DATE: FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF AUGUST 28, 2019

TO: THE PLANNING COMMISSION

FROM: STEPHANIE B. DAVIS, SENIOR PLANNER NEAL J. MARTIN, PLANNING CONSULTANT

SUBJECT: MENLO COLLEGE, 1000 EL CAMINO REAL (APN 070 360 100): 2019 ANNUAL MASTER PLAN UPDATE

RECOMMENDATION:

Planning Staff recommends that the Planning Commission accept the 2019 annual update from Menlo College.

INTRODUCTION:

The Town of Atherton established a policy to request the preparation of master plans for all private schools located in the PFS district. The guidelines further request that each year, the private schools provide input on the status of master plan preparation and implementation. The annual meeting is required to be noticed to all property owners within five hundred feet of the boundaries of the school.

Menlo College’s Master Plan was received by the Planning Commission at their June 25, 2003 meeting. The Master Plan was updated in 2004 when the Planning Commission reviewed the update on February 25, 2004 and again in spring 2008, 2009, December 2010/January 2011, in 2014 and 2018. Menlo College has submitted the attached document providing their update to the Master Plan for the year 2019.

ANALYSIS:

Menlo College has submitted a 2019 Master Plan Update (see Attachment 1, “Menlo College Master Plan Update” dated July 2019). This Update supplements the 2003 Master Plan including updates that were made in 2004 and 2010 (see Attachment 2). There has been no new construction of any facilities since the 2004 update. Town records show that there have not been any Use Permits issued for significant projects since 2004.

August 28, 2019 Planning Commission Staff Report Menlo College Master Plan Update - 2019 Page 2

Atherton Municipal Code (AMC) Section 17.36.050 suggests content of master plans include: land uses, their location and extent, circulation patterns, locations for parking and parking standards, current enrollment projections and maximum enrollment anticipated, a list of possible facilities to be developed, a schedule or priority of development, identification of historic or other unique facilities, heritage trees, and their disposition, identification of uses and their days and hours of operation, including evenings, and identification of other institutions or uses at the facility. The 2019 Update content is consistent with the AMC suggested criteria as follows:

• Land use – The 2019 Update includes a general description of campus land uses, their location and extent on page 7. In addition, the 2003 Master Plan, as amended (see Attachment 2) addresses campus land uses as listed below: o The maps and text included in sections “Project Recommendations”, pg.11-13; “Illustrative Master Plan”, “Framework Plan Recommendations”, pg. 13-14; and “Illustrative Framework Plan”, pg. 30-39 show the location and extent of existing and proposed land uses.

• Circulation and Parking – The 2019 Update includes a description of campus circulation patterns and of parking locations and number of spaces on page 9. Menlo College does not have a Transportation Demand (TDM) program, unlike other private schools in Town. However, a description of a traffic study performed to address the request made by the Planning Commission last year is included on pages 9 and 10. College staff performed the study during both a.m. and p.m. hours the results of which conclude that total amount of vehicles entering and exiting the site at both times were well under the total amount of parking spaces available on-site. The College attributes this limited number of trips due to the largely residential nature of the College, as well as the incentives the College offers to both faculty and staff for alternative transportation modes.

The 2003 Master Plan, as amended addresses campus circulation and parking as listed below: o The map and text included in section “Illustrative Master Plan”, pg. 13 shows the interior vehicular and pedestrian circulation systems. Exterior public streets are also shown on the map. On-site parking facilities are described in the text on pg. 28.

• Enrollment – The 2019 Update includes future enrollment projections on page 15. It is noted that approximately 25% of student enrollment is in evening classes. For example, if the total enrollment were 800 students, 200 of those would only be on campus in the evening. The table below provides historic enrollment data as well as the projections contained in the 2018 Update.

