Could it be time for Shepherd University to look into some upgrades? Many of the buildings on the campus have not been renovated or updated in years.
Students around campus were asked how exactly they felt about the buildings. They were asked if they felt the school should look into updating some of the buildings, or if they liked them just they way they were. The responses were all relatively similar. Most students felt the buildings could use some renovating, especially the bathrooms.
“It would also be nice to have better Wi-Fi connections throughout the buildings because sometimes the buildings will only have one Wi-Fi system that works,” one student said.
In most buildings, there is only one Wi-Fi router. When that router goes down, the Wi-Fi is extremely slow. This makes it hard to pull up documents online and access the material students need for class.
Some students expressed a want for Shepherd to update some classrooms. They say that the classrooms are not set up for the new technological way of learning we use today.
Another question students were asked is if they felt all the buildings on campus were accommodating to every person’s needs. Almost every student said no. While some made a point that some buildings have ramps, not all buildings do.
Students also talked about how some of the elevators in the buildings on campus are slow and seem sketchy.
“If they do have elevators, sometimes you cannot access the elevators inside due to stairs leading up to the building on the exterior,” said a student.
Knutti Hall on Shepherd’s campus was last recorded to be renovated in 1967. That was the last year that building had any recorded renovations done.
This building is one of those on campus that does not have a ramp to allow access to people with accessibility needs. The only way to get into Knutti Hall is by going up the stairs.
According to Shepherd University’s website, the most recent building is Potomac Place. This is a residence hall that was built in 2017.
The other two dorm styles residence halls are Shaw and Thatcher. These residence halls have not had any recorded major renovations done since they opened in 1970.
Problems with the residence hall building amenities have had their issues. They include the heat not working properly and no hot water in rooms of the building.
This causes students to have to bundle up in the winter months while inside their rooms. It also causes them to have to wait many minutes for the water to heat up.
Students believe that if the school prioritizes upgrades to the buildings and residence halls, it could make the experience at Shepherd a little better.
“If Shepherd updated some of the buildings to be nicer, maybe they will see an increase in applicants and students,” said a student.
The majority of students feel as if Shepherd should spend some time and update buildings, but there are some that say otherwise.
“Personally, I do not mind the old architecture style of the buildings on campus,” said a student.
Students at Shepherd do like the old architecture of the buildings. It helps to keep the history of the school alive.
“Even though I like the character of the older buildings, if they [Shepherd] had the money it would be nice to see some updates to the buildings.”
Although students like the old buildings and the character they have, they would like to see some updates done to the buildings.
Even though the campus embraces its history by trying to keep the buildings as similar as to when they were first built, students feel maybe it is time for Shepherd to look into some upgrades.