Coming to WKU, some students seek the chance to explore these recreational opportunities, even if they don’t have any experience. Many found this chance through the WKU Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Center.

ORAC provided an outlet into the outdoors for students, hosting group recreation trips like camping and canoeing throughout the semester and working a gear shop, where items like kayaks and climbing tools could be rented. 

This September, ORAC was closed indefinitely due to the effects of COVID-19, lack of student engagement and budget cuts. 

Ashton Hoelscher, a senior recreation administration and environmental sustainability major, worked at ORAC since his freshman year. He expressed his disappointment with ORAC’s closure, sharing that the group trips gave a level of comfortability to those who had never done activities like rock climbing or kayaking before.

“When you go with other students that are like you, it can be really exciting,” Hoelscher said. “We get to meet new people, and you’re slowly learning and getting more comfortable outdoors or doing things that you could [learn to] do by yourself.”

Hoelscher explained that without ORAC, something he would have missed out on is seeing all the outdoor recreation opportunities that the Bowling Green area offers – with many of his current favorite spots being ones he discovered through ORAC.

“As someone that’s not from here, when I first moved here, I didn’t know, like, where’s the best place to hike, or where could I possibly even go kayaking,” Hoelscher said. “It’s really unfortunate that we have Mammoth Cave National Park within 30 minutes of us, but people may not know that without ORAC or may not feel comfortable enough to go on their own.”

Justin Cato, director of campus recreation and wellness, stated in the Herald article about ORAC’s closure that it was due to effects of COVID-19, low student engagement and budget cuts. While Hoelscher agreed with these reasons, he said a large part was also a general “lack of support overall” from the university.

“When it came to tabling events or Discover Fest or things like that, ORAC wasn’t a featured thing,” Hoelscher said. “We did our best to promote ourselves on Instagram or social media as much as we could, but there’s no added help, so then people didn’t know about us unless they already kind of did.”

Hoelscher also suggested a cause of low student engagement was scheduling issues with ORAC trips, for example, scheduling a trip on a holiday weekend or at the time of a WKU athletics game.

“It was also hard just to get people, student staff, to lead those trips, because they have other commitments […],” Hoelscher said. “That’s something that I think, since our calendar didn’t align to fill in the gaps of where there may not be events going on, it was like a battle we already lost.”

Since its start, ORAC was primarily managed by a program director. In Fall 2020, a graduate assistant position in ORAC was created, with Jacob Rex serving as the first, and only, graduate assistant (GA) there for two years. 10 days after Rex began as the GA, the ORAC program director at the time left.

This change left Rex, who was getting a WKU graduate degree in organizational leadership, to act as the interim ORAC coordinator. Rex explained, with no fault to the previous coordinator, “ORAC was suffering pretty terribly when I got there.”

“Programs were not running or filling,” Rex said. “Rentals weren’t happening. There was no formal training for students. The development opportunities were limited. They [student staff] didn’t even really have their own space to be in, like a physical space.”

From the Appalachian Area in Tennessee, Rex went to Middle Tennessee State University, where the outdoor program there “changed his life.” He has seen outdoor programs change others’ lives and believes having ORAC did that at WKU.

“My goal at ORAC was to bring that opportunity to Hilltoppers and Bowling Green, to give them technical skills and to bring students challenges in a way that they may not be challenged otherwise, in a way that supports them, gives them validation but also teaches them new skills,” Rex said. “My goal with ORAC, even though it was very small, was to provide unique social experiences for students in highlighting outdoor areas near and in Kentucky in general, to highlight those areas and to give students a place for genuine professional developments where they won’t get other places on campus.”

Similar to Hoelscher, Rex thought more could have been done by WKU to help with preserving ORAC and what it brought to students.

“I felt that the effort that I put into that program was not validated,” Rex said. “I felt like I was plugging up holes in a sinking ship that the university was pouring a fire hydrant into on purpose.”

Without ORAC, Rex explained students will not only miss out on what he considers the best hiking, backpacking and kayaking in the region, but will really miss out on pivotal moments that could change the direction of their life.

“You [may] see how important maybe the outdoors are to you, but more as a leader, seeing what your role as a leader is, and seeing what it is you’re really made of,” Rex said. “I think outdoor activities are really characteristic, that it is a mirror to people, to who you are and who you could be.”

ORAC was part of Campus Recreation and Wellness, which includes other programs like WellU, Hilltopper Nutrition and the Health and Fitness Lab. Rex explained that he doesn’t blame the professional staff there for ORAC’s closure, and said they “did their best to shield us [GAs].” 