The enrollment data below was obtained from several sources; (1) updated Residential Growth Projections from the 2010 Update, (2) information provided by Robert Talbott, Director of Facilities and Operations, via e-mail, (3) 2013-2014 through 2017-2018 actual and projected enrollment provided by Robert Talbott in his letter dated November 7, 2014, and (4) the 2018 Update.

August 28, 2019 Planning Commission Staff Report Menlo College Master Plan Update - 2019 Page 3

Academic Year Fall Enrollment Spring Enrollment 2009-2010 594 n/a 2010-2011 590 545 2011-2012 642 596 2012-2013 681 657 2013-2014 713 684 2014-2015 759 741 2015-20161 750 750 2016-2017 750 750 2017-2018 750 750

The table below shows current and future enrollment projections provided in the 2019 Update. Thus, next academic year, the College anticipates a 50-student enrollment increase. The College finds their existing facilities can support the projected enrollment increase to the academic year 2021-2022 of up to 1,000 students (125 enrollment increase from current enrollment). Menlo College does not have an enrollment cap.

Academic Year Enrollment 2018-2019 875 ± 2019-2020 875 2020-2021 925 2021-2022 1,000

• Facilities to be developed – The 2019 Update includes a general description of facilities to be developed (“Future Facilities”, page 12) including upgrades to the Bowman Library, Dining Hall, and residence halls. Should new construction be possible, the priorities would begin with a new residence hall, new library and new dining hall. No new construction is anticipated in the near future. In addition, the 2003 Master Plan, as amended addresses facilities to be developed as listed below: o The map and text on included in section “Illustrative Framework Plan”, pg. 30-39 describes the facilities to be developed in the future.

• Development Priority – The 2019 Update addresses the generalized development of Cartan Field (page 9) including an illustration of the potential land uses for the property. Recreation facilities listed include existing baseball, football, track & field, tennis, lacrosse, soccer; and new aquatic center. Parking use is also listed. The Update includes a note indicating that development of Cartan Field is subject to a separate planning process because of shared ownership with .

• Historic facilities and Heritage trees – The 2019 Update addresses historic facilities and heritage trees on pages 13 and 14. One historic building on the campus is the Perry Stable

1 Figures in italics are projections. August 28, 2019 Planning Commission Staff Report Menlo College Master Plan Update - 2019 Page 4

building located on Cartan Field. That building was associated with the famous race horse Phar Lap. The historic significance of the stable did not come to light until 2013. The College plans to retain the building in its present location and continue its use for storage. In addition, the 2019 Update identifies the El Camino Residence Hall in this section, noting that it was built shortly after the 1927 founding of the College. o In the 2003 Master Plan as amended, the map and text included in the section “Campus Heritage Trees”, pg. 27 describes the heritage trees on campus.

• Use and hours of operation – A statement summarizing uses and their hours of operation is included on page 10 of the 2019 Update. Other institutions or uses on campus are described in general on page 7 of the 2019 Update.

PUBLIC OUTREACH:

The 2019 Update contains a section entitled “Engaging Our Community” on pages 15 and 16. The College reaches out to the community and neighbors in a variety of ways, including communicating with immediate neighbors in advance of campus events that might increase traffic or noise in the area. It is noted that the College did not convene any formal neighborhood meetings in 2018-19. However, they plan to host an open neighbor meeting this coming fall 2019.

RECOMMENDATION:

It is Staff’s professional opinion that the Master Plan Update for 2019 submitted by Menlo College complies with the spirit and intent of the Town policies and ordinances related to Master Plans for private schools. Staff further suggests that the College establish an annual program of neighbor outreach, including open meetings to inform neighbors of existing and future plans and programs and listen to concerns and suggestions.

POLICY FOCUS:

The Atherton Municipal Code contains a policy to request the preparation of master plans for all private schools located in the PFS district. The AMC also contains guidelines for the contents of private school master plans. Menlo College has submitted a master plan and periodic updates in compliance with Town policy since 2003.

FISCAL IMPACT:

All costs associated with the update are paid for by the applicant.

