Vassar College
PAE-3: Physical Campus Plan

Although the College has informally followed principles of sustainability in its approach to campus planning for decades, sustainability was articulated and formally adopted by the Campus Master Planning Committee in Guidelines for Campus Master Planning developed in 2005. Sustainability is one of four key principles that guide the development and renewal of campus facilities: historic preservation, sustainability, accessibility, and aesthetic integrity. The 2008 Revision of Vassar’s Guidelines for Campus Master Planning recognizes sustainability as one of the values shared by the Vassar community that should be incorporated into master planning. According to this document, “planning for renovations and new construction should incorporate standards for environmental preservation and energy conservation. Standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) should be explicitly considered as construction and renovation projects are developed.” In addition, “the ecological impact of all campus projects, including parking lots, sidewalks, renovations and new construction should be explicitly considered in the planning process.” Other sustainability-related principles outlined in this document include maintaining a campus that is accessible to a largely pedestrian community as well as preserving and developing the campus as an Arboretum.