“I think it went out with a whimper, which I think was hard for me to swallow,” Rex said. “A program that I think touched a lot of students’ lives. A lot of the students that were on our program still, I still keep in contact with and a lot of our student staff, and the impact I saw that it had on the Hilltoppers’ culture in general. Just going out with so little care from the administration, I think, was kind of a gut punch.”

Rex graduated in 2022 and currently works at another university with a similar outdoor recreation program, what he described as one of the most successful in the nation. After he left, Sam Talbert was hired as the program coordinator, but left the position at the start of the Spring 2024 semester.

“Once I left, I knew it was a ticking time bomb for them to eventually shut it down,” Rex said.

Will Hemenover, a 2024 WKU graduate in biology and environmental science, worked at ORAC for a year and a half, and values his experience there, as he is now using some of the skills he learned at his job with the National Park Service.

During his last semester with ORAC in Spring 2024, Hemenover experienced the difficulties the center faced – which included the cancellation of all trips and the gear shop not opening until mid-March. While this was hurtful because ORAC was something he enjoyed, it was also difficult financially.

“It was heartbreaking to hear that once he [Talbert] left, the money was not really there, at least at the moment, to replace that supervisor role,” Hemenover said. “[…] that was just difficult, because that was an outlet that I enjoyed, but also that was a source of income for me as well. Just being a student, that was a little bit difficult, and being a person who’s graduating at that point, nowhere on campus is really looking to hire someone that’s on their way out.”

Without a program coordinator last semester, among other previous struggles, Hemenover said it was hard on the student staff to organize all events, and that many didn’t have the necessary training to hold events or recreational clinics. He also shared that more usage and collaboration with the WKU Challenge Course, a recreational area with ziplining, a rock wall and a ropes course that shut down in 2022, could have benefited ORAC.

“I always just thought that [the challenge course] was a missed opportunity, because there was a lot of opportunity for them, student workers, to get more hours to do that sort of thing,” Hemenover said. “Also, WKU organizations all the time would come out there and do that for group bonding or just an activity in the year.”

He agreed that low student participation played a part in ORAC’s closure, but that it was interconnected with the issues of budget and COVID-19. However, he said student involvement was still high with fall and spring break trips and the well-known “full moon float” canoeing trip at Shanty Hollow.

“I know that since COVID, having to shut those trips down was a big hit [to ORAC], because what I’ve heard from my other alumni, or have read before, is that a lot of trips were never left empty, or all spots were filled. I definitely think that was a factor in that case,” Hemenover said.

Like Hoelscher and Rex, Hemenover believes that ORAC offered the opportunity for students to get outside and learn about recreation to those who may never have that opportunity again.

“I think that overall, whether trips had high participation or not, getting to lead trips and where sometimes I had friends in the trip or where it’s just students that I didn’t know, it was a great way to meet people, and I know that it was for the trip participants as well,” Hemenover said. “The joy that people had going outdoors and getting to do this when maybe they had never even been on a kayak before […] not everyone has had that opportunity. And I think everyone deserves to have that opportunity, if they would like.”

It is the use of this opportunity that led students like Hemenover to further develop skills from ORAC, whether in their professional or personal life. Rex believes building this pathway may have been one of ORAC’s most important roles in the WKU community.

“WKU wants to focus on putting exceptional leaders into the world and exceptional alumni that change Appalachia and change Kentucky,” Rex said. “I think they just shot themselves in the foot by taking away one of the best pipelines to that kind of future.”

News Reporter Alexandria Anderson can be reached at alexandria.anderson337@topper.wku.edu. 

WKU has 31 all-gender restrooms across 22 academic and administrative buildings according to the WKU All Gender Bathroom Directory. In 2015, all-gender restrooms were only available in four academic buildings on campus, according to an August 2015 Herald article.

Additionally, at least eight residence halls currently include facilities explicitly labeled “all-gender restroom” or “all-gender bathroom” out of 15 available residence halls on campus, according to Katie Corbin, assistant director of marketing and communications for WKU Housing and Residence Life. These are not all open to the public. 

Private restrooms, family restrooms and guest restrooms are not considered all-gender restrooms.

“‘All gender’ makes it clear that trans and nonbinary people, as well as cis women and men, are able to use the facility,” said Genny Beemyn, researcher of trans-supportive campus policies. 

Gender-inclusive restrooms provide a solution for safety and comfortability concerns amongst the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender and nonbinary people, Beemyn said.

“Many trans and nonbinary people experience violence in gendered restrooms and are often uncomfortable in such facilities because they feel unsafe,” Beemyn said. “As a result, many trans and nonbinary people go out of their way to find a gender-inclusive restroom or ‘hold it,’ despite the discomfort, to avoid being in a gendered restroom.”

