Keeping the Campus Connected in a Post-Pandemic World

© Knoll Inc.
Speaker
Elliot Felix
Founder & CEO, brightspot
Moderator
Carol Crane
Vice President, Education / Healthcare, Knoll

Knoll k. talk - May 5, 2020 © 2020 brightspot strategy. All Rights Reserved.
KEEPING THE CAMPUS CONNECTED
IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD
Knoll k. talk
MAY 05, 2020

Introduction
The future of higher education lies at the
intersection of on-campus and online learning.
Learn how these two worlds are converging, how the
pandemic is accelerating trends reshaping higher
education, and how colleges and universities must
reimagine their positioning, programs, people, and
places as a result.

About brightspot
We transform the higher education
experience with smart strategy that
connects people, programs, and places—
on campus and online.
Together with our clients, we increase
student success, improve research
support, and enable staff productivity
while making institutions more efficient
and effective.

HOW HIGHER ED IS CHANGING

Higher Education in the US
There are about 20,000,000 students
enrolled at about 4,300 colleges and
universities in the US. Of these, about 40%
are public, 40% are private non-profit, and
20% are for-profit.
• Approx 85% undergraduate enrollment
• 33% take at least one online course
• 1,500,000 faculty (~50% full-time)
• 2,500,000 staff (~25% full-time)
• Total annual budgets ~$640B (~$380B publics,
~$242B privates, and ~$17B for-profits)
Sources: NCES Report 2019-21, Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Institutions
by type

Moving toward more connected institutions
Traditional Campus Connected Campus
Academia vs. industry, education vs. work
Academia and industry partner, lifelong learning
Online and on-campus disconnected Learning combines online and on campus
Discipline-driven research, in either wet or dry
labs, distinct from teaching
Interdisciplinary research, in hybrid wet/damp/dry
labs, overlapping with teaching
Individual work and teamwork distinct Individual and teamwork fluidly combined
Academic affairs separate from Student Affairs
with siloed staffing and structures
Whole student approach with integrated student
services
Linear planning and processes, with capital and
operational separate
Looped planning and processes connecting pre- and
post-occupancy using lifecycle cost approach

Impacts of COVID-19 on Higher Education
SOCIAL
Distancing despite desire
for connection, decline in
transit and urbanization
FINANCIAL
Instability from decreased
state, federal, and
endowment funding
ENROLLMENT
Declines from
demographics, greater
uncertainty, and
competition
PROGRAMMATIC
Greater flexibility and
convergence of
education and work,
online and on-Campus
STUDENT SERVICES
More diverse students
with more integrated
support services across
and retention focus
INSTITUTIONAL
Increased closures,
flexibility, partnerships,
and regionalization with
new org models

Campus Impacts: Near-Term
In the near-term (before a vaccine or
preventative treatment), densities will
decrease, hours of use will increase, and
there will be new norms and operations.
1. More space per person for social distancing
2. Spaces scheduled for more hours
3. Less shared spaces
4. More ops staff to enforce new norms
5. Dorms as living/learning communities
6. Athletics and recreation on hold
7. New org models (blocks, cohorts, etc.)
University of Pennsylvania, Van Pelt Dietrich Library

Campus Impacts: Long-Term
In the long-term (after a vaccine or
preventative treatment), overall facility
expansion will slow, there will be less
office and instructional space, and other
spaces will be reconfigured.
● Curtailing expansion beyond enrollment
● Focus on healthy environments
● Fewer large lecture halls (just for events)
● Less office space, due to remote work
● Re-evaluate building systems for health
● Re-evaluate building materials for health
● New operations based on new norms
University of Minnesota Work+ Flexwork Program

HOW TO PLAN FOR THIS

Take the pulse of your community
Reach out to your students, faculty, and
staff to see how they are feeling and
what their needs are, including:
1. Utilize mix of methods: surveys, online
interviews, online focus groups, and mining
usage data
2. Compare assessments by race, income, and
background to ensure most vulnerable
populations supported
3. Identify user adaptations and innovations that
can be scaled up
4. Put feedback loops in place for the future
brightspot Student Experience Snapshot, April 2020 n= 500

Assess current spaces and systems
Spaces and systems will need to be
quickly assessed in terms of density,
layouts, and health—and different space
types will have varied needs.
1. Determine future student demand (reduced for
international students, gap years, local/lower-
cost options, online preference)
2. Determine future faculty and staff demand due
to remote work need / preference
3. Assess space capacities and configuration for
distancing, airflow, and people flow
Brown University, Engineering Research Center

Adapt current spaces and systems
Spaces and systems will require adaptation
to accommodate changes in demand –
new amounts, types, and schedules of
usage.
● Improve Air Quality, Air Distribution and Humidity
● Incorporate sensing to monitor utilization and
occupancy
● Incorporate booking systems to reserve seats
(i.e., in a library)
● Adjust layouts to accommodate reduced density
for distancing and new flows
Knoll

Adapt operations and organization
Spaces and systems will have expanded
hours of operation and will require
greater cleaning and supervision. New
ways of organizing people and programs
will be needed.
● Hybrid online/on-campus as default
● 24/7 operations (lower density, time zones)
● Continuous cleaning
● Testing, tracking, sensing, and tracing
● Cohort, learning communities, block plans
● Smaller units for more flexibility, less risk Colorado College “Block Plan” Schedule

Communicate new norms
New norms and behaviors will be needed
as we occupy adapted spaces. These may
include:
● Maintaining distance
● Opting into tracking / sensing
● Wearing masks
● Elevator and stair protocols
● Cleaning surfaces before and after use
● Personal hygiene (e.g., hand washing)
● Self-monitoring
Social distancing signage (Target)

“The future is already here. It’s
just not very evenly distributed.”
- William Gibson

View into the future: NYU Shanghai
The partial re-opening of NYU Shanghai
provides a useful window into the the
future for US colleges and universities.
Strategies include:
● 20% of classes resuming on campus
● Single building entry
● Temperature checks at building entry
● “Green" health certificate
● Masks and distancing in classrooms
● Single tables in dining hall
● Reduced, reserved seating in library
● Limit of 5 people per elevator
● Frequent cleaning and sanitizer

Stay in touch!
Elliot Felix
@elliotfelix
elliot@brightspotstrategy.com
www.brightspotstrategy.com
Monthly insights: http://bit.ly/bspot_signup

THANK YOU!

Questions?

What’s Next
May 12
The Office Reimagined: What Will Tomorrow’s Workplace Bring?
May 19
The Power of Being Present: How Life Influences Design
June 9 & 10
Knoll Design Days

Keeping the Campus Connected in a Post-Pandemic World

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