During his first months on campus, the Chancellor outlined a focus on three priority areas: enrollment and retention; research, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking; and, regional economic development.

The 2020 Campus Master Plan proposal gives shape to the diverse collection of data, observations, analysis, thoughts, insights and priorities gathered throughout the master planning process.

The Arrival District will dramatically connect the entry of campus off Interstate 44 to the main academic campus through a series of landscape and building projects that also includes making synergistic connections to adjacent districts. The realignment of University Drive will unlock opportunities for development of new space north of the realigned University Drive as well as south of University Drive and west of Highway 63 in the area currently providing off campus housing units and retail services.

The Arrival District will provide S&T a front door fitting of its academic reputation. Key new facilities will support the goals of the arrival district and serve to reflect the energy and innovation of the University out to campus visitors and passersby. The associated landscape, site and wayfinding interventions will create a much safer and more amenitized environment for the campus community.

S&T’s main academic campus contacts an eclectic mix of building sizes, ages and styles. As the main academic campus it contains the primary teaching, laboratory and research spaces as well as administrative functions. Many buildings have had program studies performed previously to study the opportunities and challenges of renovating and/or adding on to the existing facilities.

Some projects have been carried over from the 2017 Master Plan. If a program study has previously been completed on a particular project, it should be reassessed based on the current strategic priorities established in the 2020 Master Plan.

The existing athletics district offers many opportunities to improve the campus. From a land use perspective, the former golf course provides ample space to reconfigure the entire district to create an athletics and mixed use district. The proposed district reconfigures fields and facilities to capture prime retail frontage at Kingshighway and 63. This retail zone, referred to during the planning as ‘Downtown West’ will allow S&T’s land to be more economically productive through ground leasing or other creative agreements.

A more branded, cohesive and complete athletics, rec and intramural experience is created by locating these functions together in
one area of campus. This will free space at the northwest corner of campus for the R&D Park development and create operational efficiencies.

A walking/running path in this area provides a training place for the cross country team and a wellness asset to the campus community. A big planning strategy here is the aligning of a new major drive off the new University Drive with the football stadium. Many who attend athletic games, tournaments and competitions are coming from other places often approaching campus from I-44. This is intended to give the Athletics District a stronger identity and more prominence on campus.

Creating a culture of research, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking is one of the strategic priority areas for the 2020 Campus Master Plan. As also shown in the 2017 Master Plan Update, the zone north of I-44 provides an optimal location for a Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Campus that would be more professional in nature. Here, S&T can leverage the value of its people and attract corporations, industry and governmental agencies to partner in cutting edge research.

The plan as drawn is flexible. Footprints are representational to illustrate flexibility for the Park to host facilities of various sizes and is not tied to any specific recommended size building or quantity of square footage. This is the planned site for S&T's Systems Integration and Prototype Development Facility.