Capital Development & Strategic Vision Plan

Aerial view of WWU campus on a sunny day with fall colors on the surrounding hills

To provide a healthy, safe, and supportive environment for students, faculty and employees, Western is committed to effective planning and development of the physical campus. At the end of November 2022, Western began planning for the development of a new Capital Development and Strategic Vison Plan, with the goal to revisit this comprehensive plan every 10-15 years to ensure our physical spaces continue to support the University’s strategic plan, mission, and goals. The completed Capital Development & Strategic Vision Plan will guide how we improve and modernize our physical spaces on campus over the next 10-15 years and serve as a basis for updating the Institutional Master Plan, done in partnership with the City of Bellingham and other community groups.

NAC Architecture was chosen through an RFQ process as the external consultant that will lead the effort in stakeholder engagement, needs analysis, and development of the final plan report. Extensive input from members of the campus community will be gathered and thorough analysis of campus needs will be done during the planning phase. The process will be guided by Western’s core values and strategic plan.

Project schedule as outlined below

The NAC project team began working with the President's Cabinet, Western's leadership teams, and Facilities Development and Operations on the discovery phase of the plan in August 2023. In addition to facilities and site analyses, extensive outreach is planned to solicit input from the campus community, including:

  • Facilities Development and Operations
  • President's Sustainability Council
  • Enrollment and Student Services leadership
  • University Housing, Dining, and Student Union leadership,
  • Athletics
  • Colleges and Academic Units
  • Council of Deans
  • Faculty Senate
  • ADEI student, faculty, and staff stakeholder groups and program representatives
  • Associated Students
  • Okanagan Charter representatives
  • Faculty and staff representatives
  • Office of Institutional Effectiveness

During Winter Quarter of 2024, quantitative and qualitative analyses of data collected during the discovery phase will help create ideas for development options and project evaluation criteria. During the spring and summer quarters, projects will be assessed against established criteria, and project priorities will be established, in consultation with all stakeholders and with Western's mission, vision, and goals always in mind.

The plan will continue to be refined through the summer and fall quarters, with completion expected in December of 2024.