FORMAL MOTION:

I move that the Planning Commission accept for filing the 2019 annual Master Plan update from Menlo College.

August 28, 2019 Planning Commission Staff Report Menlo College Master Plan Update - 2019 Page 5

Attachments:

1. Menlo College Master Plan Update, July 2019 2. The Campus Framework Plan, Menlo College, June 2003 and as amended February 25, 2004 and July 9, 2010

Menlo College Master Plan Update July 2019

Submitted by: Steven Weiner, President Frank M. Wasilewski, Vice President for Finance & Administration Bob Talbott, Director of Facilities & Operations Menlo College, 1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, CA 94027

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT AND MAJOR CHANGES ...... 3

LAND USES, LOCATION, AND FACILITIES ...... 7

CAMPUS MAP ...... 8

CIRCULATION MAP ...... 11

CAMPUS TREE MAP...... 14

ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS ...... 15

ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY ...... 15

CONCLUDING STATEMENT ...... 17

INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT AND MAJOR CHANGES

A BRIEF HISTORY

Menlo College was founded in 1927 as the "Menlo School and Junior College." At its founding, Menlo College was a two-year program for young men to complete their lower division coursework before transferring to an upper division college or university. Shortly after its founding, Menlo became known as the “feeder school” to .

In 1949, Menlo introduced a four-year School of Business Administration, offering an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in business. It was Menlo’s first and only four-year program for many years. In 1986, the School of Letters and Sciences was also expanded to a full, four- year program; since then, Menlo College has been exclusively a four-year independent institution. In 2006, the faculty and the board of trustees determined that the College should refocus on its traditional area of strength as a college of business. To this day, 90% of Menlo College students major in one of the many areas of business studies offered by the College, including entrepreneurship, marketing, accounting, finance, sports management, real estate, and management; the remaining 10% of Menlo students major in psychology, with organizational behavior as a bridge between the two programs.

Located in Atherton, , Menlo College’s narrow focus makes it a niche institution, and its location offers an unparalleled opportunity to study business in the heart of – the area renowned for entrepreneurship and innovation. In recent years, business programs have been expanded, enrollment has grown, the student body's academic qualifications have increased, the prestigious AACSB accreditation has been secured, and for the last ten consecutive years, the College has been recognized as a “Best in the West” institution by The Princeton Review. Other notable recognition has been afforded by Zippia (#1 in gainful employment post-graduation among all California universities and colleges), College Factual (top 1% for the most diverse student population in the country), the California Internship & Work Experience Association (#1 college/university internship program in California), and more.

MENLO COLLEGE TODAY

In 2019, Menlo College is a distinct organization within the landscape of American higher education. First, Menlo is very small, with a total student body of around 875 students. The College sees its limited enrollment as an asset, as it allows for smaller class sizes and promotes faculty-student engagement. The average class size is 18, and 59% of all class sections had 20 or fewer students. At Menlo College, professors know students by name, students can easily interact with professors inside and outside the classroom, and professors can use interactive and experiential pedagogy that is difficult to implement in larger settings. For at least the foreseeable future, Menlo remains committed to traditional, face-to-face instruction on a single campus.

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Distinguishing Menlo further are the students the College serves. Menlo achieves diversity in its student body by most any definition of the term: ethnic, racial, geographic, socioeconomic, gender, and life experience. Also, in any given year, between 25% and 35% of Menlo students are first-generation college attendees. Equally important, while every year Menlo recruits valedictorians, the majority of Menlo students come to campus less prepared for college than those high achievers. Since some of Menlo’s students would have difficulty gaining entrance to a highly competitive school, and while they could be accepted at many other schools, Menlo students receive a degree of “scaffolding” or student support that few institutions offer.