For the fall 2024 Common App, 2.47% of college applicants identified as transgender or nonbinary, according to Beemyn’s research project.

Beemyn also tracks trans-supportive policies on college campuses across the country.

President of WKU Queer Student Union Daryl Action stressed the importance of all-gender restrooms on a college campus since college is a period of self-discovery.

Action, a junior and communications major, considers all-gender restrooms a “safe space” for students.

Students can find additional resources on campus through The Pride Center at pridecenter@wku.edu and in Downing Student Union room 2084.

News Reporter Kane Smith can be reached at kane.smith490@topper.wku.edu.

The Office of Sustainability leads projects on campus to improve the school’s effect on the environment. Its website states, “As an office, we feel a moral obligation to our students, our local and global communities, and the planet to do our part in mitigating environmental problems through sustainability initiatives and by training our students to prepare for crucial emerging issues.” 

The office’s recent efforts have been led by Leslie North, who became the second director of the Office of Sustainability in 2018, and has since made several strides toward making WKU a more sustainable campus. North’s efforts have been fruitful, from earning the Hill three Green Dining certificates to qualifying the campus for international sustainability recognition for three years in a row. 

North also created the farm-to-campus program which partnered the WKU Agriculture Department with Aramark. This partnership allows student-cultivated produce, dairy and meat to be used at Fresh Food Company. According to North, the produce used is fresher and the school’s carbon footprint was greatly decreased by using locally sourced food.

“So the whole point in that from a sustainability perspective is that locally sourcing food is much better for the environment. You usually have much better products because they’re not artificially ripened after they were transported hundreds or thousands of miles. So from an environmental perspective, it was important for us to be able to establish that to be able to source at least a portion of food locally.” North said to the Herald.

The WKU Food Pantry, initially created by students of Potter College of Arts and Letters (PCAL) before being absorbed into the Office of Sustainability, provides food, toiletries and menstrual care products to anyone in the WKU community.

The pantry receives some funding from the university, but the bulk of its inventory comes from donations, North said. Anything donated to the pantry helps, she said, but pasta noodles and sauce, canned fruits and vegetables, menstrual products, cereal, canned chicken and tuna, toiletries and granola bars are the most necessary donation items. 

North encouraged anyone in need of the food pantry’s services to go get what they need. 

“We’re just another office on campus, here to help our students and staff be as successful as they can possibly be,” North said.

Additionally, the Office of Sustainability offers several student volunteering opportunities. Positions range from food pantry shelf stockers to office assistants, collecting extra food from campus restaurants, helping with the office’s Earth Day celebration and more. A full list of volunteering opportunities can be found on the office’s website.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Office of Sustainability can email North at leslie.north@wku.edu.

News Reporter Malone Farmer can be reached at james.farmer674@topper.wku.edu. 

HVAC units in Pearce Ford Tower had issues with cooling properly from Wednesday, Sept. 11, to Wednesday, Sept. 18 according to emails sent Monday to the Herald and PFT residents by Katie Corbin, assistant director of marketing and communications for WKU Housing and Residence Life. 

Corbin said via email that maintenance technicians believed they solved the individual issues last week and “at that time, there was no indication of a building-wide outage.” However, on Saturday, more issues with HVAC units were reported which indicated “sporadic and intermittent outages throughout the building,” according to Corbin’s emails.

In another email sent to the Herald and PFT residents, Corbin said cooling returned to most of the building by 9 a.m. Tuesday morning by outside contractors.

“Contractors anticipate that a permanent fix will be in place by the evening of Tuesday, September 17,” Corbin said in the email. “Technicians will remain on-site to monitor the system throughout Wednesday and until total confidence is reached that the building has consistent cooling.”

Corbin said via email the outage was unexpected and not connected to the fall transition from cooling to heating in residence halls.

Corbin said residents whose rooms were not cooled by Tuesday night could request to stay in a room in Douglas Keen Hall temporarily. This option was also provided Monday night, where 21 residents utilized the alternate housing space. 

PFT residents who have any additional issues with cooling are encouraged to file a maintenance request, Corbin said.

Content Editor Ali Costellow can be reached at ali.costellow453@topper.wku.edu

But according to reports the College Heights Herald obtained from the Foundation in a records request this summer, structural engineers and an architect hired to investigate the problems found significant design and construction flaws in both structural and exterior elements of Hilltopper Hall.

The reports consistently cite not meeting state building codes and an “inferior quality workmanship” that led to significant strain on the building’s structural components and failure in supporting its exterior veneer.

Tad Pardue, the attorney for the Foundation, said in an interview on Aug. 28 that the Foundation is currently working to create a plan for redesigning and repairing the building.

