Collaborative Community Project Proposal

Proposition for the enhancements of Briar Cliff University Dormitories

By: Cole Siders, Emily Sanburg, Jarod Mau, Traci Turner

Introduction
Briar Cliff University believes that living on campus is a vital part of the college
experience. They believe that the best experience is one where the curriculum and the cocurriculum are seamlessly integrated. With many educational benefits of living on
campus and getting a residential education, Briar Cliff University enforces the following
residency policy, It is the policy of Briar Cliff University that all full-time undergraduate
students live in campus housing and are enrolled in a meal plan until they have reached
senior class standing (91 credit hours) (University Student Handbook). Exceptions to
this housing policy will include students living with their parents or legal guardians
within commuting distance (40 miles) of campus or individuals establishing independent
status.
An independent student meets one (or more) of the following guidelines: he/she is
at least 23 years of age, is married, has children, is a veteran, or achieves independent
status according to federal financial aid guidelines. Briar Cliff University believes this
policy assists in building communities on campus through academic and social
interactions and it also supports our goals to continue to provide enhanced services and
living/learning facilities. While the living/learning environment is beneficial in theory, in
practice the age and poor condition of the dorms is having a negative impact on student
morale. In a survey of 44 students, 100% believe believe Briar Cliffs dorms need to be

updated. With four housing options: Averno Hall, Baxter Center, Noonan Hall, and Toller
hall; our facilities house up to 580 students. We argue that Briar Cliff should update the
dorms in order to enhance the students environment and attract more prospective
students (Briar Cliff Handbook).
Current Efforts
Briar Cliff maximizes benefits while creating an atmosphere that not only attracts
a growing number of students, but also ensures that their experience is mutually
beneficial. These benefits would lead to happy students, which leads to a happy campus
with relational mentors, satisfaction, graduation, sense of self, values, increased school
pride, convenience, cost, safety, support and spiritual growth that prospective students
will want to be involved with at BCU. There are many benefits to living on campus for
the students, and the university as well, with the updating of our facilities. These updates
will ultimately make Briar Cliff students happier and attract a larger number of future
students.
While talking to students we asked questions pertaining to the dorms and
renovation they conveyed that the sanitation of the dorms is sickening. We asked what
needed to be updated and they went to say, everything, bathrooms, room size, and almost
everything pertaining to the dorms was mentioned. We went to ask questions about the
current renovation and future renovations, RA mentioned for the money we are paying
for housing including the meal plan it is overall more efficient to live off campus. That
students living off campus are saving close to one grand in expenses. This is direct
evidence that will benefit Briar Cliff University and the students at BC and future
students.

Benefits For University and Students

Updating the dorms and housing facilities will benefit Briar Cliff University
tremendously and will attract prospective students and persuade current students to live
on campus and utilize Briar Cliff facilities. With the revamping of the dorms on campus,
the Briar Cliffs environment will be improved. Living on campus is a critical component
to the students overall experience, and will increase revenues, produce more scholars,
diversify the student population, energize the community and increase GPAs and
graduation rates.
A rising concern among the students that live on campus is the conditions of the
dormitories. The main benefit of renovating the dorms will result in more happy
incoming and returning students. Another positive that might be seen because more
students are content with on-campus living would result in less students transferring. Of
the renovations that can be made, bathroom updates would be fantastic. Many students
have made it known that they would like to have sinks, showers, and toilets installed in
the dorm rooms instead of having public bathrooms. There are evident pros to having
private bathroom facilities; for example, students will be healthier and safer from
contracting diseases such as: MRSA (Staph infection), E. Coli, Influenza, and even HPV.
Healthier students tend to be more focused, which, in turn, will lead to students doing
better in classes and getting higher grades.
The university should seek a larger student input on how the dorms can be
updated, and pinpoint the most problematic areas. When they know what exactly needs