The heart of this scaffolding is the Center for Academic & Professional Success (CAPS), which includes the Gullard Family Academic Success Center, the Rising Scholars Program (a 10-day summer bridge session designed to strengthen math and writing skills and enhance students’ transition to college and long-term success), Peer Tutoring, the Writing & Oral Communication Center, Math Center, Disability Services, Internships, Career Services, and Study Abroad. The CAPS team actively collaborates to ensure the availability of the support Menlo students need in order to succeed at Menlo, and upon graduation. The success of CAPS was recognized in late 2018 when the U.S. Department of Education awarded a $1.8 million Title III grant to support further growth, including the implementation of an advising and retention platform and ePortfolios.

Menlo has many other attributes that make it a special environment for students. The College is largely residential, with approximately two-thirds of the student body residing on campus. Other students typically rent apartments in close proximity to campus; there are very few true commuter students. This dynamic facilitates student workgroups for classes, and provides a rich environment for co-curricular and extra-curricular programming. Further enriching the residential community aspect of Menlo, the College maintains 25 houses and apartments on campus for the exclusive use of full-time faculty and staff, most of whom function as “Resident Fellows” to further enrich the experience of students.

Menlo is focused: a liberal arts-based, undergraduate business college. The College chooses to deliver a few, high quality programs rather than a comprehensive set of majors. Faculty resources reflect this focus, with the majority of the full-time faculty appointed in one of the business disciplines. The College’s academic program development also reflects this focus, with new initiatives and targeted expansions primarily focused within the business curriculum. Most recently, the College has targeted investments to grow programs in real estate, entrepreneurship & innovation, and sports management-- all within the business program umbrella, and all tied to student interest and job market trends. Those key considerations will drive future investment decisions as well.

AACSB accreditation was granted in the spring of 2014, and renewed in June 2019. AACSB accreditation places Menlo among only the 5% of business schools across the globe to earn this distinction. As an AACSB-accredited school, Menlo is better positioned to recruit high- quality business faculty as well as international students.

Another key distinguishing feature of the Menlo College student experience is its required six- unit internship for business majors. All interns participate in a seminar that allows them to integrate classroom learning with their field experience, while developing such key leadership skills as goal setting, as well as organizational and external environment analysis specific to the domain of their internship organization.

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One of the advantages of Menlo’s Internship Program is that the quality of the internship experience is monitored at all stages of the internship process. All internship opportunities are vetted to meet the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) criteria for a quality internship. An internship program staff member conducts a site visit with each organization as part of the approval process, and internships are supervised by a faculty member. While the majority of Menlo students complete their internship in the Bay Area, supervised sites are also available to students in Los Angeles and Honolulu. International sites will be offered within the next two years.

Menlo College is approximately 30 miles from either or San Jose, which locates the College near exceptional professional opportunities for students. In conjunction with other campus programs, the internship prepares Menlo graduates for life, and distinguishes Menlo as a hub for the next generation of workers.

Also of note, Menlo has a robust and highly successful intercollegiate athletics program, with 42% of students participating on one or more of the sixteen varsity teams, and more than another 10% of students participating in four club sports and a wide variety of recreational and intramural sports activities.

The challenge of balancing academics and athletics is reflected in the maturity, time management skills, and leadership development of many of the students. The prowess of Menlo College Athletics is evident by the accomplishments in the 2018-19 year alone, which included:

 Two national team championships  Nine national individual champions  Nineteen All Conference winners  Twenty-Five Academic All-Conference winners

The 2018-19 academic year was the most successful year in Menlo College athletics history, in team and individual sport performance, as well as academic achievements of student- athletes.

Menlo has a clear mission, is laser focused, is recruiting more and better-qualified students, is making improvements in retention and graduation, has a strong full-time faculty and enjoys many long-term relationships with part-time (adjunct) faculty, a $25 million endowment, and an internship program that solidly links the College with Silicon Valley. As importantly, Menlo has a committed, engaged diverse board of trustees who travel from the all corners of the globe to execute their oversight responsibility. Trustees also engage with Menlo’s students and provide financial support to enable program growth.

