Key Planning Themes

The reimagining of the Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (PEAR) facilities is based on extensive feedback from the campus community, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni. PEAR was ranked as the number one priority by students, third by faculty, and third by staff, highlighting its importance across different groups. PEAR upgrades were discussed in the 2014 Facilities Master Plan, which included a recommendation to focus on the aging infrastructure of Cowling, West Gym, and Laird Stadium. Although some fields and other outdoor facilities have been upgraded since that time, little work has occurred on the three aging PEAR facilities themselves.

Survey results and workshop discussions indicated a clear preference for centralization of athletic facilities, with multiple comments suggesting construction of a new athletic facility adjacent to the Rec Center.

The historic Laird Stadium is problematically located within the flood plain of the Cannon River and prone to regular flooding. Relocating the day-to-day needs for a weight room and locker rooms will allow the stadium to be maintained for game-day activities.

West Gym is also problematically located within the flood plain and prone to regular flooding. In addition, the pool within the West Gym is inaccessible and the facility suffers from indoor air quality and mechanical challenges. By centralizing new PEAR facilities near the Rec Center, the long-term vision is to relocate all PEAR activities currently located in the West Gym. This will require a phased approach based on capacity to build new facilities over time, with the goal to eventually build a new natatorium, indoor turf facility, and gymnasium as part of the Rec Center complex. The existing West Gym may be re-purposed for the use of facilities and infrastructure on campus.

Centralization of PEAR facilities near the Rec Center will allow for sharing resources including locker rooms, meeting rooms, staff facilities, athletic training facilities, and other resources. In addition, the new natatorium, and eventually the new tennis center, will allow the pool and tennis court currently in Cowling to be renovated and repurposed. Some students requested that additional recreational facilities be located closer to living spaces across campus, so the Rec Center is not the only place on campus for fitness and club activities, especially for non-varsity athletes. Cowling has the potential to be renovated to support certain recreational activities, but it will also continue to support some varsity sports, especially those utilizing Bell Field.

During engagement with faculty, staff, and students, the planning team heard specific requests for equitable locker rooms, improved weight room facilities, and spaces for individual training. Both students and faculty/staff emphasized the need for accessible training spaces and enhanced community and academic spaces, such as study areas and club sport spaces. These features will foster both academic and athletic engagement within the facilities, providing areas for athletes and non-athletes to interact and build community. Creating hang-out spaces, food areas, and incorporating spaces for club sports, all support the broader vision of fostering a collaborative, centralized athletic environment.

Key additional “wish list” items requested by students include a climbing and bouldering expansion and field and recreation space, while faculty and staff emphasized the need for more event spaces, enhanced community spaces, and increased accessibility to Carleton’s natural outdoor resources. The planning team recommends developing a long-term athletics plan that phases the work of PEAR improvements over time to address these diverse needs across campus.

The campus-wide renovation and expansion of academic spaces are driven by the need to balance updated, equitable areas for the humanities and social sciences with the growing demand for interdisciplinary areas that unite disciplines and foster a sense of academic community. This collection of projects reflects the community’s desire for both discipline-specific and interdisciplinary environments that better serve the needs of students and faculty. The survey results strongly supported the need for spaces conducive to group study, collaboration, and meeting spaces, where students and faculty can come together to share ideas and work across disciplines. According to the data from student responses, a significant majority also emphasized the need for individual, quiet work/study spaces.

Conversely, spaces for conferencing and lectures were reported as areas where students and faculty are generally satisfied with current offerings, suggesting that these needs are already being met.

The classroom utilization survey concluded that the quantity and size of existing classrooms across campus are generally sufficient. However, there are some classrooms that suffer from accessibility, technology, or other concerns, including inadequate lighting. Underutilized classrooms should be considered for renovation and/or replacement with newer classrooms that can meet changing pedagogical needs.

Both Leighton Hall and Willis Hall are aging, historic academic facilities with significant infrastructure and accessibility needs. Both buildings are targeted for complete renovation to continue to serve academic needs. These projects address essential space constraints while providing collaborative academic environments for humanities and social sciences, including flexible classrooms, shared academic lab spaces, and spaces for individual and group study.

A new home for the Humanities Center will provide a physical connection between Leighton, as the home of several humanities departments, and the Library for shared programming. It will also take advantage of shared adjacencies between the two buildings. Phased upgrades to the Library to meet the needs of the archives and special collections space will ensure the Library remains a central resource for academic exploration while enhancing its role in supporting interdisciplinary work. The Library’s ability to bridge departments and serve as a connector on campus was highlighted by students, faculty, and alumni, who noted the need for integrated, flexible academic spaces to drive collaboration and campus connections.