fixing, updating, and/or renovating, it will be that much easier to address the most
important to the least important. Then, the majority of students will be more pleased with
the renovations that can take place. Even if it is a process that is spread throughout a
couple of years or more, so the changes are not all at once, the most important and
needed areas can get taken care of first. The university should be able to provide students
with a more pleasant living space since this is the space that students will spend most of
the next four years of their lives. The administration should be able to recognize that the
conditions of the dorms are not acceptable for students to be living in.
The main benefit that will be evident after the dorms are renovated will be the
number of happier students that will be incoming and also returning. Another positive
that might be seen because more students are content with on-campus living is less
students transferring.
As well as meal plans, students also get flex dollars that will help them save a
little money on purchases other than food, like: pencils, razors, notebooks, cups, school
apparel, etc. While we are still on the subject of money saving, students will also save gas
by being able to walk to and from classes. This physical activity will also lead to healthier
students, which will also result in more happy students. To top it off, students that live on
campus will be able to take part in on-campus activities like: GOTCHA! and floor events
such as: pizza parties, video game tournaments, laser tag, etc. These on-campus activities
will potentially lead to more socially active students, which will result in more students
as well. Living on campus will ultimately be beneficial for both parties.
More benefits for the students living on campus with a renovated facility and add
to the academic success, living on campus you can choose classes irrespective of the time

they are offered, participate in study groups, visit and form relationships with professors,
study in the library whose resources can come in handy at any point while preparing for
exams or writing papers, and participate in campus-based academic projects and support
communities. Get involved in community engagement; college is a time for students to
immerse themselves in clubs and organizations, to attend university and student events,
and to meet students from all around the world with similar and varied interests. The
personal development of living on campus, living in the dorms, students get to meet all
different kinds of people and socialize with them through the week and weekends by
attending campus sporting and artistic events. Students are safer living on college
campuses than they are commuting to college campuses. Living on campus, students
meet people that become their lifelong friends and join a community that helps them
develop lifelong networks. Over all it is beneficial to live on campus; however, students
dont want to live in the facilities on Briar Cliff Campus.
Recommendation
If 82% of people live on campus and 97% of students that live off campus would
be willing to move in the dorms if the updating was made, why would BC not consider
the enhancement of dorms? Why would we not make the changes? The university should
take the time to seek out donors to help cover costs. Businesses, alumni, and family, if
offered more information about what exactly their donations would be going towards,
would more than likely be very pleased to share their wealth to help cover the renovation
fees. If students and/or administration from the school were to appear in person asking
for these favors, there will be a greater chance that they will not walk away empty
handed. When asked, 46% of people said they would be willing to help with simple tasks

like working in a call center or helping the construction. This would minimize expenses
and allow for the updating of dorms. We propose that working to find funding for the
updating of the entire dorms including air conditioning, laundry room, bathroom size and
in individual rooms, Wi-Fi, furniture, lounges, elevator and many more necessary
updates. When asking students, they referred to the dorms as a prison or an unsanitary
living environment. A motion needs to be set to find funding to renovate and make
enhancements.
Counterargument
Since updating the dorms would more than likely be expensive to update, there
are other parts of campus that could also be updated with the money. A few of the areas
on campus that could be updated, besides the dorms, are the athletic facilities, academic
policies, and making campus bigger and more aesthetically appealing. Although all of
these parts of campus are in need of expansion and renovation, we believe that the dorms
are still the number one need for the updating because students spend the majority of
their time in the dorms. Focusing on the dorms over updating other parts of campus will
be more beneficial to the university because of recruitment, bringing in new students, and
keeping students. In making decisions about updating the dorms, administrators should
take into consideration the dorms that students are living in are very out of date and are
not very appealing to prospective students. Also, it gets very hot in the rooms in the fall,
which makes it hard to sleep most nights, and with the Wi-Fi connection not being very
good in the dorms, it is hard to do homework in your room.

Conclusion
We propose to update the entire dorms, a renovation plan to find funding and start
the process of enhancing Briar Cliff University. We believe that the renovations would be
beneficial to Briar Cliff and the students, will attract future students, and retain current
students. The updating to our campus at this time is not enhancing the dorms but covering
up the bigger issue. We believe that our dorms are not satisfying the students in many
areas and need renovation immediately. With everything being said we hope that the
amount of evidence and input from students on campus with will help prove that the
Briar Cliff dorms are in need of updating.

Works Cited

1. "Briar Cliff University 13'-14' Student Handbook." University Student Handbook

(n.d.): n. pag. Student Handbook. Web. 6 May 2015.
2. "Survey on Housing." Survey on Housing. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015.

Authors Note
This is our final draft, we struggled with the difference in others writing and understand
what our group wanted to convey. We had such a broad subject and should have been
more beneficial to narrow down to the air-conditioning or another subject. Overall with
funding this it hard to put to action but we do believe this is the biggest problem.