Brady PieperThe University of Colorado (CU) Board of Regents is approving a new 10-year Facilities Master Plan and is considering new budgets to guide future capital construction and improvement initiatives at the Colorado Springs campus.
The new plan, finalized at the board’s February meeting, outlines a long-term strategic framework for future campus developments, including new construction, infrastructure enhancements, renovations and parking solutions for residents and faculty. As required by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, the plan will feature new strategies and recommendations that improve all experiences at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS).
UCCS’s Facilities Master Plan, the first since 2012, was developed through extensive engagement with more than 40 stakeholder groups, comprising over 400 participants from both the campus community and the broader Colorado Springs area.
For the CU Board of Regents, the master plan provides several project recommendations for consideration across UCCS’s central, west, east and sport and recreational campuses.
In the near-term, UCCS recommends renovating and upgrading several multipurpose facilities, including the Engineering & Applied Science, existing residence halls and apartments, the Kraemer Family Library and non-student facing administration to Cragmor Hall. To meet university needs, the plan will advocate for the construction of a new hotel and conference center, Welcome & Student Success Center, campus connection road, parking structure, gathering space at Alpine Valley and a new location for Mountain Lion Field.
Proposed mid-term projects include the renovation of The Lodge, Columbine Hall and the University Center, along with redevelopment of the main entrance and extension of Regent Circle. The master plan also includes new health and wellness spaces, sport courts and a skateboard park, as well as the replacement of the Alpine Recreation Field and renovation of Alpine Garage to add parking.
UCCS’s long-term recommendations involve building residence halls at Summit Village and Alpine Valley, as well as a new academic building and a facilities materials storage yard.
The creation of the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience and improvements to the Heller Center are also part of the vision. Additional athletic developments and the establishment of “Opportunity Zones” are planned to support future campus growth.
Notably, while the plan does intend to guide these future developments, its current iteration does not commit or include specific funding allocations for projects.
UCCS estimates that campus facilities require $394 million in total funding due to age-related maintenance needs in existing buildings. Prioritizing these maintenance endeavors, the facilities master plan is designed to address the existing needs of UCCS facilities while planning for the future.
As part of the regents’ meeting, UCCS also presented several budget scenarios for the board to consider for the 2025-26 fiscal year, including proposals with consideration to tuition increases, state level funding and enrollment levels.
The first scenario, the governor’s budget proposal, would decrease total funding for the CU system and state funding for higher education by 0.1%, cutting $2.8 million in funding cybersecurity and $65,000 for student rural health scholarships. This budget would also increase tuition for undergraduate residents and non-residents by an average of about 2.3%.
The second UCCS proposal, Scenario B, provides a mid-ground situation for the CU system, assuming overall system funding and state funding for higher education increases by about 1.2%. Despite the increase, the university estimates this budget solution would result in a budget gap between $5 and $8.4 million.
Scenario C, the most optimistic, notes a 2.2% increase in overall CU system funding and state level funding for higher education. This scenario would raise tuition for undergraduate resident students by about 4.5%, far higher than any other scenario. Despite this, a budget gap between $2.9 and $6.2 million would still exist.
While campus expenses continue to rise, the board seeks to balance this existing budget gap by reducing spending across campus to fund required mandatory priorities, such as utilities, inflation, insurance and campus funding choices like merit pay.
To learn more about the board’s recently approved master plan and University of Colorado system’s efforts to improve campus facilities and experiences, view the UCCS Communique’s Board of Regents publication.
Photo Courtesy
UCCS (University of Colorado Colorado Springs)
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
