Looking upon Missouri Western today, it’s hard to believe just how much has changed in the past nine years. From the Kit Bond Incubator to Remington Hall, construction and renovation has become the norm at Western.

According to Lonnie Johnson, director of facilities, the addition of space to Western since 2000 includes, but not limited to, the following: 25,000 square feet for the incubator, 66,000 square feet for Remington Hall, 12,500 square feet for the addition of the Fulkerson Center in Spratt Hall, 95,000 square feet for Scanlon Hall, and 70,000 square feet for Murphy Hall.

Remington is expected to cost roughly $35 million, while the ultimate price tag for the indoor athletics facility appears to be in the range of $10 million.
President Robert Vartabedian feels that the ongoing construction/renovation process is intrinsically connected with the five consecutive years of record enrollment.

“The most logical explanation is growth,” Vartabedian said. “We need the extra space; we’ve been expanding at the undergraduate level and even more at the graduate level. Expansion [of facilities] is part of that process.”

Mel Klinkner, the vice president for financial planning and administration, sees the process of creating and expanding space on campus as fitting perfectly into Missouri Western’s objectives.

“Our number one priority is students,” Klinkner said. “The expansion of facilities has allowed us to enhance that.”

Western hopes to keep that expansion process going. According to Klinkner, expansion of Potter Hall is the top priority in Western’s capital request to the state. There are also discussions taking place on expanding residential housing.

Vartabedian also has construction plans of his own, hoping to oversee the construction of a presidential residence, which would serve as both his own personal home and a place for hosting campus events.

Even with projects like Remington and the indoor athletics facility still in progress, Western administration is already seeing a positive impact campus wide.

“It makes Western an attractive option for future students,” Klinkner said. “We now have more facilities and opportunities for our students.”

When it comes to growth, there will inevitably be some growing pains and Western has had its pains.

According to Johnson, the university hasn’t been able to do much in terms of job creation for the new facilities, specifically janitorial and management.

Klinkner agrees, noting that the university needs to address the issue, but feels that, with the uncertainty in state funding, it will be a challenge for Western to keep up with staffing needs.

“We ask our staff to do a lot,” Klinkner said. “We’re going to have to do something, but in these economic times, it’ll be tough.”

Despite these challenges, Johnson feels that the overall impact of Western’s construction/renovation process over the past several years will ultimately prove to be a positive experience for the university and the student body.

“Anytime you add facilities, it shows that the university is growing,” Johnson said. “People notice you when you’re growing.”