The schedule for the development of the Masterplan 2000 project has been moved, with the approval of a final draft document not expected until later in the year.

The project is intended to establish common goals for future improvements in infrastructure and development throughout the university.

According to the original schedule, the draft document should have been ready for the approval process this month, but the date has been moved back in order to allow more time for the development of ideas.

There’s a sense that we want to be more careful, said Marleen Davis, dean of the College of Architecture and Design and the chair of the Advisory Committee. Rather than rush it through, we want to be sure about the decisions we make. We are determined to do the right thing.

The final draft of Masterplan 2000 is expected to be presented before the Board of Trustees in June. However, the project will then need a funding allocation before being put into action.

Just because something is planned, it is not necessarily going to be funded and will not necessarily be executed, Davis added.

Will Lamberth, the student representative on the masterplan committee, said he was happy that the schedule had been changed.

When I first saw that this process was due to be over by February, I thought it was far too quick. This allows us to take more time and to put more thought into the plan.

He also added that once the final document was ready and approved, it would not be set in stone.

This is a fluid process. The masterplan is a recommendation. If something comes up and it needs to be changed at any stage, it can be changed.

Lamberth said he is confident that the student’s concerns were being addressed by the plan. For instance, on the issue of transportation, the plan seeks to create a more pedestrian-friendly campus, as opposed to the current vehicular-friendly model. This is what the students have asked for, Lamberth said.

According the masterplan Web site, another primary focus of the process is the inventory, analysis and formulation of recommendations regarding facility needs of the university.

This effort encompasses the identification of space needs as well as the recommendation of future improvements including building renovations and expansions.

Lamberth said only a few students have taken advantage of the opportunity to add their views to the masterplan via the Web site. I wouldn’t say that the response has been disappointing, but it hasn’t been as big as I would have hoped.

The general student body response has not been as vigorous as it might have been, but the different student organizations and the student government organizations have been very involved.