 |
|
| Appalachian’s D.C. house lease
not renewed |
Grayson Mendenhall
Chancellor | Student Development Beat
|
After 25 years of
use, Appalachian State University will lose its lease on the Appalachian
House as of Nov. 30.
Since its acquisition, the Appalachian House, or AppHouse, located
at 22 Third St. in Washington, D.C., has been used by Appalachian
faculty, staff and students who are attending conferences, academic
meetings or conducting research in the Washington, D.C. area.
The AppHouse is one of two distance-learning spaces available to
Appalachian students and faculty, the other being a loft in midtown
New York.
The AppHouse has served as a hostel for traveling Appalachian faculty,
students and staff by offering beds available for rent at $35 a
night.
For 25 years, Appalachian has rented the space from Amherst College,
the current owners of the property.
In preparation for expanding their own campus, Amherst College will
use the building where the AppHouse is located as an administration
building during renovations of their campus.
At a meeting last Thursday, Director of Instructional Technology
Center Media Services Charles “Mick” Kreszock held a forum
with members of the Appalachian Faculty Senate to discuss the possible
acquisition of a new space in Washington, D.C.
“I’d like to see another 24-25 bed facility in D.C. that
is comparable to our other space in New York,” Kreszock said.
Although many students and faculty support acquiring a new space
in Washington, D.C., finding a suitable and available piece of real
estate may prove difficult.
“It will be a long and arduous event to make this happen,”
Kreszock said.
Other members of the Appalachian Faculty Senate in attendance voiced
their opinions and support regarding the possibility of a new facility.
Margaret A. Yaukey, assistant professor in the department of art,
pointed out how beneficial it is for Appalachian to have a space
like the AppHouse for off campus learning.
“An important part of what makes Appalachian unique is having
these properties,” Yaukey said.
Yaukey also pointed out the benefits of students developing bonds
by using the AppHouse.
“The community of the [Appalachian] Loft and the AppHouse are
the best parts about going there,” Yaukey said.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Wilber H.Ward outlined
some of the potential difficulties that may arise in finding a new
space in Washington, D.C.
The money that would otherwise be spent in D.C. might be more urgently
needed here in Boone for “natural extensions,” Ward said.
“There are other pieces of property we really need to buy to
protect the integrity of the campus,” Ward said.
Ward offered a simple explanation to the problem of finding a new
space.
“It’s a matter of finding the place and finding the money,”
Ward said. |
|
 |
 |
