21st ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Association of University Real Estate Officials

CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Ithaca, New York
August 2-4, 2001

AUREO21  The most complete, in-depth real estate conference tailored to the special needs of universities and colleges!

Come join over 100 of your colleagues as they discuss benchmarking, salaries and position descriptions, environmental assessments, ground leases, gift properties, the internet, linking real estate decisions to institutional strategies, and other exciting and relevant topics.  Our host, Cornell University, is set amid waterfalls, gorges, lakes, and rolling hills in the Finger Lakes region of central New York State, and provides some of the most breathtaking scenery you'll find anywhere.

Conference Program |  Information  | Agenda  | Registration

PROGRAM

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1   Arrival, Golf Tournament, Registration.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2

• Hoffman Leadership Course. An exciting outdoor learning experience! This nationally recognized ropes/challenge course will build new AUREO friendships and teach skills in team building, leadership and problem solving. Past clients include the CIA, Hewlett-Packard and Ingersoll-Rand.

The course features 30 low elements and 13 high elements. Low challenges require teams to brainstorm, plan, implement, and improvise while using the group's resources as a whole.  High challenges entail both physical and psychological challenges.  They are typically on poles and platforms high off the ground and focus on pushing individuals beyond their comfort zones to break through perceived limitations.

There will be 8 professional trainers each leading teams of 10-14 AUREO members.  Indicate your interest in participating in active or moderate activities on the registration form.  Even then you'll do only those challenges that you want to do  -  no one will be embarrassed into any activity.

• Dinner at the Statler Ballroom. Special musical guest: Samite (Windham Hill Records).

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3

8:30 am

• War Stories:  Lessons Learned the Hard Way  -   This session will deal with projects that proved unrealistic, gifts with hidden "extras" and techniques to avoid these pitfalls.  Presenters:  Neal F. Lessenger, former Director of Real Estate, University of Washington; Gene Pitcher, Director of Real Estate Planning and Services, University of Illinois; Daryl Chaney, George State University.
• Creating Power RFP's  - Creating a successful project by solicitation of a development team using an RFP (selecting development team; negotiation of project contract and identifying project risks).  
  Presenters:  Gordon J. Schanck, Director of Real Estate, University of California System; Susan Carlson Weinberg, Director of Real Estate, University of Minnesota; Jim Wilson, Executive Director, Real Estate, University of Texas System.
• Roundtable:  Attracting Donations of Real Estate, how successful has your University been? - Discussion of beneficial and problematic gifts, policies for accepting and liquidating gifts of real estate; selling versus holding gifts; and handling donor expectations.  Lead By:  Connie Kraus, Asst Treasurer of Washington University in St. Louis.

10:15 am

• Salaries and Position Descriptions - This session will deal with past survey results and future salary trends relating to university real estate office professionals.  Jeannette Henderson, Director of Real Estate, Univ. of Washington; Lanya McKittrick, Finance and Admin Mgr, University of Washington Real Estate Office.
• Managing Uncertainty:  Integrated Portfolio Strategies for Dynamic Organizations - Innovative workplace strategies that leading-edge global organizations have adopted to keep pace with managing uncertainty and fast-paced change in today's environment. See how speed and imagination are transforming how organizations procure, construct and manage their space.  Presenter:  William Sims, Ph.D., Prof. Of Facility Planning and Management at Cornell University, Co-director of CU's International Workplace Studies Program. Fellow of the Int'l Facility Management Assoc. and CFM.   
• Roundtable:  Brokers:  Good Guys/Bad Buys - Discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of engaging brokers to assist in real estate acquisitions and leases.  Presenter:  John Davis, Director of Acquisition and Disposition of Real Estate at John Hopkins.

2:30 pm

• Future Real Estate Trends - The near-term outlook for real estate investment, with an additional look at linkages between real estate investment and economic development efforts at the local level.  Presenters:  C. Bradley Olson, Director of Program in Real Estate at Cornell University, former President of The Carson Company in Rancho Dominguez, Ca., former Vice President of the Irvine Company; Robert H. Abrams, Founding Director of the Cornell Real Estate Program, is senior lecturer, Dept. of City and Regional Planning, College of Architecture Art and Planning, Trustee Emeritus, Cornell University; founder of Colliers ABR, Inc. (firm that currently manages 17 mil SF of Manhattan office space).
• Unsubordinated Ground Leases: Making Them Marketable - Craft unsubordinated ground leases that attract both potential tenants and financial institutions, while protecting critical university interests.  Presenters:  Brian Donnelly, Exec. Director, University Park, So. Illinois University; Gene Pitcher, Director, Office of Real Estate Planning and Services, University of Illinois; Eileen Walker, Assoc. Director, Arizona State Univ. Research Park; Gordon J. Schanck, Director of Real Estate, University of California System.
• Roundtable: Campus Expansion - Is your campus growing?  Learn how others are preparing for growth. Lead by:  Greg Deason, Assoc. Director of Real Estate, Purdue Research Foundation.

