academically, and make sure the physical campus draws talent from a shrinking pool of traditional high school graduates and new nontraditional students. Given resource limitations, something's got to give and, for many campuses, investment in facilities is the first to get cut. This article provides a perspective on the physical condition of New England's colleges and universities using data from Sightlines, a higher education facilities consulting firm in Guilford, Conn. It will also provide perspectives from leaders at New England campuses on what can be done to address facilities challenges now and in the future.