MENLO COLLEGE TOMORROW

As Menlo College nears its 100-year anniversary, it aspires to build on a solid foundation of educational excellence to achieve further recognition as one of the more innovative small colleges in the country. Menlo College is at a pivotal moment in its history.

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As colleges and universities are doing everywhere, Menlo College must react effectively to environmental changes in order to fulfill its mandate. The College’s vision is to redefine undergraduate business education to be dynamically adaptive, innovative, and relevant so that students can recognize opportunities and apply 21st century skills to make a positive impact on the world. The College is in a position to effectively pursue that vision.

Menlo College also understands its mission to ignite potential and educate students to make meaningful contributions in the innovation economy.

The College also understands the challenges it faces in the coming years: The need to continue to achieve incremental growth in order to achieve sustainable size; to make academic programs relevant and engaging; to embrace a culture of assessment and continually improve; to maintain financial sustainability; to build on recent fundraising successes; to maintain the palpable sense of momentum recent renovations to improve facilities campus-wide have imparted; to keep trustees, faculty, and staff focused and motivated for the benefit of Menlo College students and the institution more broadly; and to engage alumni in meaningful ways. It’s a long and daunting list, but the leadership team has the energy and skills that keeps it focused.

Financial Performance The College has made significant strides forward, improving the financial health of the institution in recent years, while also making strategic investments in the future: adding staff, new programs, and new athletic teams (the sports added most recently include rowing, Olympic weightlifting, eSports, and men’s volleyball). The College now operates in the black, and significant fundraising success has allowed the renovation of many areas of campus, from classroom spaces to athletic facilities.

Rebranding Linked to the 2017 celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of Menlo College, the College engaged faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustees to develop and launch an updated brand identity. Rebranding includes:

 New logos for the College and for Menlo Athletics that better reflect the Menlo of the 21st century, while still speaking to the heritage of a proud, long-established institution  New messaging architecture created under the leadership of Trustee Andy Cunningham, a renowned marketing expert, that has been deployed in all prospective student outreach, alumni engagement, and internal community engagement  New vision, mission, and values statements, developed with all campus stakeholders under the leadership of the Strategic Planning Committee  The Market Menlo College task force led by Trustee Andy Cunningham, through an innovative class that engages students and staff with the development and execution of a marketing plan to attract new students and position the College as unique and compelling

In summary, Menlo College has made significant strides forward and the College has plans for additional improvements and growth. While higher education is constantly facing challenges, Menlo is positioned for future success, and the College is committed to maintaining a focus on serving students, igniting their potential, and preserving Menlo’s future for generations to come.

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LAND USES, LOCATION, AND FACILITES

OVERVIEW

The following page displays a map of the campus as it is currently configured. The key components of the land and facilities follow.

 21.56 acres on central campus o 584 beds in 5 residence halls and in an immediately-adjacent building across El Camino Real o 25 faculty and staff living units o 2 classroom buildings (Brawner and Florence Moore Halls) o Bowman Library o The Dorothy Skala Memorial Alumni Center o Campus Store o Haynes-Prim Pavilion (gym) and Sports Pavilion (including a fitness center) o A portable for a dance studio, rowing workout facility, and eSports Center o Dining Hall and Student Union o Administration and Admissions Buildings

 23.35 acres shared with Menlo School o 15.09 acres on Cartan Field o 8.26 acres on Wunderlich Field

Primarily full-time, undergraduate programming August through May of every year  Approximately 875 students, 110 full-time faculty and staff, 75 part-time (adjunct) faculty  Robust athletics program with 16 varsity teams, four club sports, and a variety of recreational and intramural programs

Primarily “camps & conferences” activities June – July of every year  Various overnight and day summer programs o Summer day programs include corporate picnics and small camp programs such as a chess club, and Lego building o Summer overnight programs primarily consist of sports camps of various sizes, most of which range from 20 to 40 participants; we also host one larger sports camp, which averages about 110 participants during their programming

