Colleges revise master plans in bid to address cash crisis.

More students, less money. That's the predicament facing many colleges and universities across the nation, according to a study conducted by Hillier Architecture, "Campus Space Crunch: Funding, Planning and Foresight in Higher Education."

Over the next few years, a dramatic increase in enrollment triggered by the coming of age of the children of baby boomers is expected to coincide with a significant drop in public funding for capital construction projects on campus, according to the study. That leaves more schools competing for a smaller pot of private money. "It's a disturbing trend that no one is talking about," said Joe Rizzo, a principal with Hillier's higher education studio. "While the problems with Social Security and Medicare are hotly debated, the lack of funding for our nation's higher education institutions has gone largely ignored. If things don't change, we could see a day when our most promising students can't afford to go to college. The impact on our national economy--not to mention our national pride--would be devastating."

How are higher education institutions planning to cope? Many schools are revisiting their campus master plans, the study says. One out of every two schools is updating its campus master plan to deal with issues such as increasing enrollment and aging facilities.

"Urban or suburban, large or small, all colleges are struggling with a lack of space," said Hillier's Joanna Strauss, former architect for Rutgers University, one of the largest state schools in the country. "To enable growth while still preserving the collegial character of the campus is one of the main purposes of developing a long-range campus master plan."

Campus master plans are also playing an important role for schools seeking to meet sustainable design mandates, maintain positive community relations and tap new funding sources.

Highlights of the study:

Public funding for capital construction is drying up. Only 21% of schools in the study expect to receive state funding for capital construction in the future, whereas 60% had received it in the past.

Distance learning has not diminished the need for on-campus facilities. More than 85% of schools said that distance learning has not impacted their campus development strategy.

Sustainable design is fast becoming a priority on campuses. Almost 95% of schools said that sustainable design issues will play an increasing role in the master planning process and building designs.

Campus master plans are a powerful marketing tool for development offices. Some 64% of schools use campus master plans to illustrate the school's long-term vision to prospective donors during the fundraising process.

"Campus Space Crunch: Funding, Planning and Foresight in Higher Education" is the result of research on 200 colleges and universities across the country and interviews with 103 campus planning officials. Questions touched on past and future sources of funding for capital projects, building trends on campus and different approaches to campus master planning.