Pardue said the cost of repairs is still unknown, but repairs on both the outside facade and structural elements inside the building are going to take a “significant amount of time.”

The timeline

Work to build Hilltopper Hall began in January 2017 across the top of an area of campus known as The Valley, with an estimated completion date of June 2018, according to a plan application form submitted to Kentucky’s Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction on Feb. 10, 2017.

According to the form, the engineer and firm for the project was Donald Stoneburg of the Bowling Green-based firm S.E. Engineering. The architect of record was Nick Sewell of Bowling Green-based Sewell & Sewell Architect – which also, according to its website, worked on both Normal and Regents halls and the WKU Apartments on Kentucky Street.

Hilltopper Hall’s project contractor was Scott, Murphy & Daniel of Bowling Green. Pardue said he does not know who Scott, Murphy & Daniel hired as subcontractors – those who assembled the steel frame or laid the masonry.

Pardue told the Herald that issues with the stone and brick veneer were first noticed on the west corner of the south stairwell in August 2023.

In an email to faculty and staff in October 2023, the Foundation’s executive director, Catherine LaRoche, who also is WKU’s assistant vice president for Housing and Residence Life, said that during repairs on the “decorative stonework,” engineers identified other components that required further investigation, but the initial assessments showed no concerns with the building’s framework or structural integrity.

According to his veneer assessment report, Larry Schwering Architect, PPLC, was asked to visit Hilltopper Hall by Jackson Kelly, PLLC, in October 2023 to examine the property – specifically the south stair tower that saw noticeable veneer displacements.

Schwering said in the report that Brown+Kubican Structural Engineers (B+K) and Rick Hawkins of Hawkins Construction were also brought on by the Foundation to examine the building during fall 2023.

WKU administration maintained that Hilltopper Hall issues were primarily exterior. In a meeting with the Herald on January 10, 2024, WKU President Timothy Caboni briefly mentioned construction surrounding Hilltopper Hall, noting the shift in the masonry and the work being done to remedy it. However, he said it would not impact the daily lives of the hall’s residents.

Eight days later, on Jan. 18, 2024, LaRoche sent an email to all 388 Hilltopper Hall residents, informing them that the Foundation’s board of directors had concluded that, based on professional recommendations following investigations and assessments of the building, Hilltopper Hall would be closed. The following day, at a Board of Regents meeting, Caboni said safety concerns from experts assessing the building prompted the decision.

Students were given a deadline of Feb. 4 – 17 days after the announcement – to move out of Hilltopper Hall and into either a different campus residence hall, with an additional $1,000 in housing credit for that semester, or to move off campus with no housing credits but with that semester’s housing charge for living in Hilltopper Hall refunded on their spring bill. Students were given three days to make their choice.

Following the students’ departure from the building, there had been no further public announcements about the status of Hilltopper Hall, other than it would not open for the fall 2024 semester.

Through a request under the Kentucky Open Records Act to the Foundation on May 28, 2024, the Herald received documents that included reports from B+K and a report from Schwering that also included the building’s plan application form and a 2017 inspection report.

The Schwering and B+K reports noted poor workmanship in the construction of Hilltopper Hall, failure to follow state building codes and structural design errors that could potentially result in the six-story building swaying as much as 19 inches in high winds, according to the B+K analysis.

The structural findings

According to B+K’s report submitted on Jan. 19, 2024, Hilltopper Hall’s design was required to comply with the 2013 Kentucky Building Code – which is the 2012 International Building Code with Kentucky amendments.

“When subjected to the code-mandated load cases and various load combinations, many of the structural steel elements (beams and columns) fail to have the required strength,” B+K’s report said.

B+K found, through using their own software and the software used by the original structural engineer on record (Framework 2D + 3D, a proprietary and free application developed by G.M. Wolsink of the Netherlands), that the calculated stress of a structural element is greater than the allowable stress for that element’s strength.

In other words, the amount of force acting on various structural elements, compared to the amount of area it covers, was higher than what was allowable for the element’s performance.

“Based on these analysis results, combined with the excessively large calculated story drifts and the unpredictable nature of extreme wind and seismic events, it is our recommendation to discontinue occupancy of Hilltopper Hall until corrective action has been implemented and completed,” B+K’s report said.

B+K declined to elaborate on its report.

A significant concern that B+K found was excessive story drift, or the amount of sway a building has the higher it rises.

According to the analysis, Hilltopper Hall’s calculated story drift exceeded what was allowable by code by 600-900%. Near the ends of the building, the calculated drift was greater than what was allowed by as much as 1300%.