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PARKING AND TRAFFIC CIRCULATION

Circulation and access to Menlo College is expected to remain much as it is today, with the College’s primary entrance off of El Camino Real at the intersection of Encinal Avenue and Menlo College Road. The secondary entrance to the campus via Alejandra Avenue is also primarily by the College’s student residents. A tertiary entrance to campus is located further west down Alejandra Avenue at Wunderlich Field, and serves a limited parking area behind the dining hall. The basic circulation plan is shown in the next section.

The College maintains 515 parking spaces, consisting of 453 spaces on the main campus site, and an additional 62 parking spaces on Cartan Field that are shared with Menlo School, as shown below. (Note that long-term plans for the Cartan Athletic Field include provisions for additional parking at Cartan.) Freshmen are prohibited from parking vehicles on campus.

Parking Parking Lot Summary Spaces El Camino Student Lot 70 El Camino Faculty and Staff Lot 39 O'Brien Lot 181 Kratt Lot 14 Dining Hall Lot 41 Sports Pavilion Student Lot 50 Library Faculty and Staff Lot 58 453 Cartan Lot 62 515

Menlo College performed a traffic study to address the request made by the Town Planning Commission at the 2018 meeting. Specifically, the College monitored traffic patterns over a peak week (Monday-Friday only) in April 2019, in order to derive a count of vehicle trips to and from campus via the three campus entrances/exits over time. The results of the traffic study are shown below. Note that peak AM hours are defined as 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM, and peak PM hours are defined as 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM.

Menlo College Trip Generation Summary – April 2019 Traffic Measurements at AM Peak PM Peak 3 College Entrances Average Average El Camino Entrance 179 197 Alejandra Entrance 27 40 Wunderlich Entrance 55 70 COMBINED AVERAGE 261 307

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The College community consists of 1,060 personnel (approximately 875 students, 110 full- time faculty and staff, 75 part-time (adjunct) faculty. The limited number of trips recorded relative to the size of the community reflects the largely-residential nature of the College, as well as the incentives the College provides to faculty and staff who choose to commute by public transportation or bicycle (which together account for 10 – 15% of the faculty and staff transportation on working days). Three additional notes regarding the recorded traffic patterns: 1. Menlo School parents, students, faculty, and staff utilize all of the Menlo College campus entrances for student drop-off/pick-up, as well as faculty, staff, and visitor parking (including access by School faculty and staff through the Menlo College campus in order to park in a lot on the School property), and 2. Non-affiliated traffic routinely enters Menlo College’s El Camino Entrance, only to immediately exit, as a method to either avoid waiting for the El Camino light to turn green, or to avoid navigating across El Camino in order to either turn left back onto El Camino or cross onto Encinal Avenue. 3. For use by College as well as Atherton and Menlo Park residents, the College maintains three Zip Car parking spaces and four electronic charging stations.

Menlo School and non-affiliated traffic are both included in the trip generation numbers, as our study did not attempt to estimate the traffic associated with those patterns.

Other notes relating to the parking and traffic data:  All students, employees, and visitors are required to display a valid parking permit during prime weekday hours.  Deliveries and buses mainly enter and exit the Alejandra Avenue entrance to the Dining Hall Lot.  Flexible class schedules distribute traffic across any given day; the majority of the faculty and staff arrive between 7 AM and 9 AM (Monday – Friday), and leave between 1 PM and 6 PM, and as noted above, 10-15% of the faculty and staff arrive by bicycle or public transportation.

Circulation on the campus interior is limited to pedestrian traffic, as shown on the following page.

