Sustainability and integrative learning will carry Eastern through the next 10 years as overarching themes in the revision of the campus master plan.

President Bill Perry announced a finalized steering committee membership list for the project. Representatives on the committee include alumni, students, faculty, community members and other campus constituency groups.

“I talked to individuals around campus and others about who we should have from the different areas on campus,” Perry said. “Also, I wanted the alums involved and the community involved. Some of the individuals are not only alums, but they’re in the community.”

The university will be working with Chicago-based architecture, planning and interiors firm Loebl Schlossman and Hackl to create energy sustainable plans for the campus.

“We’re proposing a future with a new science building; a whole new structure,” Perry said. “We should build that in such a way that it doesn’t cost us anything for utilities somehow. We want to use geothermal, solar; we want to build the structure with materials that you’re not going to have to replace and you’re not going to have to paint every so many years.”

In addition to sustainability, the committee will be looking at ways to cultivate integrative learning opportunities into new facilities.

“We’re going to see that interaction is facilitated and motivated,” Perry said. “You can do that in different ways, one is with open architecture so you can see each other. We want to have a way to funnel them to converge and sit and talk about their science and what they’re doing in class. We want easy, natural places for students and faculty to sit together and talk, mentor.”

Other issues set for discussion in the master plan include the re-purposing of the old steam plant building and Textbook Rental facility, as well as space constraints in Coleman Hall, according to Steve Shrake, associate director of design and construction.

One possible use for the steam plant that is in discussion is a one-stop student services building.

“There’s nothing more sustainable than using what you’ve already got,” Shrake said.

The plan, which will be completed in the fall, is not a set outline of what will happen on the campus, according to Bill Weber, vice president for business affairs. It will have five-, 10- and 15-year goals.

“You’ll see a lot of dream in the long-range,” Weber said.

Sarah Ruholl can be reached at 581-7942 or seruholl2@eiu.edu