Sebastian Bryson, chair of the University of Kentucky’s department of civil engineering, said in an email on Monday that excessive story drift may lead to not only the facade falling off and damage to windows and doors, but also to structural damage on the upper floors.

B+K stated in the report that it is their opinion the excessive story drift is due to the steel framing design.

“At nearly all frames that are parallel to the building width, front to back, the four steel columns do not align,” the report said. “The frames would perform far better if the columns along the front and rear walls of the building were in line with the columns in the corridor walls.”

The report also found issues with the structural connections, stating that some “are not sufficient to resist the forces they are subject to when (Kentucky Building Code) mandated load combinations are applied.”

“Some of this issue with the connections is exacerbated by the excessive movements expected in strong winds,” Bryson said, “And some of this issue becomes a concern just by the floor loads being transferred to the columns.”

Bryson said that although the report did not indicate immediate concern of failure at the connections, it was implied that the connections are problematic given the calculated stresses exceeded the allowable stresses for the structural elements.

B+K said other aspects of the structure, like ways to control the masonry expansion and contraction during weather changes, should have been included in the drawings and installed, but were not.

“In summary, the observations listed in (the report) seem to indicate that there were multiple errors made during the design process, starting with the choice and use of the structural design software,” Bryson said.

The exterior findings

On April 7, 2024, Schwering, the architect hired by the Foundation to investigate the problems, submitted a detailed analysis of the exterior veneer of Hilltopper Hall. That analysis pointed to inferior workmanship, failure to meet code and improper repairs.

In the report, he stated, “There exist areas where the minimum requirements of the (Kentucky Building Code) have not been met and areas where industry standards have not been followed.”

Schwering said in the report he had made site visits, selective demolition and investigations at Hilltopper Hall in November of 2023 and in February and March of 2024.

Schwering said his multiple investigations found repeating issues: a lack of continuous insulation and a lack of code-required air space behind the veneer. And in some areas, the report said, rust had already begun to form because of poor drainage.

Another common error that Schwering highlighted in the report was incorrect masonry anchorage – which, according to Schwering’s report, is a metal device used to secure masonry to a substrate.

The report states that there were only two types of masonry anchor ties submitted and on-site, and Schwering said that he was under the impression  that “neither of the specified products meets the requirements of the (Kentucky Building Code).”

Alongside issues of anchorage, other problems surrounding the quality of workmanship were noticed:

• Outward sloping under windows.
• Failure to follow shop drawings.
• “Poor execution of masonry construction.”
• “Improper repairs.”

In concluding the report, Schwering recommended the Foundation remove all cast-stone products from the building.

Pardue acknowledged in his interview with the Herald that removing and replacing the veneer may be something the Foundation is “forced to consider” in the design and repair of Hilltopper Hall.

“I think it’ll take the construction manager sitting down with the engineers and determining that,” Pardue said. “It’s just been conversations, but I think there will be alternatives to fixing it, and if I had to guess, that might be one of the alternatives; it might involve stripping off the veneer and rebuilding it back up.”

What’s next?

Even with the amount of errors found in the building, Pardue said Hilltopper Hall is salvageable and the Foundation’s board of directors is currently working with B+K and Schwering, who agreed to stay on the project, to come up with plans for repair.

“There was never any shred of doubt in the engineers’ minds that, oh yeah, it can be fixed,” Pardue said.

The reason for a lack of news regarding the building, Pardue said, is because the Foundation is currently in the process of interviewing new construction managers for the building’s repair.

Pardue said the Foundation has been in contact with lawyers for the firms and individuals involved, and instead of being caught up in court for a prolonged period, they are looking to work towards a “resolution.”

“What the lawyers are focused on legally is just trying to identify, is there someone, a third party, that is responsible,” Pardue said. “And if so, what’s the best way to approach them and maybe reach some sort of compromise resolution?”

Pardue also said the Foundation is currently trying to find out who completed the periodic building inspections during construction and when those inspections were done.

News Reporter Cameron Shaw can be reached at cameron.shaw555@topper.wku.edu.

If you would like to submit a reaction to this piece, a letter to the editor or other submission, please send it to Editor-in-Chief Price Wilborn at wkuheraldeic@gmail.com. 

WKU Opportunity Fund

Caboni shared progress on the WKU Opportunity Fund which, according to him, “established a critical pathway to ensure every student at WKU could have the full college experience.”

The fund has increased since it was established in 2018, starting with a goal of $50 million. After it was reached, the goal was raised to $100 million in 2021. Caboni announced in his address that the fund has surpassed the goal again, with more than $102 million, establishing 267 new endowed scholarships. 

“We more than doubled the initial vision we established for the fund, and it changes lives,” Caboni said.

According to Caboni, the fund has provided 20,205 students with private scholarship support since its implementation. 

