we cruised through campus a couple of weeks ago......the students today have no idea how good they have it compared to the hell holes we lived in back in the early 90s. I really want to see the inside of the new business building......
we cruised through campus a couple of weeks ago......the students today have no idea how good they have it compared to the hell holes we lived in back in the early 90s. I really want to see the inside of the new business building......
This will make some of y'all feel really old. As you've read, we just announced our largest Freshman class EVER... over 2000 enrolled. In perspective, when my dad enrolled at Tech as a Freshman back in 1958, there were barely that many students in all of LPI. I think he told me the entire of Louisiana Polytechnic Institute had around 3000...that's undergrads, grads, etc.
Apartment style dorms are really nice. A few of the "holes" you referenced are still in play... Take a visit inside Graham (really poor condition), Harper or Mitchell, oh my very disappointing... They are still having to use Cottingham due to enrollment numbers while all the other dorms in the horsehoe are closed down and used for storage. Adams circle dorms were old back in the 80's but actually look better and appear to be in better shape than the dorms built in the 60's. Housing contacted some of the athletes this summer and asked them to consider moving off campus because they did not have enough space for the incoming freshmen class.
I know there is a plan, Tech 2020, but that plan seems to have been slowed recently due to the state's budget issues. That is why my previous posts stated school/state need to turn Dr Jim King loose and let him get these apartments done if we plan to keep growing enrollment and revenue thru more tuition, etc.... Students making decisions on which college to attend do look at things especially living facilities. Very few of today's youth have ever shared a bedroom much less a community bath. The future is now at Louisiana Tech as numbers show 55% freshmen increase over last several years.
It's not state taxpayer money that will be used for the dorms. Revenue bonds were floated to both pay for the dorms and refinance the remaining outstanding debt on the student housing built in the past 15 years. They're taking advantage of lower interest rates.
The bond issue was completed in August.
Looks to me like projects are on hold or stalling out basis Dr. Guice's 2016 New Years Letter:
http://guiceblog.latech.edu/2016/01/...ighter-future/
In 2016, we will begin construction of the Integrated Engineering and Science Education building, initiate new student housing and parking projects, and begin the design of a magnificent new library. Several other projects are in various stages of planning and completion, and all of them will support Tech’s growth.
Per my multiple trips to campus since last summer, the only project on his list that is visibly moving forward is parking where Nat used to stand. What about the engineering building that was supposed to have ground breaking last spring was that part of bond package as well?
I plead guilty to being one of the ancient ones.....my dorm in 64/65 was the original Hale Hall. Steam heat, no AC, one bath per floor with toilets on a pedestal and no stalls! I had two roommates as well. We were real lucky....we had the room above Mr. Tommy Allen's residence apartment. He was the Director of Men's Housing. He kicked us out of our room and moved us to another room because we were too rowdy. "One man's ceiling is another man's floor", said Paul Simon.
The engineering building was not part of the bond package, as it's not a revenue producing facility. As I understand it, the state appropriated the money for it several years ago. In addition, Tech met its private fundraising goal for the project. More than likely, Tech is waiting on a final Notice to Proceed on the project. But the money is already there.
The bond sales took place on August 8, so I suspect the dorm project will begin very soon.
The one project that is apparently being held up is the replacement for Wyly Tower. Governor Edwards line-item vetoed the $150,000 initial appropriation for the project, which was apparently for planning for the new building.
I got there one year later and my room was in Richardson which is pretty much identical to Cottingham. Same where with steam heat, no air conditioning and two roommates. If they're using Cottingham I hope they air conditioned it.
I remember going to summer school one summer (1967) and they tried to have all classes in air conditioned rooms. I can't remember it they succeeded. My calculus class was, but I don't remember if physics was. The Engineering Materials was a small class so it probably was. A/C was window units in those days in the older buildings like Bogard. If the physics classroom in Carson Taylor was air conditioned it was probably window, too. Hey look I took 10 hours on the old summer term schedule (one nine week term). For a four credit course like calculus we met 6 times a week. Physics was five days a week with two days of labs. I wonder how many students take 10 hours on a regular quarter now.