BY LARA BECKER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Expansion of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music is one of several projects kicking up dust.
(Tony Jones photo)
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Students at University of Cincinnati joke that UC stands for "Under Construction."
For most of the past decade, the campus has been strewn with construction-site refuse: detour signs, barricades and piles of dirt. But that look is in style this fall on most campuses in the region.
Construction and renovation projects at more than 20 Tristate colleges and universities represent public and private expenditures totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, and range from simple (adding green space) to immense (building sports arenas).
For some students, the cost can be felt in higher fees. For students and visitors, the construction can mean a variety of discomforts from traffic problems to noise.
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WHAT'S NEW
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A look at Tristate college start dates, enrollment and construction projects. |
"It's an inconvenience," said Drew Stuart, 21, a third-year UC architecture student. "But I'm used to it by now.
"I definitely want it to be a place I can bring my kids back to and say, "This is where I went to school,' " he said. " "And it's not just a mass of buildings. It has green spaces.' "
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TUITION COSTS
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The chart shows the yearly tuition at Tristate colleges and universities, and the percentage increase over last year's tuition. Dollar amounts are based on an in-state student taking 24 credit hours during a full academic year.
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| School | Tuition | Increase |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | $11,250 | 4.1% |
| Central State University | $3,336 | 0.0% |
| Cincinnati Bible College - Seminary | $4,320 | 1.1% |
| Cincinnati State Technical and Community College | $3,200 | 0.0% |
| College of Mount St. Joseph | $12,500 | 5.0% |
| Hebrew Union College | $7,500 | 0.0% |
| Indiana University* | N/A | N/A |
| Miami University (Oxford) | $5,726 | 5.9% |
| Miami University (Hamilton/Middletown) | $3,164 | 3.0% |
| Northern Kentucky University | $2,220 | 2.8% |
| Ohio State University | $3,660 | 5.5% |
| Ohio University | $4,325 | 6.0% |
| Southwestern College of Business | $4,000 | 11.1% |
| Thomas More College | $11,578 | 5.5% |
| Union Institute | $5,952 | 2.5% |
| University of Cincinnati | $4,776 | 5.9% |
| University of Dayton | $14,170 | 3.5% |
| University of Kentucky | $3,016 | 25.7% |
| Wilberforce University | $7,760 | 3.3% |
| Wright State University | $11,790 | 6.0% |
| Xavier University | $7,200 | 5.5% |
*Indiana University has not
set tuition for the 1998-99 year.
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At older universities, like century-old UC, construction is the prescription for growing pains.
UC "has never had a significant image," said Ron Kull, associate vice president and university architect. "We have to market for the future with our best foot forward. We're transforming for our future life."
Like so many millennium enthusiasts, UC has spent years preparing for the next century. The "Master Plan" came to life in 1989; many of its components -- research and recreation centers, dorms and parks -- will do the same by 2000.
Then the next wave will begin.
"It's an evolving thing," Mr. Kull said. "It's not going to be static."
In fact, according to the university's quarterly magazine, Horizons, construction "probably will never truly end."
Construction crews at Xavier University, where ground was broken in February for a $44 million complex, also are aiming to be finished by 2000.
Cintas Center -- which will house a 10,000-seat arena, dining hall and conference center -- ranks as the biggest project in the school's 167-year history. It will add almost 20 percent more space to Xavier's 1.3 million square feet of buildings.
More important, said spokeswoman Kelly Leon, the new arena will bring men's basketball back to campus. Since 1984, the Musketeers have played at Cincinnati Gardens.
Basic reasoning behind the burgeoning construction rings familiar:
"Any improvement enhances the ability to attract and keep good students," Ms. Leon said.
Mr. Kull at UC said that since building an additional 130,000 square feet at Aronoff Center for Design and Art, students in the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning last year boasted the highest SAT scores in its history.
This year, their SAT scores are the highest on campus, Mr. Kull said.
The same theory applies for universities eager to draw top athletes. "It's critical (in order) to recruit the best student athletes and serve them once they're here," said Holly Wissing, director of news and public information at Miami University.
Construction of a $4.1 million student development center, which will include a fitness center, computer lab and tutoring areas for athletes, will begin Sept. 26.
"These facilities are available at many other schools, and these athletes have a lot of options," Ms. Wissing said.
Indeed, Ohio State University will open its $105 million arena in October.
"It's a very competitive market for students who are good academically and good on the playing field," Ms. Wissing said.
It's easy to look beyond today's roped-off areas when the future is bright, she said.
Workers install utility lines at Miami University's Ogden Hall.
(Steven M. Herppich photo)
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"I think students wil be absolutely delighted" by campus improvements, she said. A renovated dining hall and new study area are being paid for in part by student fees that are built into room-and-board costs.
At UC, expansion is the effect of a growing student population (an estimated 35,000 this year), Mr. Kull said.
Without the "luxury of acreage," planners are creating green space on what used to be 600 parking spots, Mr. Kull said.
In the end, after new garages are built, there will be 20 fewer spaces. Until then, however, there will be more cars than places to park -- especially when school starts Sept. 23.
"There are problems," Mr. Kull said. "But our current philosophy is we are not building for peak demand. We're building for average demand."
The green space that's replacing the asphalt can be expensive. UC's Sigma Sigma Commons, one of four grassy plots on the sprawling campus, will cost $5.5 million after a 64-foot light tower and amphitheater are added to the 3.3-acre park.
The fraternity Sigma Sigma raised funds for that project. But student fees, ranging from $80 to $100, will be added to the $4,746 tuition to offset costs of the remainder of the mammoth Master Plan. "I think (the campus) needs a lot of work," said Shane Burger, 22, a third-year architecture student at UC. "It's too much of a concrete jungle.
"But I get a little a worried when they say they're bringing in a signature architect," he said. "We're spending too much money for what we (get)."
Meanwhile, large portions of the campus remain fenced-off, "Under Construction."