The primary home of Studio Art facilities is Boliou Hall, which has not had a significant recent renovation. Existing tiered classrooms may be updated and/or renovated to offer more flexibility, while targeted interventions within the building will address space limitations and aging infrastructure for the visual arts in order to continue to create flexible, collaborative environments.

The new Center for Sustainability, planned near Lyman Lakes, is a direct response to the #2 priority identified by students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and a key step in advancing the goals of the recently adopted Sustainable Futures framework.

The campus community expressed a strong desire for a dedicated hub that brings together sustainability-related offices and resources, including the Sustainability Office, Environmental Studies, the Arboretum offices, and possibly the Science Education Resource Center (SERC). This center will combine classrooms, workshops, and research spaces to support interdisciplinary work and environmental activism on campus.

Survey and workshop results revealed a vision that emphasizes a holistic integration of academic and environmental learning spaces. Integration between the indoor and outdoor learning environments presents an opportunity to reflect the campus’s commitment to sustainability as a core academic value.

Faculty, staff, and students consistently voiced the importance of linking the Arboretum with the Center, recognizing its strong ties to sustainability and its role as a distinctive asset to the campus. Enhancing the Arboretum’s connection to campus sustainability efforts was echoed by alumni as well, who highlighted the need for improved Arboretum facilities that support research, teaching, and workshops.

The campus community also highlighted the opportunity to leverage existing sustainability projects, such as the geothermal system, and expand energy-efficient building practices through the new Center. This holistic approach aligns with the broader campus goals of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration while elevating sustainability as a key focus.

Overall, the Center for Sustainability embodies the vision of the Sustainable Futures framework, creating a space that not only addresses academic and environmental needs but also encouraging active participation in sustainability initiatives through community building.

In general, faculty and staff are satisfied with their workspaces across campus and appreciate that their locations are adjacent to the spaces where they work with students and peers. At a high level, the number of available workspaces on campus is roughly balanced with the number of faculty and staff at the College. However, there is very little to no availability for growth; when new hires are made it can be challenging to accommodate workspace in the ideal location. Modifications to Carleton’s policy for flexible and hybrid work could result in more efficient use of on campus workspace and office space, including enabling increased use of shared and/or hoteling workstations for staff who are on campus less than 50% of their time at work.

Meeting space is also at a premium across campus. Seven campus buildings, including Sayles, Weitz, Anderson, AGH, Leighton, Hasenstab, and Laird, currently account for the majority of on-campus meeting spaces, and 32% of all meetings scheduled on campus are for one hour with a setup size of less than 13 people. Many of these meetings are being held in rooms that are larger than they need to be; focusing on creating more smaller meeting rooms and/or reducing current meeting room size to increase the quantity of meeting spaces available will increase the availability of meeting space throughout campus. Larger meeting spaces, similarly sized to Weitz 236, are also in high demand and short supply.

Several staff members expressed dissatisfaction with the facility at 200 Division, stating that it is not conducive to its current use and should be repurposed. Reasons include its disconnection from campus and lack of visibility for staff working there; its unappealing visual exteriors; its limited parking; its challenges in terms of travel and lack of accessibility; and the fact that there is limited privacy available for the type of work conducted in the building.

Students, alumni, staff, and faculty expressed a strong desire for enhanced alumni relations, including dedicated spaces and resources to foster these connections. Alumni respondents highlighted the importance of improving connection with Carleton and finding ways to better support current students and help in their transition to life after Carleton. Stakeholders emphasized the need for a space that encourages genuine community among alumni, students, and faculty, and supports building personal connections.

Different stakeholder engagements identified key locations that could serve alumni relations and development, including Alumni Guest House (AGH), Bird House, and 107 College Street. Each of these spaces requires renovations for maintenance and transformation. Bird House, in particular, was noted as a current vital space for connecting students with alumni that should be further supported and developed.

Relocating staff out of 200 Division into new and renovated facilities adjacent to the Alumni Guest House allows critical adjacencies to emerge in a consolidated Beyond/After Carleton district, to include Development and Alumni Relations with close proximity to the existing Career Center. Potential renovation of Bird, Strong, 107 College, and AGH—with the option for addition and/or new construction in this district—will consolidate needed staff workspace in order for Development and Alumni Relations to optimize their workspace. By locating these offices adjacent to existing resources including the Career Center in the AGH, the new Beyond/After Carleton district can help foster engagement between current students and alumni.

Divesting of current office space in 200 Division opens up that College-owned property to be considered for development potential with outside community partners as part of the downtown Northfield fabric.

