Campus Planning
Campus Planning at Smith College works to ensure that all building and landscape projects align with the college’s mission, vision, and strategic goals. Collaborating closely with Capital Projects, CEEDS, Facilities & Operations, and campus leadership, we follow an integrated approach rooted in proactive, inclusive, and fiscally responsible decision-making. Our approach emphasizes stewardship and the effective coordination of physical and financial resources.
Our Key Priorities
- Facilitating meaningful engagement with the Smith community at appropriate levels.
- Aligning investments with the college’s most important strategic and operational goals.
- Optimizing the use of institutional resources to maximize impact.
- Developing the data, tools, processes, and governance structures needed to support a comprehensive Campus Use Plan.
By embracing this approach, Campus Planning aims to position Smith College as a leader in sustainable, innovative, and thoughtful campus development.
Aligning with our Strategic Priorities
Closely aligned with the development of our new strategic plan, the CUP will provide guidance on how we utilize our buildings and open spaces to better support our mission.
As President Sarah noted in her December email to the Smith community, the CUP will serve as a road map to ensure that the physical campus evolves in a way that supports Smith’s strategic priorities. To help guide us in this process, we have engaged Sasaki—an interdisciplinary planning and design firm with expertise in higher education—to conduct a 10-month study of our campus. Sasaki’s work will complement our strategic planning effort to ensure the vision for the campus develops in close alignment with our goals and priorities.
Your participation in this process is crucial and your insights will be invaluable in shaping a campus plan that truly reflects our shared aspirations for the future. Together, the campus planning team and Sasaki will offer students, faculty, staff, and alums opportunities for engagement, such as surveys, pop-up engagement activities, visioning sessions, and feedback forums.
Upcoming Events
Campus Planning Pop-up
February 4-6, Julia McWilliams Child ’34 Campus Center
Come get a hot chocolate, learn more about the CUP process, and give us your thoughts on how the Smith campus can best serve our community’s needs.
MyCampus Survey
Mid-February
A digital interactive tool to gather your experience and perceptions of the campus environment.
Listening Sessions & Campus Tours
February and March
Details forthcoming.
Please reach out to the Campus Planning team at campususeplan@smith.edu with any questions, comments, or big ideas!
Steering Committee
A Campus Use Plan (CUP) Steering Committee composed of trustees, faculty, staff, and students will oversee the development of CUP, in conjunction with the Campus Planning team.
President’s Team Members
- David DeSwert, Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration
- Alexandra Keller, Vice President for Student Life & Dean of the College
- Deanna Dixon ’88, Dean of Admission
Board of Trustees
- Lile R. Gibbons ‘64, Trustee
- Catherine P. Koshland ‘72, Trustee
Staff
- Betsy Carpenter, Associate Vice President for Development
- Erinn McGurn ‘94, Interim Associate Vice President for Sustainable Capital Programs
- John Singler, Associate Vice President for Enterprise Applications & Data Services
Faculty
- Reid Bertone-Johnson, Lecturer in Landscape Studies
- Amy Rhodes, Profesor of Geosciences
Student
- Salma Baksh ’28
Meet the Team
Please reach out to the Campus Planning team at campususeplan@smith.edu with any questions, comments, or big ideas.