The Mahurin Honors College

Caboni detailed plans to appoint a task force to consider revisions regarding curriculum and programming within the Honors College. 

“Since its creation, the Mahurin Honors College has provided outstanding opportunities for students seeking to challenge themselves academically,” Caboni said. “It has been instrumental in attracting high-potential and high-achieving students to WKU, and it differentiates us from other universities through the community and support it provides honors scholars. However, 17 years after its establishment, the College remains very much the same as when it was founded.”

He said the task force will consider ideas such as how to embed the honors curriculum in each college, expand the honors self-designed studies process, look into replacement options for the Honors College LLC and more. 

Caboni also paid tribute to Craig Cobane, former executive director of the Mahurin Honors College who died in May, calling Cobane a “respected colleague, mentor, advocate, teacher, and, most importantly, a cherished friend.”

Caboni noted the Board of Regents’ decision to honor Cobane by renaming the office suites in the Honors College and International Center after Cobane. 

R2 institution status

In efforts to become Kentucky’s first Carnegie-classified high research institution, R2 for short, Caboni said he has asked academic leadership to “think critically” about the PhD programs WKU may begin to offer.

“PhDs in programs like Disaster Sciences, Rural Leadership Policy Studies, AI/Data Analytics, all for example, could build upon our existing resources and successes and position us to be an innovative leader nationally and among Kentucky’s research institutions,” Caboni said.

Caboni said WKU is “well on our way” to increase research expenditures to $40 million. He said last year, WKU received $28,690,920 in total external funding. 

He also said he plans to convene a task force to explore creating an interdisciplinary school focused on AI, computational studies and data analytics. 

“The foundation for this school exists, but we must do more to differentiate ourselves regionally, be more competitive nationally and capitalize on the booming fields of artificial intelligence and big data,” Caboni said.

Enrollment and retention

Caboni described the class of 2028 as one of WKU’s “most talented first-year classes,” with an average GPA of 3.45. He also noted that total enrollment for the fall semester is up 1.2% from last year.

Caboni said over the last six years, overall student retention increased by 8.1%, which makes the total rate 79%, one percentage point below his 80% goal. 

Within the overall increase, Caboni said retention among minority students and low-income students in the past six years increased by 16.9% and 7.9%, respectively. 

Caboni additionally shared retention statistics of those involved in Living Learning Communities and said students “best succeed” when they engage in LLCs. 

“Our fall 2023 LLC students returned this spring at 4.5 percentage points higher than non-LLC participants, and preliminary data for this fall indicates a retention rate 8.1 percentage points higher during the past three years,” Carboni said. 

According to Caboni, 782 incoming first-time, first-year students are participating in an LLC this semester. 

“Our collective efforts to ensure the success of every one of our students are truly remarkable,” Caboni said. 

Campus changes

Caboni said “the restoration of our Hilltop” was completed this summer, which he said enhances accessibility, improves pedestrian circulation and generates new greenspace. 

“Now, The Commons at Helm Library, the Colonnade, Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center, Potter Hall, Van Meter Hall, Gordon Wilson Hall and Cherry Hall create an oval academical village, returning the top of our Hill to the original design envisioned by President Cherry and our founding architects,” Caboni said.

Caboni noted the opening of the Soccer/Softball complex last September. He additionally mentioned ongoing facility projects such as the new Gordon Ford College of Business building, the remodeled press box, which is set to open this fall, and the Hilltopper Fieldhouse, planned to open next fall. 

WKU received $160 million for the replacement of the Academic Complex, where the College of Health and Human Services is located. Caboni said the planning and design phase for the project began this summer, and construction is scheduled to begin next summer.

Caboni also said renovation on Cherry Hall is scheduled to begin next fall.

“As guardians of this space, we have a responsibility to both maintain our picturesque campus and to constantly reimagine how it might support the needs of tomorrow, ensuring that it serves our students, our faculty, our staff and our broader community for generations to come,” Caboni said.

Campus achievement

Caboni noted achievements made by WKU Forensics, the Big Red Marching Band and students who competed in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program. 

“Our Hilltoppers continue to excel both inside and outside of the classroom,” Caboni said. 

He said WKU Forensics won the National Forensics Association national title and was named the state champion at the Kentucky Forensics Association state championship for the 32nd consecutive year. 

“Not only is WKU Forensics unmatched statewide, but we are also without equal anywhere in the nation,” Caboni said.

Next, Caboni mentioned the Big Red Marching Band’s opportunity to perform in the London New Year’s Day Parade. According to Caboni, the band is the largest in Kentucky, with over 300 members. 