SCHEDULE OF OPERATIONS

 Academic Programs: 8 AM – 10 PM, Mondays – Thursdays; 8 AM – 5 PM, Fridays

 Administrative and Support: 7 AM – 6 PM, Mondays – Fridays

 Athletics: Varies by court/field and time of the year

 Dining Hall: 7AM – 7 PM, Mondays – Fridays; 10:30 AM – 7 PM, weekends and holidays

 On-Campus Housing: 24x7 during the academic year (mid-August – early May)

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FUTURE FACILITIES Recent upgrades (including those now underway) have been somewhat limited in scope, but nonetheless vital to improve the campus appearance and usability. Donor-dependent future projects include upgrades to the Bowman Library, Dining Hall, and residence halls. To the extent new construction might be possible, a new residence hall would be the first priority we would pursue, followed by a new library, and a new dining hall, in that order. As we do not anticipate new construction within the near future, the College will continue to explore nearby offsite locations for faculty, staff, and/or student housing.

Because of the shared ownership with Menlo School, Cartan Field development is subject to a separate planning process. The plan below illustrates the potential land use for Cartan Field:

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HISTORIC FACILITIES AND HERITAGE TREES

The College maintains two buildings that are over 90 years old:  “Phar Lap” Barn (original to the former residential estate that was located on Cartan Field)  El Camino Residence Hall, built shortly after the 1927 founding of the College

The campus also boasts 79 Heritage Trees (48 inches or more in circumference, measured at 48 inches above natural grade), as displayed on the following page (note that the numbering of the 79 Heritage Trees is from 30 to 109)  4 Blackwood Acacias (Acacia melanoxylon)  4 Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens)  1 English Elm (Ulmus praecox)  2 Giant Sequoias (Sequoia gigantea)  1 Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)  1 London Plane (Platanus acerifolia)  2 Yew Pines (Afrocarpus gracilior)  64 Oaks o 50 Coast Live Oaks (Quercus agrifolia) o 1 Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) o 13 Valley Oaks (Quercus lobate)

Two notes: 1. The numbers shown above exclude the work now underway on campus to expand the number of trees; to-date, 12 Coast Redwoods and 32 Japanese Maple trees have been planted or are soon to be planted, with yet more trees to be acquired, and 2. In 2016, Menlo College was presented with the Town of Atherton Tree Award, in recognition of the care and celebration we give to our campus oak trees, as well as our nurturing of new oak trees that ensures the endurance of the association of Menlo College with the mighty oak for generations to come

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ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS

FUTURE ENROLLMENT PLAN

We have been fortunate in recent years to achieve gradual enrollment growth. This is all the more impressive given the higher education landscape: A recent Wall Street Journal article reported the seventh year in a row of higher education enrollment declines. For the most recent year, national enrollment fell by 1.7%, with the largest drops reported by the smallest schools. In marked contrast, we are continuing to see steady growth. We anticipate continuing that growth until we maximize our current facilities with a population of 1,000 students, as follows.  2019-20 academic year: 875 students  2020-21 academic year: 925 students  2021-22 academic year (and beyond): 1,000 students

We believe our current facilities can support 1,000 students, subject to the availability of additional nearby housing; that number also suggests a financially sustainable institution well into the future.

ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY

We celebrate our location in the midst of Silicon Valley, and in particular, in the town of Atherton. Many current and former Menlo College trustees call Atherton and adjacent communities their home, and we are fortunate to enjoy philanthropic support from residents of Atherton and others on the Peninsula. Many area residents also participate in our classrooms, either as course instructors or guest speakers. We are proud that Mayor Bill Widmer is among those who teach at Menlo College. We also benefit from the participation of the Mayor and his wife in many of the social events we sponsor on campus. Further, Mayor Widmer is extraordinarily generous with his feedback and suggestions regarding the relationship between Atherton and the College, and we look forward to such a relationship with future mayors of the city.

The educational and work experiences we provide our students – and thus the value of their degree – are greatly enhanced by our ability to leverage the best that Silicon Valley has to offer. Our recent recognition as the provider of the most outstanding internship experience in the state, and as the California college or university most associated with post-graduation career success, both speak to the vital consequence of our location.

