Chapter 8

Design and Management of Colorado Landscapes:

Goal: 

Colorado State University will enhance its focus and depth in undergraduate education, graduate education, research, and outreach in design and management of Colorado landscapes, serve as the primary provider of new management talent for Colorado’s green industry, be recognized as the primary source of knowledge for Colorado’s landscape industries, and be recognized nationally for graduate education and research in green industry crop evaluation and limited-water landscape plant cultivation. This will include continuation of the nationally recognized BS degree in landscape architecture and BS degree in landscape horticulture, graduate education and research in plant selection and improvement, limited-irrigation landscape plant cultivation, and landscape policies, and outreach in landscape industry plant selection, cultivation management, and Master Gardener education and volunteer development.

Strategic Actions:

• Establish a Center for Designing and Managing Colorado Landscapes (Sustainable Landscape Management) with faculty and county agent working groups to maintain cohesion of teaching, research, and outreach efforts, build professional expertise, and strengthen relationships with the industry.
• Establish a concentration in golf course management.
• Grow the B.S. in Landscape Horticulture student enrollment by double the rate of Colorado population growth, or 3 percent per year.
• Develop a proposal to establish a Master of Landscape Architecture degree.
• Restructure the majors and concentrations in Landscape Horticulture and Horticulture.

Critical Resource Growth Needs:

• Add a position in Landscape Architecture and Landscape Management, critical resources associated with the high student: faculty ratio that threatens national accreditation of the LA at CSU, and thus the viability of the degree program.
• Add GTAs to support laboratory instruction, and the expanded enrollment in HCC100.
• Secure funds for renovation and development of the Shepardson Building ($18 million) and the Plant and Environmental Research Center (PERC) ($8 million).
December 6, 2007 field, greenhouse and laboratory space for Landscape Horticulture.