The differences in conditions between college facilities — such as between the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the School of Education’s Huntington Hall — could lead an outside observer to believe that the university values certain schools above others. The Campus Master Plan will be an important factor in making sure the campus buildings appear more equal.

The university produces a Campus Master Plan every 10 years that evaluates SU’s campus environment and physical form. The Campus Master Plan will look at how the university currently uses its buildings, so that it can identify the university’s climate. The last plan, compiled in 2003, focused on a few areas and proposed renovating the Carnegie Library, which was completed last January.

Every college at Syracuse University is valued equally. But the current states of some buildings show otherwise, which can be a problem for prospective students touring the university. Although those who attend SU likely know that renovations and updates come from generous donations, from the outside it might seem like some schools are given more resources than others.

The new Campus Master Plan, with a focus on re-evaluating university buildings, comes at a good time. Some colleges have been able to renovate buildings — such as the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications — because of donors. But other colleges that do not have as many or as wealthy of donors are in need of renovation.  The new Dick Clark Studios and the Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation are the most recent renovations for Newhouse and stand in stark contrast to other facilities, such as Huntington-Beard Crouse or the Physics Building.

With the new Campus Master Plan,  the university will be able to strategize a way to give appropriate attention to each campus building — even the ones that do not have as large of a pool of donors.