Copley Hall opened its doors in 1918 as a dormitory for Park University. 100 years later, this building houses the Department of Communication, Human Resources, Journalism, and Modern Languages. As one of the oldest buildings on campus, Copley has a lot of history. The biggest transition was from that of a dormitory to a classroom and instruction orientated building.

As you walk in the building you will notice a lot of changes were made during this transition. However, this was many years ago and the building is now suffering from some issues due to the lack of attention and improvements it has received. Many students and staff believe that Copley needs further improvements in order to best serve those who attend the university.

Jayden Box is a freshman studying PR.  She really enjoys her major and is pleased with her experience as a student at Park University. However, Box was displeased with attending classes in Copley Hall, “It’s very old and outdated,” she said. “The walls need painting and some of the windows barely open or close. Also, the furniture contributes to a distracting environment,” Box says.

“There have been times when I start writing and the furnace bangs and clacks so loudly I lose my thought,” says student Courtney Jones, a sophomore in Psychology, who has two classes in Copley. “It could use some work especially with cooling and heating.”  The temperature is not well regulated and they are constantly having to be open and closed which is also very distracting.

When the windows are open you can hear the people outside, but if the windows are closed the devastating heat makes it hard to breathe.  Even during the Summer months, “The AC is loud,” she added.

Brandi Handli, professor of English at the university. She instructs three classes at Copley and she says that she enjoys it, but the building could use sprucing up. “I love teaching here; the building is so beautiful and historic. I do believe we can use a renovation,” she says.

Dr. Gina Chambers shares the same opinion, “Copley is a historic, beautiful building with a great location that adds more to Park Universities personality. I do believe that it needs some refreshing and updates, but overall I think is a great building.”

Another professor commented saying “The building should not be torn down, but should get re-do for re-use,” says Dr. Chambers.

Taylor Archer, a nursing student believes that “Copley is the least renovated building on campus and notices a lot of things that need to change like the cooling heating system, the windows, and the fact that there is no study hall or even some chairs in the classroom.” She says, “This environment is not motivating to study because the distractions are everywhere. Hopefully things will get updated or renovated soon.”

Copley does have a list of priorities for renovation and it will it start this year. Beginning the week of April 23, 2018 Copley is starting its long road to a much-needed makeover. The financial plan of Park University is planning to put dollars into the Copley Thaw building in order to furnish and repaint five classrooms and to completely change room 300 on the top floor.

The five rooms that are being refurbished will have new furniture and new technology to keep it on par with the other buildings on campus and room 300 will also be receiving new desks, new technology, and other furnishings as well as a new coat of paint.

This information is great news for the students and faculty that spend the majority of their time in this historic building. Brian Bode, Chief Financial Officer for Park University, agrees that more action is needed. “Is that all Copley needs? No. Copley needs a couple million dollars, but we only have so much money to spend every year.” The process for renovations is expensive and long.

Park University spends the majority of its time renovating buildings over the summer when the students are away from campus unless something major happens and moves the building’s priority up on the renovation list. Bode added, “Our budget is $150,000 for all classroom renovations including Copley and Alumni. HVAC would be in the $500,000 range.”  Bode reminded us that President Gunderson’s priority is to refresh the places where students study, sleep, and eat.

Park University is taking steps in the right direction with the improvements in Copley. However, this little building in the bottom of the hill will need more attention than is included in the current plan. While this summer it will get some of the updates that it needs so much, Copley hall has a long way to go before it becomes a comfortable place to teach and learn.