Caboni also mentioned WKU’s sixth-place finish in the Hearst’s overall intercollegiate national competition. This win marked the 31st consecutive top-eight finish.

Several awards the institution received last year were additionally highlighted by Caboni, including $5.8 million awarded to the WKU Lifeskills Center for Child Welfare Education and Research, over $3 million to the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, more than $1.3 million to WKU to support K-12 principal apprenticeships through Project ELEVATE and $2.1 million as one of eight institutions participating in CLIMBS, an effort funded by the National Science Foundation.

During the 2023-24 academic year, WKU invested over $860,000 in institutionally awarded scholarships for more than 400 students to study abroad, according to Caboni.

“WKU consistently leads the commonwealth in nationally competitive study abroad scholarships,” Caboni said. “With $355,000 earned in study abroad scholarships this year, the Office of Scholar Development continues to open doors and expand horizons for all WKU students.”

Caboni said WKU was recognized as a top producer nationally by the Gilman Scholarship and Boren Awards programs.

First-generation students

Caboni said during the 2023-24 academic year, over 700 first-generation students were involved in university-appointed programming. He said this year, this will develop through First to the Hill Academy, an initiative modeled after ISEC Academy. 

“Targeted resources, mentorship and community-building initiatives remain essential to ensuring these students not only persist, but graduate, setting them on a path to long-term success,” Caboni said.

Spirit of WKU

Marko Dumančić, assistant provost, director for the Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning and associate professor of history was announced by Caboni as the Spirit of WKU Award Winner. 

Caboni said Dumančić has made the History Department more inclusive, was awarded the 2017 Faculty Award for Teaching, published several research articles, authored an award-winning book, played a major role in developing LLCs, is a founding member of the committee behind WKU’s annual Lavender Recognition Ceremony and provides active leadership for WKU’s F1rst Gen initiatives.

“He works to ensure that all students know they belong at WKU, and he has an unwavering commitment to student success,” Caboni said.

Caboni concluded the address by thanking the audience for their attendance.

“We have many successes to celebrate as an institution and many more to celebrate in the future,” Caboni said.

Content Editor Ali Costellow can be reached at ali.costellow453@topper.wku.edu 

The gas leak at Gatton Academy/Florence Schneider Hall is now under control, and it is safe to enter the building, WKU announced at 12:17 p.m., Wednesday.

WKU reported a gas leak at the Gatton Academy in a message to the community at 10:04 a.m., Wednesday, and a cautionary evacuation was issued.

WKUPD Chief Mitchell Walker told the Herald that ATMOS Energy had arrived at the building Wednesday morning and was working to assess and repair an external gas leak. Walker said that he does not believe any students were in the building at the time of WKU’s cautionary evacuation.

Walker said that it would probably be several hours before the building opened again.

“Until then, please avoid the immediate area,” university spokesperson Jace Lux told the Herald Wednesday morning.

The university said it will release additional information when it is made available.

News reporter Cameron Shaw can be reached at cameron.shaw555@topper.wku.edu.

Several locations will be affected:

• Jones Jaggers Hall
• Keen Hall
• PFT Food Court

Power will be turned off at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Power at Jones Jaggers and Keen will be back on at around 3 p.m.

However, power at the PFT food court will remain off until Friday, July 19 to upgrade its “electrical service,” the email stated.

Chief Facilities Officer Bryan Russell told the Herald that the electrical service upgrade includes a new 12,470 volt system design.

This design “allows for individual switches to be activated to isolate a building or feed the primary power from another power feed,” Russell said.

The upgrade is a much more flexible and robust design, he said.

Although the PFT food court is the only building being upgraded, Jones Jaggers and Keen will be shut off because all of these buildings are interconnected through the same substation, Russell said.

“They have no way to isolate one building from the other,” he said.

According to Ben Johnson, assistant director of PDC, no other buildings will be affected by the outage.

News reporter Cameron Shaw can be reached at cameron.shaw555@topper.wku.edu.

Furniture is being moved out of Hilltopper Hall and placed into other dorms.

The Firemen Moving Company, a Bowling Green based moving and transportation company, has been moving furniture out of Hilltopper Hall since last week.

The furniture is being moved into other dorms, like Zacharias and Meredith. The majority of furniture in both Zacharias and Meredith is being donated, with exceptions for any pieces that are “beyond repair,” Katie Corbin, assistant director of marketing and communications for WKU Housing and Residence Life, said in an email on Monday.

According to a social media post on May 21, WKU donated approximately 200 beds to Good Deeds KY, a non-profit organization that provides food, housing and furniture for those in need.

“Good Deeds ran out of beds and 2 weeks later WKU contacted us wanting to donate beds,” Good Deeds KY said in the post. “200 beds later our warehouse is full!”

