Master Planning

Between 1997 and 2018, University System of Georgia (USG) institutions undertook campus master planning in accordance with the 1997 USG Master Planning Template. The Template was a comprehensive document essentially designed to create a new master plan from the ground up, with a scope including exhaustive technical documentation and dataset creation.

In 2018, following two decades of profound evolution in the USG’s need for effective physical and capital planning, new Master Plan Guidelines were created with the intent to move the USG toward a planning model that: relies on institutionally maintained data, broad stakeholder engagement, and consultant insight; analyzes and integrates system frameworks to improve campus functionality and sustainability; and provides strong capital-prioritization structures while maintaining long-term, project-specific flexibility.

Master Plans completed under these guidelines should establish a long-term framework and principle-based vision that: guides future decision making; provides clear and financially feasible near-term priorities; establishes concrete criteria for future planning decisions; and promotes stewardship of campus assets, especially historic resources. Physical planning must integrate both financial and academic considerations: academic integration grounds the strategic plan’s aspirations within physical realities of the campus, while financial integration helps institutions set realistic capital investment goals.

The 2018 Master Plan Guidelines are available on the USG Real Estate and Facilities website.

Per BOR Policy, USG institutions are required to obtain prior approval from the USG chief facilities officer prior to soliciting or procuring consulting services for master planning related activities.