Special dinner, with sunset view high above Cayuga Lake, 14th floor, Tower Club, Ithaca College.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4

8:30 am

• Breathing Life Into Old Properties - See the possibilities that arise with imagination and experience when rehabilitating tired and old campus buildings.  Lead by:  Peter I. Karp, University Architect at Cornell University, in charge of overseeing planning, programming, and project design activities.
• Business Plan Development and Benchmarking - This session will discuss management practices which have lead to exceptional performance.  Presenters:  Bruce Ketchen, Director, Real Property Services, Tufts University; Patricia Meyer, Real Estate Admin at Southern Methodist University; Bonnie Mulhollan, Real Estate Coordinator, University of Akron; Allan Mah, Director of Real Estate and Parking Services at University of Alberta.
• Roundtable:  Real Estate Resources on the Internet and Use of Websites - Discussion of available real estate resources on the Internet and innovative uses of institutional websites for streamlining real estate department processes.  Lead by:  Jeff Potter, Director, Real Estate Administration, Duke University.

10:15 am

• The University of Penn Experience:  Outsourcing the Real Estate Function - The University of Pennsylvania and their partner, Trammel Crow, will discuss the outsourcing of the real estate and facilities functions at Penn.  Presenters:  Tom Lussenhop, Managing Director of Institutional Real Estate, University of Pennsylvania; John J. Greenwood, Senior Vice President, Trammel Crow Higher Education Services.
• Phase I and II Environmental Assessments and Risk Management in Leasing and Accepting Gifts -
  Discussion revolving around environmental management and leasing of real estate gifts.  Presenter:  Karen Cornwell, Planned Gift/Real Estate Coordinator, UCLA Foundation.
• Roundtable:  Linking Real Estate Decisions to Institutional Strategies - Are you sufficiently aware of your institution's plans impacting real estate?  Could the communication be better?  Learn what others are doing.  Lead by:  Stanley Mithoefer, Director of Real Estate, Purdue Research Foundation.

Lunch Presentation:  The Lake Source Cooling Project -  Taking cold water 200 feet deep in Cayuga Lake and running it in two 5' diameter underground pipes nearly two miles to air-condition the huge Cornell campus, this project involved an unprecedented level of community outreach and real estate negotiations.  Presenters:  Lanny Joyce, PE, manager of engineering and planning for the utilities department at Cornell University. Thomas P. LiVigne, Operations Manager, Real Estate Department, Cornell University.

Dinner: Lakeside BBQ, Swimming, stroll to the Falls, followed by Outdoor Concert and Dancing - Taughannock Falls Park

AUREO21

CONFERENCE INFORMATION

• Host: Cornell University
• Location: The conference will be held in the Statler Hotel in the heart of the Cornell campus, Ithaca, New York. 
• Lodging: Only 100 rooms can be blocked in the conference hotel, so make your reservations early.  The alternative hotel is the Holiday Inn in downtown Ithaca.  

Statler Hotel, for reservations phone 800-541-2501 (or 607-257-2500).  Mention the AUREO conference. Rate - $120 single occupancy,  $130 double occupancy. Cut-off date is July 11, 2001. Cancellations must be made by 3pm the day prior to the scheduled arrival or a cancellation fee of one nights room stay will be charged.

Holiday Inn Executive Towers, for reservations phone 607- 272-1000 or 800-HOLIDAY.  Mention the AUREO conference. Rate - $109 single or double occupancy. Cut-off date is July 1, 2001. Cancellations must be made by 6pm the night of your scheduled arrival or a cancellation fee of one nights room stay will be charged. There will be bus transportation between the Holiday Inn and the conference hotel (the Statler).

• Registration:   $399; $199 guest fee.  Registrations due July 16th.  Registration fee includes all meals for the conference. Guest fee includes all breakfasts, dinners, and transportation.  Guests may not participate in program sessions, including the Hoffman Leadership Course. Registration form available now on-line, or registration materials will be sent out by May 30, 2001.  There is a $50 fee for any returned checks or declined credit cards.  Registrations will not be processed until all fees are paid in full. There are no refunds after July 16, 2001.  There is a $50 fee for late registrations (after July 16, 2001).
• Transportation:  US Airways has jet service directly into Ithaca (Ithaca and Tompkins Regional Airport,  code: ITH) and will be by far the most convenient connection.  Continental flies direct also, but only from Boston.

  The regional airport is Syracuse (Hancock International Airport, code: SYR, about 75 minutes north). From Syracuse to Ithaca, you can rent a car or take the Ithaca Airline Limousine Service, phone 800-273-9197, 24 hour advance reservations required, rates are $45 one-way, $75 round trip. The limousine is scheduled service only, arriving 90 minutes after the times below:  It is highly recommended that you fly into Ithaca.

  Depart Syracuse for Ithaca: 5:30am Ex. Sun; 10:30am; 1pm; 3:30pm; 5:30pm; 8pm; 10pm;  11:30pm Ex. Sat.

  Depart Ithaca for Syracuse:  4am Ex. Sun;  7am; 10am; Noon; 2pm; 3:45pm; 7pm; 9pm Ex. Sat.

Driving: For directions to Ithaca, please check here.

• Dress:
  -  Thursday, Hoffman Challenge Course:  shorts/jeans, tee-shirts or other comfortable wear, sneakers or hiking shoes.
  -  Thursday dinner:  Business casual
  -  Friday sessions and dinner: Business (this is New York! Let's dress a little!)
  -  Saturday sessions: Business casual
  -  Saturday BBQ:  Swim suit (optional), comfortable shoes, sweater/sweatshirt as evening cools.
• Local Weather
• Questions: Contact Karen Watros, Cornell University, phone 607-266-7869.

Future Conferences: 2002, hosted by University of Minnesota; 2003 hosted by University of California, San Diego.

Past conferences