During the past two decades CCA has grown in size and reputation, bringing us to an exciting point in the college’s history, This is a time of enormous opportunity for us, but also a time when CCA, and the entire higher educational sector, will encounter new challenges. Because we want to define and lead next-generation art and design education, we have come together to envision the future of the college through a long-range planning effort.
We are now halfway through the process and I’d like to update you on what’s happened thus far. As you may recall, we have been working with the firm Gensler to look at both the organizational aspects and physical assets of the college with the goal of creating a roadmap for CCA’s future.
Investigation
The first step was to thoroughly analyze the physical properties of both campuses, looking at the types of spaces and how and when they are being used. We engaged the local firm MKThink to assist Gensler with analytics. Space typologies include open making, specialized making, teaching, community, circulation, faculty and administration, housing, and support. Several key questions were addressed:
Community Engagement
Input from the CCA community is vital to the success of this project, and CCA faculty have been leading the way. To date, more than 500 people—faculty, students, staff, trustees, and alumni—have been involved in the process by attending meetings/ workshops and participating in surveys.
Initial Synthesis
The Gensler team led CCA community members through an exercise called R.E.I.D. We were asked what we would retain, enhance, introduce, and discard from our existing two campuses. The second part of the exercise was imagining a third campus, as if we were going to build the college from scratch.
The purpose of these exercises was to allow participants to let go of preconceived notions and open up to the many possibilities for CCA’s future. Fortunately, as creative people, we are particularly good at this. The results were interesting, and some unifying ideas emerged:
Some common threads from the community engagement:
Contextual Issues
Higher education is rapidly evolving, and the future will be user-centric with many possible pathways for teaching and learning. What will future CCA students need and how will the college respond? We are taking a look the Bay Area now and what is projected for the future. Housing, transportation, real estate, economics, and the job market are just some of the issues that will impact us all.
Next Steps
With all this research, analysis, and community input, the Gensler team will now work with CCA staff and faculty to create scenarios for how the college might develop spaces for learning and living. The options will take into consideration enrollment, housing, financing, construction costs, timelines, and many other issues. We will keep you informed as the project continues. Be sure to check the campus planning blog regularly.
Ultimately, the goal of this long-range planning effort is to create the best possible learning experience for our students while maintaining a strong, sustainable, and resilient institution. In doing so, CCA will take its rightful place as a national and international leader in arts education.
Sincerely,
Stephen Beal