The history of an educational institution is maintained both in its traditions--the customs and practices of the school--and in its physical dimension--the buildings, landscapes, and other cultural resources that define its "campus." In the past 15 years, the memorialization of the American college and university campus--whether in urban, suburban, or rural contexts--has become a centerpiece of both the Society for College and University Planning's (SCUP) annual programs and the practice of its membership. But within recent history, it could be argued that campus preservation has largely existed by default, such that institutions maintained existing buildings for reasons of pragmatism or finance but not necessarily on the basis of cultural or historic significance. Despite exceptions to this characterization, the author suggests that it is worthwhile to note a paradigm shift toward the deliberate conservation of existing and historic buildings in the contemporary approach to campus planning and development. The evolution of modern architecture at American colleges and universities, characterized by reconception of traditional learning environments and intervention within preexisting contexts, has led to the current appreciation for the campus as a rich architectural assemblage that is managed through time. (Contains 24 figures and 6 notes.)