The Kent campus of Kent State University has an enrollment of 26,106 students, houses 6,182 students on the 900-acre campus. The Kent Campus includes 128 buildings or structures, of which 74 are major academic buildings. The campus, founded in 1910, witnessed a major expansion in the 1960's with more than 50 buildings constructed and has recently completed transformational projects focused on healthy living-learning and research environments In March of 2018, Kent State University Board of Trustees adopted a 10-year facilities masterplan that embarked on a transformational vision for the Kent Campus to better serve the needs of students and the entire Kent State community. The Kent Campus Gateway Master Plan implementation enhanced the university's front campus in addition to concentrating on a campuswide series of spaces focused on innovation and research while maintaining the campus town gown synergy with the City of Kent most recently adding Kent, Ohio to Zillow's 2023 list of Top 2 College Towns. Since the approval of the masterplan and its implementation of signature spaces, the university has navigated a global pandemic and continues to face changes with demographics, enrollment, workplace needs and educational delivery methodologies. Kent State University Office of the University Architect is requesting qualifications for professional planning services to develop a broad-based and forward-thinking Workplace Strategic Framework to guide its current and future workplace, educational space allocation and utilization with a focus on square footage reduction. A significant impetus for this strategic framework study is the acceleration of change in work modalities, coupled with organizational change aligning with strategic objectives and projected enrollment decline. The aim of the study is to deliver actionable recommendations to increase utilization while aligning with enrollment projections within academic spaces and to find the optimal balance for Kent State with on campus vs. remote staffing to support a vibrant living/learning experience for students. The final deliverable from the consultant will be a comprehensive space study document that will guide and inform the university's future planning decisions. The consultant will prepare a draft version of the document for review and comment by various members of the university leadership. The selected consultant shall review existing university plans including the university's past facilities master plans, the university's strategic road map, individual plans targeting enrollment, academic programs and proposed consolidation, space utilization, campus schedules and deferred maintenance. The final master plan shall use the existing work along with the assessments, data, interviews, and feedback to shape the recommendations. Submit all questions regarding this RFQ in writing to Joseph Graham at jagraham@kent.edu with the project number included in the subject line (no phone calls please). Questions will be answered and posted to the Opportunities page on the OFCC website at online Total Project Cost $250,000 Planning Services Start 07 / 2024 Planning Services Completed 01 / 2025
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