BC's plans rank as some of the most ambitious growth initiatives in higher education. Other universities have made substantial investments in their facilities and programs, but few can rival the BC Master Plan. The Daily Princetonian recently reported that Princeton University plans to spend over $750 million over 10 years for campus improvements, most notably in the psychology and neuroscience departments, as well as facilities for chemistry and financial engineering centers. While impressive, it seems BC's own science initiatives will keep the University up to par as other schools nationwide also make advances. At the same time, it will also provide the added advantage of interdepartmental cooperation - something Leahy has pinpointed as a strategic direction to take.
In terms of other campuses' physical expansions, The University of Pennsylvania has acquired over 24 acres from the U.S. Postal Service and plans to use this land in order to connect the campus with downtown Philadelphia, Penn. Harvard and Columbia have also looked to expand into nearby neighborhoods in their respective cities.
These are logical next steps for a growing university to take. To expand the scope of the University, more resources and facilities must be made available. That said, these modernizations are often not accomplished without some opposition from neighboring residents - something many universities, like BC and Columbia, have found out.
The BC plan tries to make the most of the available space for the BC community, while taking into account the surrounding neighborhood. While it plans to use the new property on Brighton Campus to the fullest extent, BC aims to maintain the buffer space between the residence halls and the housing developments, taking advantage of the gradient incline over the property as well as preserving the naturally forested areas.
Perhaps the most striking part of the plan is its sheer breadth. The $1.6 billion cost of implementing the initiative is hard to fathom, almost equaling BC's endowment of about $1.7 billion. For the Ivy League universities also looking at campus improvements, estimated costs seem more manageable when compared to their university endowments. Princeton, for example, expects costs to amount to a mere 5 percent of its $15.8 billion endowment. BC, however, appears to be well-prepared to make it happen with a bevy of fundraising and financial schemes in place to pay for all the improvements.
This project is one of the most significant events in the history of the University. It will substantially increase both the physical and research footprint of BC, while significantly improving the quality of student life and academic instruction. We applaud the planning committee on a job well done and look forward to watching the institution mature.
Spring Break
