The policy of requiring students to live on campus for six semesters had many detrinental effects. As recently as 1995, students were required to live on campus for only two semesters (or thirty hours, whichever came first).

The next year, incoming freshmen were equired to live on campus two years (four semesters). This was still not to the intolerable point.

However, requiring the greatest part of a student's academic career to be spent in the dorms, is not sound policy. In the past, upperclassmen were enticed to remain on campus by a discount on room fees. A system like that is preferable.

Many students move off campus for financial reasons. Removing or reducing the financial incentive for moving off campus would allow many students to remain on campus.

Some students wre caught in a tight situation by the policy. They could not afford the higher cost of on campus life. However, if they dropped below full time (12 hours) in order to move off campus, they would lose their scholarships. As a result, some of these students had to drop out of school.

Another (supposedly) unforseen result of this policy is on campus overcrowding. There was simply not enough room for all the students who were now required to live on campus. As a result, some rooms that were meant to hold two students now held three. This problem is common at schools such as Texas A&M. So many students desire to attend there, that this otherwise intolerable situation is tolerated. However, Howard Payne cannot afford to subject its students to such conditions. History has proven this position to be right.

To help alleviate the overcrowding, the administration began construction of a new apartment building on Fisk Ave. These apartments were a welcome improvement. Unfortunately, the administration also decided to convert the on campus married housing to singles housing. This was advantageous to the single students, as it simulated certain aspects of off-campus living for them.

However, the campus suffered a great loss when the resident married couples left. The married couples' presence on campus allowed them to socialize with the single students. Many single students benefitted from their counsel, as well as the experience of knowing a married couple. The married students also benefitted from this arrangement. Another benefit to the married students was the low price of the married housing. According to married housing residents, HPU married housing was significantly less expensive than off campus residence (in contrast to the dormitories). When the married couples were forced off campus, they suffered a financial hardship.

The area of campus parking also suffered. The number of students on campus dramatically increased, decreasing the number of available parking spots. Off campus students noticed that it became much more difficult to find a parking place when they came for classes or other campus activities.

To further exacerbate the now worse parking problem, the administration decided to remove approximately twenty parking places in the lot located behind Jennings Hall, between the University Center and Taylor Hall. In their place, they erected a rather dubious statue. This statue could have been placed in many other locations, yet badly-needed parking spots were removed to allow its installation. These spots were considered "prime spots" by the residents of Jennings Hall and comprised a "loading zone" for move-in and move-out. These spots also included the handicap-only parking places for Jennings Hall. In addition, on Sundays many local residents, primarily senior citizens, come to eat in the Beadel dining hall. The removal of these parking places meant that the senior citizens now had to walk farther.

During this time, the administration claimed to have added many parking spaces to the campus. However, what actually happened was that several prevously unpaved lots were paved and spots marked. While this was an improvement, it had the effect of reducing the number of places available to park. Many students had previously been "creative" in finding parking places.

The parking lot between Mims Auditorium and the Walker Library was removed as well. This lot had previously been used by (among others) chapel speakers, as well as visiting musical groups who performed in Mims. Dr. Newberry had also been known to park in this particular lot. Around the same time, parking on Fisk Avenue became forbidden and Center was closed, further reducing available parking. Finally, one additional lot waas created, but the situation is still difficult. The whole situation caused one student to dub the school "Horrible Parking University."

One of the aspects of Howard Payne that had formerly appealed to prospective students was the lack of a long walk to get anywhere on campus. Larger schools are notorious for forcing students to park a great distance from their dormitory or class. While the situation at HPU is nowhere near as bad as it is at some other schools, it is no longer as advantageous as it used to be.

While dormitory life has many advantages for students, off campus living has many as well. Students benefit from having both experiences. Living off campus helps a student gain familiarity with paying monthly bills. It also can force a student to gain cooking experience. many off campus students have remarked that they never really appreciated the cafeteria until they moved off campus. A primary benefit of off campus living is that students can help to establish a credit rating for themselves by paying utilities.

In all, the administration in question made many decisions that were unpopular with students, faculty, and alumni. They claimed to have consulted with the student body, but many of the students who were consulted claim that their input was dismissed or ignored. Instead, the administration only chose to listen to a select group of "yes-men" who gave rubber stamp approval to whatever they proposed.



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