National Park College's board of trustees voted unanimously Wednesday for a resolution approving final plans for on-campus housing at the college.
This follows the college's entrance into a predevelopment agreement with Servitas LLC during the November board meeting.
During Wednesday's board meeting, Steve Trusty, vice president for finance and administration, said the decision had been on the board's mind for a while.
"We have been talking about on-campus housing for several months now, since the state Legislature approved this approximately a year ago," he said.
"The reason for building this is to remove any obstacles and any barriers that students might've had. Through our focus groups and studies, we found that sometimes housing is a reason not to complete a degree," said NPC Dean of Enrollment Jason Hudnell.
Having already been in the planning phases of the project for 18 months, construction is slated to begin with a groundbreaking this spring and reach completion in fall of 2020.
Early approximations place the single-building structure at 50,000 square feet with a housing capacity of 180 students.
NPC estimates the apartment-style living spaces will cost students $575-$725 per semester depending on the type of unit they choose. Some units will house two students, while others will house four.
The housing will be available to students pursuing an associate degree, as well as those pursuing a bachelor's degree.
The project will incur no upfront fees, and a land lease agreement with Servitas LLC. is expected to provide a "modest annual return" to the college, a news release said.
The residence hall will face Mid-America Boulevard and sit between the Gerald Fisher Campus Center and the maintenance building.
NPC officials said they anticipate students will primarily use Pell Grant funds to offset their housing expenses, but paying for housing outright will also be an option. Select students will be chosen to be resident assistants, which will also help pay for their housing costs.
Currently, NPC does not have plans to establish scholarship funds to specifically cover housing costs.
NPC Dean of Students John Tucker said the refinement of floor plans, amenities, parking, and IT needs are still ongoing.
An emphasis will be placed on ensuring the campus housing is an integrated part of NPC's overall aesthetic, particularly in consideration with the ongoing student commons construction project, he said.
The college used student focus groups to verify and solidify support for on-campus housing, Tucker said.
"A comprehensive feasibility study revealed a significant demand for affordable housing options. Survey results indicated more than half of the 586 respondents were ages 17 to 24, 86 percent of which would consider on-campus housing. One-quarter of all respondents commute more than 40 miles each day to attend NPC and 15 percent travel more than 60 miles daily," the news release said.
"We anticipate the majority, if not all, of our student-athletes living in the resident hall. It's not the reason that we are building residence halls, but we do anticipate having several student-athletes in the halls," Hudnell said.
NPC President John Hogan said he considers on-campus housing an investment in student retention rates and success that will pay dividends.
"Residence halls on campus will allow us to attract a new market of students. It is also an economic investment. Our ultimate goal is to retain those students in our community so they learn here, earn here and pour back into our local economy," he said in the release.
"We are working on this effort because students asked and because we believe it will open new markets, making college more accessible. Students who live on campus are more likely to succeed and graduate," Hogan said.
Fall of 2020 promises to be a busy time for the college, as this is also when the recently announced bachelor's degree program partnership with Southern Arkansas University will take effect.
With a new residence hall, plans to offer bachelor's degrees, and the expected completion of the Student Commons this spring, NPC is moving toward its primary goal as stated by Hudnell: "We are working hard to remove any obstacle we can to be as student-centered and as student-friendly as possible."
Local on 03/03/2019