Fort Hays ‘progressing' in more ways than one

Considering that our enrollment has soared from 5,506 at the start of the 2001-2002 school year to 8,957 this year, “progress” is the perfect word to describe Fort Hays State University.

In addition to the benefits our students experience by attending a flourishing university, the local community also stands to benefit as our increased enrollment creates the need for several construction projects on campus.

Plans have been completed for an extensive renovation of the Memorial Union. Our students voted to pay the major share of the project, which is estimated to cost about $7.2 million. Bids will be let soon, and this will surely provide job opportunities for local and area residents, and many local businesses are likely to see increases in sales related to the construction project. Also, the Memorial Union is a popular choice for meetings and events that are not directly related to the university, so the surrounding community will enjoy access to a refurbished facility for both university-related and non-university-related activities.

We also are nearly ready to formally announce construction plans for a new Alumni-Endowment Center, which will be built in the empty field immediately west of Gross Memorial Coliseum. Just like the Memorial Union renovation, this approximately $5 million project will provide jobs and stimulate the local business economy. It will also provide a wonderful new meeting place for our alumni, both those who are returning to visit from afar and the thousands who live nearby and will use the facility on a much more frequent basis.

The third major campus construction project is Stadium Place, an apartment complex that is rising rapidly on the site of the former McGrath Hall just north of Lewis Field Stadium. The need for this new alternative in student housing was created not just by growth in our enrollment but also by the evolving nature of our student body.

The new student apartment complex, which was made possible through a partnership between the university and a private company, Uniplace LLC, will consist of two two-story buildings and two three-story buildings. The new 120-bed complex will offer an equal mix of two-bedroom and four-bedroom units. Rent will be $450 per person per month, plus water and electricity, for the two-bedroom units, and $400 per person per month, plus water and electricity, for the four-bedroom units. These will be upscale apartments, fully furnished, each with its own television, washer/dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator and range. Occupancy will begin by August, in plenty of time for the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year.

This is really an exciting project that ushers in a new era of options for students who live on campus. This is the trend nationally for the kind of living environment students want when they come to campus. This living arrangement will give them more privacy and more flexibility, while also allowing them to live on campus. Residents of Stadium Place also have an option to buy a meal program through Student Residential Life if they do not wish to do their own cooking. There is an additional change in residential options for our students. Wooster Place, which previously was restricted to married students, faculty and staff, has been extensively renovated and now is open to all FHSU students.

Fort Hays State University supports progress for the city, the region and the state in many ways, and the construction that results from our recent growth will significantly boost our impact on the local economy. We conduct a study of the university's impact on the local economy every two years. For the most recent year studied — Fiscal Year 2003, which ran from July 2002 through June 2003 — the direct, indirect and induced economic impact on the local economy totaled $144,913,680.

We are pleased by the support that we receive from Hays and the region, and we know our contributions to the community will continue to grow as we all move toward an ever-improving future.

Edward H. Hammond is president of Fort Hays State University.