Measuring the Impact of New Facilities

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Hastings+Chivetta is privileged to have assisted Murray State University (MSU) with the development of a new and transformative Science Quad over the past 15 years.  The complex of buildings was completed in three phases: Biology (2004), Chemistry (2009), and Engineering and Physics (2018).  These buildings support academic programs for core requirements, the Sciences, Engineering & Technology, and Nursing and Health Professions; they also significantly expand the University’s research capacity.  To prospective students and parents, the new Science Quad clearly conveys MSU’s commitment to its educational mission.  As architects, we are confident that projects of this magnitude will have a positive impact on recruitment, retention and productivity.  To test our confidence, we undertook a review of statistical data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Our findings suggest that while there are several factors that contribute to student matriculation and retention, new and renovated academic facilities clearly play an important role in motivating students to complete degrees in those disciplines. We have found this to be true at other campuses across the country as well.

Read the rest of our research here in a PDF to learn more about how new and renovated facilities are integral to the growth of your campus and the students you serve.

Contact Erik Kocher at [email protected] or (314) 529-4004 to talk about how our Campus Architects can help you create or enhance your campus facilities.