Updates to App State’s infrastructure to facilitate new development on campus are, undoubtedly, a good thing. However, the university is executing these construction projects in all the wrong ways. By walking through all of the current construction projects on campus, one can see that App State is doing way too much at one time. 

The university should aim to finish one project before starting another. The ongoing construction in multiple areas of campus is a hindrance to students’ everyday activities and a safety issue for the students having class in a building undergoing active construction. 

This is not the education for which App State students paid tuition. Students have been split up from their peers, are facing unsafe working conditions and are forced to haul projects across multiple buildings. 

Of current projects, renovating Wey Hall was the first to start. The renovations began in January 2023, and construction has progressed since then. The goal of the project is a full-building modernization, including fireproofing, installation of sprinkler systems and electrical and plumbing work. Wey Hall was built in 1976, and is the oldest building that has never been touched by comprehensive renovation. 

Over twenty million dollars was allocated for the renovation of the building. It is clear that Wey Hall is due for a renovation and this is a necessary step, but what is unnecessary is the other large projects the university has chosen to start before finishing Wey. 

The project has been steadily underway for some time but is not expected to be completed until summer 2025. This project has resulted in many students and faculty having to shift operations to East Hall. 

The old dorm is not an ideal space for students or faculty. The building was vacant to begin with because it was slated for demolition, proving that it already had issues. The inside of East Hall is not wheelchair accessible because there are no elevators, and few level entrances to the building. In addition, the building has no A/C and the dorm rooms are too small to accommodate full classes, so students have to split up. 

Some of the students who did not relocate to East Hall still had to attend class in Wey Hall, an active construction area. This is because many art students need access to specific materials like kilns, woodworking areas and metalworking areas. However, the building has been closed to students since May. 

This was not fair to the students who had classes in an active construction area, and it is also not fair to those who had classes in East Hall, as these students did not have regular access to the materials and machinery they needed. Either way, it is a lose-lose situation for students. 

On March 21, the building closed briefly due to safety concerns. Students who were still attending classes on the first floor of the building discovered cracks in the ceiling tiles. In addition, debris was found on a faculty member’s desk after spring break. 

Instead of allocating their resources to finish the renovations to Wey Hall, the university has decided to start other projects. If one renovation was worked on at a time, it would lessen the disruption to students’ daily lives and their commutes to class.  

The second ongoing project started by the university is the renovation of Edwin Duncan Hall. The renovation includes adding and refurbishing elevators, making repairs to the exterior of the building and installing a sprinkler system. 

In January of this year, all parking surrounding Edwin Duncan was closed for construction. This is extremely inconvenient for students and faculty who purchased passes to park in those spots. In addition, students are unable to walk through the parking lot to get to their classes, which is a nuisance when trying to get to classes on time. 

Currently, the building is in the process of being demolished and removing any hazardous materials. The octagon will undergo temporary construction due to the fact that students from Wey Hall will need to relocate in the fall there while Wey Hall undergoes construction. 

Katherine Harper and the Turchin will also host some art students while Wey undergoes renovations. This is problematic because this splits up art students into different parts of campus and makes it difficult for students to get to know the people in their major. 

This construction also contributes to the amount of people being displaced to East Hall. With the building being occupied by both those from Wey Hall and Edwin Duncan, the building is bound to be overcrowded. Without the building having proper A/C and ventilation, the amount of students and faculty occupying the building is far from ideal.

In addition to the ongoing construction happening, App State has already started planning future construction in various parts of campus. This construction, like the current projects, will likely be disruptive to students and faculty on campus. 

Attempting to outline plans here may help to make these projects more known to the public so those on campus can be prepared.

Another project is for Peacock Hall. The project includes both an addition to the hall as well as a partial renovation of existing infrastructure. The renovation includes the replacement of the elevators and the heating and cooling system, as well as renovations to the classrooms in the building. The classrooms currently have fixed seating, which can hinder students’ ability to move seating and create smaller, working groups. The addition to the building includes classrooms, common areas, a learning lab and some offices for student services. 

The construction for this project began while students were on summer break. This is an issue because the projects that are listed above are still not fully complete. How is it helpful to undertake this project, when the university cannot even complete construction on the current ones? Additionally, if students cannot have class in Peacock Hall, it is unknown where they will have to relocate. 

East Hall is already being used by the students from Wey Hall and Edwin Duncan, so if the students from Peacock need to move due to the construction, there is not a viable option for them. 

It is clear App State has taken on way more than they may be capable of. The university needs to be providing students and faculty with more consistent updates regarding the progress on these renovations. Even better, the university should only be working on a maximum of two renovations at a time, in order to reduce the amount of inconvenience that this is having on students.

Clarification: The time in which the Peacock Hall project began construction was added to this article to provide better clarification on the project’s timeline.