A sudden change of financial resources postponed the renovation construction of Mary Hobbs Hall. The postponement leaves unanswered questions and added stress for Hobbs residents and faculty.
The construction was set to take place in March 2013. Although Hobbs was in need of some fixes, such as installing a fire sprinkler system, it still had some residents upset about the timing and miscommunication of the project.
Residents of Hobbs were not warned of the renovations before they signed up to live there. However, when I spoke with Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Aaron Fetrow, I did learn that the student housing contract states the school can ask you to move from your dorm at any time.
I think the school made a mistake by believing they had a financial source for the project when it was not confirmed, and they could have done a better job of planning the construction so that the residents could have had more warning. Although the residents did not expect this, it is stated as a possibility in the student housing contract, so residents should always be prepared for the unexpected.
Even though this situation caused a lot of disappointment among residents and faculty members, I do believe there is a positive side. Residents and administrators should look at this as a learning experience instead of an array of miscues.
I believe the residents should take away that it is very important to completely understand your housing contract. That way, when something like this does come up, it will not come as a complete shock.
As far as the administration goes, I think they should realize it is advisable not to announce a project until the financial portion is completely figured out.
“(The renovation announcement)was handled poorly,” said sophomore A.C. Canup. “Everybody in Hobbs was blind-sided. They could have given everyone some warning before we signed up for housing.”
Fetrow said, “The one silver lining in this whole thing is that by the time people start to sign up for housing again, there will be a warning next to Hobbs stating that you could potentially be moving in the middle of the semester.”
Hopefully, this postponement will better prepare faculty and residents for future projects such as this one and help the whole campus understand the importance of housing contracts.
