Like Scott, fans take the place of air conditioning in Walker. The building’s age is visible. Photo by Tyler Davis.
Leaky ceilings, damaged furniture and a lack of air conditioning are only a few problems plaguing WCU’s Scott Hall and Walker Hall.
Constructed in 1969, Scott is a nine-story building, while Walker was constructed in 1972 and clocks in just a bit shorter at seven stories. Scott houses about 739 students and Walker has 373. Both are primarily populated by freshmen for their first year at WCU.
While in a convenient location near the main entrance and the center of the campus, Scott and Walker have a reputation for being old and generally uncomfortable to live in thanks to outdated design choices, a lack of certain modern amenities, and the occasional leak or three.
The executive director of Residential Living, Bryant Barnett, illustrated some of the problems associated with these dorms. Primarily, the buildings feature designs like large communal bathrooms that have fallen out favor. Suite-style dorms, featuring two-bed rooms with one bathroom, have risen in popularity in recent years. The lack of air conditioning was also cited as a notable issue.
Luckily for students, plans are in the works to demolish both buildings and replace them with shiny new dorms. As Barnett said Scott and Walker will be demolished after the 2019-20 school year and replaced with a new design approved by the Board of Trustees Friday, March 1.
The decision was approved by the Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors earlier in the spring 2019. The process to approve construction starts far before then, beginning with residential living and facilities management.
“It begins as a campus thought planning process,” Barnett explained.
Plans to raze and replace Scott and Walker have been in the works for some time, according to Barnett.
“We’ve been working towards this decision since 2013,” Barnett noted. The planning began with a facilities audit conducted in 2013, where each building on campus is evaluated and any changes noted.
Students did have a part to play in the initial planning, according to Barnett. The Office of Residential Living uses residential satisfaction surveys to gauge responses to the numerous dorms on campus. Also, three groups of student volunteer were used as focus groups for new designs for Scott and Walker.
Many students have their own opinions on Scott and Walker. Harrison Burcham, a freshman, has lived in Walker Hall since the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester. He mentioned that “it’s nice that it’s so close to center campus. The location is great because it’s close to caf [sic], the UC, and close to all my classes.”
Pipes located directly above the beds in Walker is another sign of the building’s age. Photo courtesy of Harrison Burcham.
Burcham pointed to the building’s age as a downside to living in Walker.
“The floors are cracked and the furniture is scratched. Just what you would expect from a building that is that old.”
Another student shared her experience with Scott Hall. Rachel Spagnoletti, a sophomore who lived in Scott during the 2017 academic year, said that Scott “was honestly a bit depressing to look at and the lack of air conditioning made it unbearable.”
When told about the plan to replace Scott and Walker, Burcham praised the decision as a “good plan”.
“As an incoming freshman, I would have loved to live in a brand-new dorm. And if they renovate it, that could be even better so that they keep that same convenient location,” Burcham added.
Spagnoletti shared the same sentiment and said that “it’s a well-needed change to this campus” and “it’ll be great for oncoming freshmen to actually enjoy their experience at WCU.”