Recognition of its value leads to recognition of the importance of productive engagement with our community. Attempts to strengthen relationships are inevitably a work-in-progress; ‘one and done’ doesn’t apply. We understand that, and are committed to ongoing attention to ensure that our behavior reflects our determination to improve relations. We welcome suggestions of additional steps we might take.

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Some of the ways we hope we are strengthening relationships include:  Providing occasional updates to the members of the Town Council, the Planning Commission, and others to promote awareness of Menlo College  Reaching out, through Almanac News, In Menlo, The Patch, the Atherton news feed, and other sources, to invite area residents to participate in general-interest events we may host, including musical performance, art exhibits, our annual lu’au and OAKtoberFest, and more  Communicating with our immediate neighbors in advance of campus events that might increase traffic or noise in the area; communication is usually via email and/or telephone in advance of the events taking place  Cooperating with the town to explore the possibility of a water infrastructure project on land co-owned by Menlo College and Menlo School  Engaging prominently in Menlo Park Rotary as a means to heighten the College’s profile  Sustaining productive relationships with APD and Menlo Park Fire District  Maintaining a welcome mat for area residents to enjoy our campus as a place to walk their dogs, stroll, and exercise  Offering community access to campus Zip Cars and electric charging stations

Note that while we have held neighborhood meetings in prior years, we did not convene any formal meetings in 2018-19. We plan, though, to host an open neighbor meeting this coming fall.

We greatly appreciate the contributions that town leaders have made to our success, which have included the extraordinary support from APD and Menlo Park Fire District and the Mayor, both of which are referenced above. As previously mentioned the town recognized our tree maintenance program when we were awarded the town of Atherton Tree Award; the Town Council also honored us this year with a Proclamation that followed our second national championship in athletics. Further, we value our productive relationships with the City Manager and with the Building Department personnel. We take none of these things for granted.

Finally, by strengthening Menlo College and by underscoring our location in Atherton, we believe we are bringing value to both communities. Our general news press releases1 as well as our sports- specific press releases2 increase recognition of Menlo College as well as Atherton. (The Facebook post that announced our national championships this year was viewed by 65,000 people around the globe in just the first two weeks after we clinched the second title!) Our athletics stories are frequently carried by local news outlets (television, radio, and newspapers), as well as the news outlets of the home towns of Menlo students – which extend to 37 different countries and 29 different states within the U.S. And of course the academic and opinion pieces generated by our full-time faculty also serve to bring positive attention to Menlo College as well as Atherton.

We will continue to work to achieve an ever-improving relationship between Menlo College and the town of Atherton.

1 http://www.menlo.edu/news/ 2 http://www.menloathletics.com/201819-local-media-coverage 16

CONCLUDING STATEMENT

An inclusive and intensive strategic planning process has allowed the College to engage the entire community to achieve significant momentum in key areas that are essential to a sustainable future. These accomplishments include:

 Building a strong, accomplished leadership team that has demonstrated its ability to work collaboratively, with a shared vision for the College  Identifying key areas of program growth and prioritizing resources to fill faculty positions in those programs  Successful fundraising that has allowed the College to improve its bottom-line financial performance, while significantly improving campus facilities  Improving academic advising and building student success programs such as the Rising Scholars Program with a goal of achieving further improvements in retention rates and student achievement  With the support of Institutional Effectiveness, creating an infrastructure to support a robust culture of data-driven self-assessment in order to achieve institutionalize outcomes-based program reviews across campus, and the continued refinement of the meaning of a Menlo degree Looking forward, Menlo College takes seriously the mission it crafted to ignite students’ potential and educate those students to make meaningful contributions in the innovation economy. The College celebrates and will continue to nurture its diverse student population, will actively leverage its Silicon Valley location, and will innovate the Menlo College curriculum to prepare students for 21st century demands.

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