Campus housing remains a pressing concern for students—past and present. This topic frequently arose during engagements with students and alumni. Carls have called for equitable student dorms, emphasizing the need for renovations and improvements across many housing facilities. Alumni expressed their surprise that campus housing continues to face challenges, particularly in dorms like Musser and Myers, which have struggled with the same issues since they attended. Current students echoed these concerns, highlighting immediate needs that directly impact their living experiences. The condition of residence halls is also crucial for prospective students. Musser, in particular, was noted for its proximity to Sayles and Admissions, which could leave a negative impression for prospective students and visitors.

The Student Life and Housing Plan began with groundbreaking in April of 2023 and is currently in construction. Phase 1, completed in September 2024, added seven PHIUS certified townhouses at Lilac Hill and Union Street. Phase 2, which will be completed in the summer of 2025, will add three more townhouses as well as new spaces for Student Health and Counseling in the Class of 1974 Center. Phase 3 will focus on renovating student houses including Douglas, Parish, Page, and Rice, and returning the ground floor of Davis to student housing. Phase 4 includes the demolition of the houses within the floodplain, including Geffert, Prentice, Allen and Wilson. This phase will be completed after new construction and renovation of earlier phases are complete. Chaney House is also planned for demolition. The goals of the Student Life and Housing Plan are to create more equity in the student living environment, to provide gathering and community spaces to support cultural and interest house programs, and to appoint dedicated spaces for student health and counseling needs.

Carleton’s capital renewal program allocates on-going funding for maintenance and upkeep of the College’s residence halls. Current plans include residence hall interior upgrades on a periodic basis, as well as a full renovation of Burton Hall. Additionally, indoor air quality improvements are slated for Musser and Myers Halls and restroom upgrades are being planned in a number of residence halls. The planned renovations will address needs identified by campus stakeholders—safety, comfort and accessibility, revamping common and study spaces, improving amenities and upgrading visual aesthetics.

Affordable staff and faculty housing is a need that is essential to address for the long-term health of the College. Various stakeholders emphasized the importance of investing in housing for faculty and staff to remain competitive with other colleges, not only to help diversify recruitment but also to support the retention of current employees. Faculty and staff highlighted the need for access to affordable and equitable housing in Northfield, which is especially crucial for new or visiting faculty. Stakeholders noted that the limited affordable housing options in nearby communities like Northfield and Minneapolis can make recruitment challenging. New construction of faculty and staff housing is a key need for the Carleton community, followed by demolition and replacement of Faculty Club. Relocation of programs and housing on Second and Union Street as well as phased approach to demolition will be required to achieve this goal.

The site of 200 Division presents an opportunity for the College to potentially work with other community or developer partners to offer housing options adjacent to campus while also benefiting the greater Northfield community.

Spaces for thriving student life are an important part of Carleton’s culture. In the campus analytics survey, Sayles was identified as the most popular space for community among students, staff, faculty, and alumni. This beloved venue serves as one of the few non-academic, non-residential spaces on campus, providing students with opportunities to meet friends and run into other students they wouldn’t normally see. However, students expressed concerns with the existing building, including sterile and congested entry. Improvement to the bookstore as well as the need for restroom improvements were reported. In addition, many students commented in general about the need for space on campus for non-academic social spaces or “backpack free zones,” noting a significant lack of such areas on campus. They desired more comfy spaces and couches. They also highlighted a shortage of spaces to host club meetings and gatherings.

The space utilization study also found a shortage of meeting space to be a issue across campus. Staff, students, faculty, and alumni emphasized the strong need for both large and small event spaces. The current event space at Great Hall presents challenges due to acoustic problems, uncomfortable chairs, visible storage, challenging technology, and inadequate access to convenient restrooms..

Findings from the campus analytics survey also indicated that there are challenges with a clearly defined campus entry. The most-disliked moments on the southwest side of campus overlapped with mapped campus entry points. Stakeholders also expressed a lack of a strongly defined entry point that welcomes and guides visitors. The current south entrance does not effectively showcase campus assets.

The Weitz Center is a much-beloved campus asset, but its distance from the center of campus is exacerbated by traffic safety concerns, especially at night or in the winter. Improving the connection between Weitz and the rest of campus will be an ongoing focus.

Supporting projects for the Campus Facilities Plan include renovations to both Sayles and Great Hall as well as a focus on clarifying campus entry through renewed landscape and circulation pathways along College Street extending into the heart of campus. The 2019 Campus Circulation Plan calls for the potential closure of College Street north of Second Street, which is still under consideration. Planning is also underway to update and enhance wayfinding and signage across campus including formally naming entrance locations and parking lots, as well as adding blue lights and signage to the edges of campus.