With the ongoing construction on the West Apartments I’ve started to think about all the recent changes at Bucknell. I’m only a sophomore but already from orientation week to today campus feels very different. Some may say it’s due to the longevity of my time spent here, but it’s more than that. Recently, Bucknell has been on a national climb in S.T.E.M. and business, as well as the liberal arts. Nationally known programs entice more and more young minds to flock to central pa for a great but pricey education. They’re expanding admissions, classes, and housing- but not at an even rate. While I’m excited Bucknell is receiving the credit it deserves, I’m a little disappointed in how they’re handling it.
The Housing Issue
For those unfamiliar, Bucknell uses a lottery system to determine when students will pick their housing. This is completely random to help give everyone a fair chance but with their pull up option(the ability for someone in a better time spot to bring up others in worse times), the system is not even completely fair. By the time it was my chance to pick a room for this year I had to be placed on a waitlist. There was no communication as to how long this would last, when they would find a place, or anything else that could clue me in on what’s going on. All summer I waited hopelessly until finally two weeks before school started, they showed me my options. I ended up in a quad on the top floor of a building with no elevator.
The two dorms they insisted on putting up before the start of this academic year (West Apartments) will have to be torn down within the next two years due to issues in the foundations. This is because they rushed through the process due to their failure to plan and execute a timeline. It, for them, was based on how fast they could get as much housing as possible. The quick fixes they are trying to stick over the bigger issue (where is my eighty thousand dollars a year, going if not to better the campus where I’m learning) are causing more hassle and hoops for them to jump through.
As honorary mentions I wish to touch on the hotel housing Bucknell offered this year. It’s off campus down a highway with a shuttle to bring students back and forth to campus, but only on specific times. There was no security except the key card entry and it lacked the on campus level of security leaving them essentially stranded. Also, last but not least the quality of housing students have to overpay for. All I’m going to say about this is due to their failure to make my room safe for living, my roommates and I have an occasional pet bat staying with us in the room.
Side Note: Parking
While not the biggest issue on campus, the lack of on campus, uphill parking is scary. A few times last semester I got tickets due to parking in a staff spot or anywhere I could. Keep in mind, this was after forty five minutes of circling the student lots across campus. While they continue to raise more buildings, they’ve completely ignored an integral part of housing.
Last But Not Least, Classes
Now that it’s well known in the stem and business fields, not just the liberal arts the university refuses to let go of the structure of the 40’s, when it was founded. Instead of expanding class times, hiring more faculty or assistants to those faculty, they force current faculty to teach outside their working hours from 7-8:20 p.m., twice a week, on random days that lack routine. (eg Mon-Thurs, Tues, Fri)
Many students are planning on continuing their education after graduation and to do that on top of the liberal core requirements, they need to complete requirements for those schools.While a liberal arts school is supposed to give you a rounded education, especially with a school who puts a heavy priority on S.T.E.M., there are certain ways I believe they requirements can be tweaked to maximize each students potential fully while they’re here. But that would require more attention on current students and not on gaining money/publicity.
Honestly the list could go on and on, but I’m not here to waste too much of your time. The bottom line is, while it is crossing boundaries and transcending expectations, Bucknell is lacking the forethought to dutifully prepare for the influx of attention.
(Please let me know if you have any name recommendations for the bat!)