Brainstorming
Once the Catonsville site was selected for the expansion of the University of Maryland, Dr. Kuhn quickly began working on specifications for the new campus. He visited universities across the country to get ideas for the construction of both buildings and academic programs, and on airline flights home he wrote down his brainstorm of thoughts, reactions, and plans. He noted: "Kinds of Bldgs, plain but attractive."
While flying home from New Orleans, Dr. Kuhn noted "more classrooms" and "Block programs to keep st[udents] in certain areas of campus." Further down the page, he wrote: "move prof[essors] to students,” and “Place classrooms on lower floors." He was ruminating about the most efficient way for students to attend classes in the student-centered campus he wished to create.
Making the new campus one devoted to research was on Kuhn’s mind as he began thinking about a campus "Master Plan." "Extensiveness of Research—Kinds of research…and Balance of Govt. sup[port] vs commercial [support]" and "Short term vs long term research." He also wondered: "Shall DORM AND D.H. [dining hall] be really self supported[?]." Of course, for a campus that would be primarily for a commuting population, he declared: "Allocate parking lots so student[s] not drive on campus," and (on April 16, 1965) reflected extensively on how to "Improve traffic and parking U of Md Campus" for the College Park campus as well as for UMBC.