Belk Hall. Finch Hall. McEwen Hall. Millis Hall. North Hall. North College Court. North College Terrace. Wesley Hall. Yadkin Hall. University Houses.
What do these High Point University residential options have in common?
They are all considered Tier One housing, a term used by the university to categorize housing that requires no additional investment and is included in the comprehensive fee. Unfortunately, only three of the options listed above are available to upperclassmen. If a student is not housed in one of the double rooms in North College Court, North College Terrace or the University Houses, they may be required to pay an additional investment of $2,725 to $7,900 per year.
I believe that students should have an on-campus housing option that is available only to upperclassmen and does not require an additional financial investment above the comprehensive fee.
During the Student Government Association Community Affairs Board meeting on Jan. 15, 2020, a survey was taken to gauge student’s desire for a new housing option on campus. There were two options available, neither of which included a Tier One housing option for upperclassmen.
This being the case, many of the senators requested that “A Finch-style upperclassman option” be added to the survey. Not surprisingly, that was the option that received 65 percent of the votes, more than that of any other option included in the survey. Despite this fact, the university announced that another Centennial Square is being built on the corner of North Centennial Street and North Avenue, to be completed by fall 2020.
Each townhome in Centennial Square will consist of one double occupancy bedroom on the first floor, four single rooms with semi-private bathrooms on the second floor and one private bedroom with a private bath on the third floor. The first floor room costs $3,700 per year, the rooms on the second floor costs $5,200 per year and the third floor room costs $7,900 per year. This means the university will receive $32,400 before taxes on just one townhome.
The amount that HPU will receive from this new housing option seems to be more important than providing students with affordable Tier One housing options.
According to Stephen Potter, senior director of facility and auxiliary operations, that is not the case. During the fall 2020 Community Affairs Board meeting, Potter said that the decision to build Centennial Square 2 was made based on the demand from students for this style of housing and the site they had to build on.
Additionally, Gail Tuttle, vice president of student life, mentioned that Tier One housing options are not in enough demand, based on data taken from the wait lists and the occupancy rate of properties. She went on to say during the Community Affairs Board meeting on Aug. 28 that the few on-campus Tier One upperclassman options, which include eight rooms in Finch Hall and 11 rooms in Yadkin Hall, have not been filled in previous years.
Even if filled, these options, which are located in freshman dorms, only provide housing for 22 upperclassmen females and 16 upperclassmen males — not nearly enough to balance the 2,154 upperclassmen students living in something other than a Tier One option.
Students, I implore you to stop complaining to your friends. Instead, take your friends with you as you express what style of housing you would like to see on campus to the Office of Student Life located on the third floor of Slane Student Center. Better yet, have your friends sign a petition stating that the next housing built on campus should be a Tier One option. When students ban together, the university will listen.
As HPU students, it is your decision. Are you willing to pay the extra money to live in Centennial Square 2 or do you want another Tier One option? Speak up and speak out, and the university might just listen.