Good Deeds said that they partnered with Parker Lord Corporation, a manufacturing corporation, and went door to door delivering household items to those in need.

“Toward the end of the delivery, we went up to an apartment that we realized didn’t have any furniture,” Good Deeds said in the post. “The family was sleeping on the floor and the only living room furniture was (a) plastic outdoor stackable chair.”

Saturday morning, living room furniture, beds and even toys were delivered, Good Deeds said.

In January, members of WKU’s Facilities Management team noticed some of the masonry work on the building had “shifted out of position,” according to an email sent to Hilltopper Hall residents on Jan. 18 from Catherine LaRoche, assistant vice president for student engagement and executive director for housing and residence life.

388 students were relocated following the hall’s closure. Students either moved into existing dorms or had to move off-campus.

News reporter Cameron Shaw can be reached at cameron.shaw555@topper.wku.edu.

According to information on WKU’s Planning, Design and Construction website, WKU is working on 11 projects for this summer:

• Elevator replacements in the Service Supply Building, Academic Complex and EST.
• Roof repairs for Diddle Arena, Wetherby Administration Building and EBS.
• Steam-line repairs along Avenue of Champions.
• Construction of the new Gordon Ford College of Business and Hilltopper Fieldhouse.
• 12470v high voltage upgrades at the bottom of the hill surrounding PFT.
• Remodeling of the Houchens Stadium press box

Like many of the projects, Russell said, the need for a full renovation or replacement can be decades old. The original press box was built over 50 years ago in 1968. Some of the issues it had, Russell said, included difficult access, a lack of handicap accessibility, and few modern amenities.

According to information shared by WKU last fall, changes to the press include:

• Be constructed within the stadium as a new floor level above the existing Harbaugh Club.
• Include updated media and press facilities for better broadcasts.
• Provide “state-of-the-art” coaching facilities.
• House multiple suits for premium viewing.

One of the most difficult things about this project was the schedule,” Russell explained, “we could not start the construction until after the football season which ended late November 2023.”

The Houchens Stadium press box is one that faces a hard deadline of Sep. 7, the first home football game of the season against EKU.

Other than the press box, WKU has about 60 current and upcoming facilities projects, past this summer, with a projected scope of over $63 million, according to documents provided by Bryan Russell, chief facilities officer.

The current project list is a partial list that contains only projects that have been approved/eligible for state reimbursement, Russell said. “We’ve got a lot more to do,” he said.

To date, WKU has been reimbursed about $6 million from the state.

“The important thing about how this funding is being made available to the university,” Russell explained in an email on Wednesday, “is that the university must first spend the money, then ask for reimbursement.”

In the 2022-2024 Budget of the Commonwealth (22 RS, HB 1), the Kentucky General Assembly authorized $683.5 million in general fund-supported bond funds for the Postsecondary Education Asset Preservation (AP) Pool. The AP pool provides funding for “asset preservation, renovation, and maintenance projects at Kentucky public postsecondary institutions,” according to the 2022-24 Asset Preservation Pool Guidelines.

Within this AP pool, WKU was allotted $68,080,000 for fiscal years 2022-2024. The new state budget for the next few years will be going into effect on July 1, according to Russell.

“WKU’s Asset Preservation Pool Allocation totals $68,080,000,” Russell said, “and for WKU to receive these funds, we must match, provide a total amount of $10,212,000.”

Russell says the university is appreciative of the help from the state.

“These funds are critical to WKU in that they are allowing us to systematically address many deferred maintenance needs of the university, such as roofing, HVAC systems, interior finishes,” Russell said in an email on May 21.

Another project that Russell said is important, as energy costs continue to increase, is the Metasys N2 to BACNET conversion.

Metasys N2 and BACNET, Russell explained, are hardware “black boxes” and cables. By upgrading from the older N2 (which the university currently uses) to the newer BACNET models, more information can travel faster between building devices. According to Russell, the current N2 model that the university is run on is becoming obsolete.

“As with most technology, devices must be upgraded,” Russell said. “When a ‘head unit’ goes out, we lose control of the building systems operation. 

“The system no longer is operating on a designed program but locked into whatever setting the system was operating on at the time of failure. If the building was heating, the heat would remain on with no setbacks or optimization.”

Better optimization when it comes to managing heat/cooling, Russell added, reduces energy consumption. And when energy consumption is reduced, costs are also reduced.

Metasys N2 to BACNET conversions in the Academic Complex, Weatherby Administration Building and South Campus are expected to be completed by the end of October this year.

News reporter Cameron Shaw can be reached at cameron.shaw555@topper.wku.edu.