Extreme Makeover- Methodist Edition
Written by Nicolas Namburete | 
Returning students and faculty members will notice the wide range of improvements made to the Methodist University campus over the summer. From the residence halls to the classrooms, more than one million was put to use for the school’s benefit.
The Trustees building now has individual air conditioning units as opposed to the single unit system that was being used since the building was originally built. Along with the air conditioning, new tiles have been placed in the hallways as well as newer furniture in some classrooms.
The ‘Old 4’ (Weaver, Garber, Sanford and Cumberland Hall) were also included in the improvement plan. They were “high on the list of priorities” said Gene Clayton, the Vice President of Business Affairs. Because the ‘Old 4’ are more than 50 years old they were the first major upgrades of the summer. New doors were built, hot water tanks were replaced, laundry rooms were fully refurbished and more than 250 new mattresses were purchased. The ‘Old 4’ received a fresh coat of paint, new carpets and lobby furniture. $45,000 was spent on painting per building. The Commons and Mclean apartments were fitted with new furniture and electronic appliances. A visible improvement is the new signs for the ‘Old 4,’ West and Pearce halls.
Weaver Hall, the all-female residence hall, benefitted from improved individual air conditioning units. It was the last of the ‘Old 4’ halls to receive the new units.
The students will not be the only ones benefitting from the improvements. There are 6 new faculty offices in the Reeves School of Business. The Alumni dining room also received new furniture, carpets and a paint job. Despite these improvements Gene Clayton believes that “it is nice that faculty members are happy, but the students benefit more from the improvements…”
The improvements came with a price. The budget for improvement or ‘deferred maintenance’ (according to Gene Clayton) was one million dollars.
The Greek village houses required $1 million apiece to be constructed and furnished.
The funds came from a cash reserve which is made up of unrestricted donations (free for any use), yearly operating surpluses, tax exempt bonds (amounting to $28 million) and an accumulated budget derived from the yearly operating surpluses.
Gene Clayton also mentioned that, “Had we not had the cash reserve, we would not have undergone the projects or we would have had to borrow the money”.
According to Gene Clayton we will be seeing more of the individual air conditioning units being built in, the Reeves School of Business, Old Science Building, Horner Administration Building and the Old Wing of the Library.
Apart from the air conditioning, the new asphalt around campus will be completed as the school now is only 25% along. The seating in the Reeves, and H222 auditoriums will also be renewed thus making lectures more comfortable for the attendees. A solution is yet to be found for the issue with the gates of the Commons apartments.
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