A PROGRAM TO TEST AND DEMONSTRATE THE EFFICACY OF PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR UNIVERSITY BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION IS UNDER WAY IN NEW YORK STATE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NEW YORK STATE UNIVERSITY CONSTRUCTION FUND. THE PROGRAM IS TO RESULT IN AN EXTENSIVE LIBRARY OF PERFORMANCE CRITERIA TO AID COMMUNICATION WITH ALL SECTORS OF THE BUILDING INDUSTRY. EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON PERFORMANCE AS OPPOSED TO FORMULARY CRITERIA AS THE LATTER HAVE TOO OFTEN BEEN DETERMINED BY SEGMENTS OF THE INDUSTRY DEALING WITH PARTICULAR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. FORCES WHICH AFFECT BUILDING AND CAMPUS DESIGN HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED INTO TWELVE COMPONENT DISCIPLINES CALLED "BUILDING SYSTEMS." THESE SYSTEMS ARE (1) SPATIAL ORGANIZATION, (2) STRUCTURE, (3) EXTERIOR WALLS, (4) INTERIOR WALLS, (5) FINISHES, (6) VERTICAL CIRCULATION, (7) SPECIALTIES, (8) EQUIPMENT, (9) PLUMBING, (10) HEATING-VENTILATING-AIR-CONDITIONING, (11) ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, AND (12) SITE RESEARCH HAS BEGUN IN THOSE AREAS SUCH AS LIGHTING, COLOR, AND ACOUSTICS WHERE WELL-DOCUMENTED CRITERIA ARE LACKING, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH SUCH CRITERIA. A TABLE DESCRIBING TWENTY-FOUR SUCH RESEARCH PROJECTS IS INCLUDED. THIS ARTICLE IS A REPRINT FROM "ARCHITECTURAL RECORD," MAY 1966. COPIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM MCGRAW-HILL, INC., 330 W. 42ND STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10036. (JT)