CANTON -- St. Lawrence University will soon hold a series of meetings to gather information and ideas to help shape planning for the campus.

Planners are looking for ideas regarding academic facilities, student housing, social and activity spaces, athletics and recreation, open space and circulation, and sustainability, for example.

They are calling the gatherings "charrettes," which are sometimes dispersed and generally energetic discussions leading to resolution of a specific design question. They will allow consulting specialists to hear ideas for the university’s Facilities Master Plan. Learning the university's history and culture will help the planning team in anticipating the future academic, athletic and residential needs of the campus.

All of the gatherings are open, but the first, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27 in the lower level of the Sullivan Student Center, is aimed at involving community neighbors.

Tuesday, Feb. 28, the charrette will be from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Wednesday, Feb. 29, it will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., also in the lower level of the student center. Participants are welcome to stay for any length of time.

A summary session will take place in the same location on Wednesday, Feb. 29, from 2 to 3 p.m.

Development of a new Facilities Master Plan is among the goals of The St. Lawrence Promise, a strategic map guiding the university's future, which can be seen at http://www.stlawu.edu/strategicmap/.