onmental Control, Utilities and Energy Management
Section 16
Technology
Section 17
The Financial Analysis and Action Plan Section 1
Master Planning within the University Context
The University Mission
Planning is recognized as an integral
component of the overall strategy for
University development which should
be driven by the academic priorities
of the institution. The Campus
Master Plan (the Plan) is intended to
be an essential resource document
that supports the Vision of the
University to become the University
of choice for quality higher education
in southern Oklahoma and northern
Texas.
Campus Master Plan Concept and Objectives
The Plan recognizes that a major role of the planning process is to provide for the
campus community a setting that enhances the quality of life for students, faculty, staff
and visitors. The Plan must also entertain the idea that the individuals change, but the
academic pursuits and the student activities continue through the years. This concept of
creating a design that endures must be embraced by the Plan.
The Plan establishes a broad framework that will guide the development of the Campus
in terms of appropriate use of the land as well as the preservation and enhancement of
the open spaces. In addition, the Plan must address the requirements of both pedestrian
and vehicular traffic. Consideration in these areas should establish an attractive,
welcoming link between Southeastern and the surrounding community. The goal is to
ensure that development decisions made in the near future reflect and contribute to a
clear, long range concept of a unified, efficient, accessible, and attractive campus.
The Plan must support the Universitys mission by conserving the use of land and
physical resources while sustaining an environment that reinforces a sense of
community, while supporting the learning process and enhancing the traditions that are
unique to Southeastern.
These objectives provide the foundation for long range planning:
·
Provide a framework for the management of growth in the future
·
Provide for continuous improvement of the campus facilities
·
Conserve natural resources and historical aspects of campus
·
Preserve open spaces
·
Manage vehicular circulation and pedestrian traffic
·
Provide for a distinctly Southeastern identity Section 2
The Campus of a Thousand Magnolias
Southeastern Oklahoma State University was established in Bryan County Oklahoma in
1909, as The Southeastern Normal School (Norris, 1976). The campus is situated on
land inhabited by the old Choctaw and
Chickasaw Nations. Native American tribes of
the area played an important role in the
founding of the school and have supported its
development over the decades. The history and
culture of the school still hold strong ties to
these tribes. Elements of tribal culture are
denoted in building and street names.
Known as the Campus of a Thousand Magnolias, or The Campus of the Rising Sun,
Southeastern Oklahoma State University is located in the county seat Durant,
Oklahoma. The small town was settled by a French-Choctaw family named Durant, and
grew quickly with the development of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (Norris,
1976). The railroad (M-K-T or Katy) brought many white settlers to Indian Territory and
many students to the new campus.
The development of the campus has occurred in different ways, some planned and some
random. Many early American campus design elements can be seen in the physical
structure of the campus. The layout of the academic buildings, for example, can be
related back to the open quadrangle that began to appear in the late 1800s (Turner,
1984). This formation is composed of building groups that are laid out in a U
configuration leaving one end of the quadrangle open to the surrounding environment.
The open quadrangle of the European tradition could be associated with a Catholic
culture, while an open quadrangle could represent an American Puritan orientation
(Turner, 1984).
The Mall concept can also be seen in the layout of the academic buildings on the
Southeastern Oklahoma State Campus. This consists of two rows of buildings facing
each other across an open space (Turner, 1984). The Mall is a grand tradition in the
planning of American university campuses. The lawns are broad and may contain a focal
point or building at the end of an axis. This design was clearly the intent behind the
placement of Morrison Hall in the north central portion of the grand lawn at SOSU. The
architecturally ornate columns and arches face University Boulevard as a proclamation
of the presence of Southeastern Oklahoma State University to the community. The American colonists adopted the use of open space around buildings, as opposed to
buildings arranged in an unbroken rectangle enclosing a courtyard. Each university
building is located in its own green space. This arrangement perhaps expressed the
availability and importance of land in early America and the belief that the purity of
nature had beneficial effects on students. In addition, the smaller plots of lawn offer
more opportunity to create design elements in the landscape, and geometric layout of
axis and sidewalks.
The original layout of the pedestrian circulation on the SOSU campus shows design
intent toward symmetry and geometric shapes. These ideas were often derived from a
philosophy usually associated with the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, or School of Beaux-Arts
(Turner, 1984). Artistic ideas were often translated into a grand axis detailed with focal
points, generally consisting of statues and fountains, culminating into courtyards or very
ornate buildings. Landscaping was an additional and very important source of detail and
color.
The eastern part of the SOSU campus presents a much different plan. On the east side
of Fourth Street a very random layout and an inconsistent and rudimentary pedestrian
pathway represent the Athletic District. This area appears to have been pieced together
without regard to the District or the campus as a whole. Perhaps this apparent lack of
design represents a time in campus history when the political and economical forces
were not in place to adequately facilitate the developmental planning the university
needed.
The usual visual amenities of university campuses such as tree lined sidewalks, and
areas for pedestrians to gather and rest are entirely absent. In addition, both the interior
and exterior of the buildings are in poor condition. This entire area, encompassed by
University Boulevard, First Street, Fourth Street, and Dunlap Drive, has an appearance
of disrepair. The area seems physically unconnected to the academic district in the
east/west direction, and so dissimilar in visual quality that the two areas look unrelated.
Much of the poor visual quality of the Athletic District could be enhanced with simple
tree lines, better developed entryways, significant pedestrian paths, and nodes.
The Northwest Extension of campus is delineated by Seventh Street and Chuckwa
Street. This area is natural with a rolling topography. Many native oak species from the
Cross Timbers plant have colonized this area. In addition, Cross Timbers forest and a
small stream surround the area to the east. The landscape quality in this area is
outstanding with the scenic beauty enhanced by the rolling nature of the ground plane
and complemented by a backdrop of trees. This area has already been designated as a
partial no build, and holds wonderful opportunity to provide outdoor classrooms and
interpretive trails.
A university needs to present a strong image to the community. The physical elements
presented reflect the history of a university and can reflect the future direction of it as
well. A prominent image suggests success and progress, among other things. The public face presented by Southeastern could improve in the following areas: Main access to campus magnolia trees block the Universitys ability to
communicate its prominence to the community. Official entrances to campus lack of design cause entries to be understated. Areas between campus and community the edge between the campus and the
community allows for no distinguishable separation.
The development of the campus occurred over many decades. In 1909, it was decided
that the Southeastern State Normal School would be built on the twenty acre Schuler
peach orchard. The estimated cost of the new three-story brick structure was $100,000.
The first Normal School structure was the administration and classroom building which
opened its doors on January 2, 1911. The building housed an auditorium with a stage
and the audience area was equipped with stationary folding seats. The top floor of the
three-story building housed the Biology, Physics, and Chemistry facilities. The third
floor also housed the Piano room and English Department as well as the library. The
main portion of the first floor was occupied by the gymnasium and the boiler room. A
$20,000 revenue bill was appropriated to help equip the building and to landscape the
grounds. By September 1911, the Normal Building was wired for electric lights which
made it possible for students to use the library at night.
In 1915-1916, permanent grandstands were erected, three clay courts added to the
athletic grounds, brush and undergrowth was removed from the north campus, and the
soil was leveled and covered with sod. Sixth Street was leveled, graded, and the potholes
were filled. Additional money was also appropriated for a new classroom building and
heating plant. In 1917 the Oklahoma House appropriated $15,000