The purpose of the Dixie State campus, as the physical manifestation of the idea of a College, is to bring together a diverse group of people by providing settings that foster learning, creativity, collegiality, and intellectual growth.

The principle of promoting interaction extends beyond the development of appropriate classrooms, courtyards, or quads, to the purposeful creation of many different types of spaces strategically planned, placed, and furnished to encourage informal dialogue in teacher-to-teacher, student-to-teacher, and student-to-student situations.

There are three major campus components the principle applies to -- outdoor space and indoor space woven together by a pedestrian campus -- each of which has a distinct role.

Outdoor Space

Open space should support a sense of community, by providing many types and sizes of outdoor meeting and recreation areas. In addition, open space should be designed and maintained to unify the campus by connecting diverse site and building elements together as an attractive whole.

Indoor Space

Where outdoor space is common to all campus constituents, individuals occupy indoor space. The building walls mitigate between the two environments. In buildings, opportunities for the exchange of ideas should also be maximized. As with outdoor space, many types and sizes of indoor meeting spaces should be provided for both planned and unplanned interaction. The amount of public space in buildings should be sufficiently generous to allow for this interaction to occur.

Pedestrian Campus

Fundamental to the idea of social interaction is the notion of a pedestrian campus. Only when people are outside of their cars do they have an opportunity to engage in the campus environment and community in a meaningful way. Through its design, the campus should encourage the individual to walk or use the transit system to move from place to place, experiencing things such as art and artifacts, and conversations with people along the way.

Text borrowed from Clemson University Master Plan