Ever-growing FSU Campus Still Has Its Limitations

As I drive through campus every Monday and Wednesday to attend my classes, I marvel each time at the progress being made on the new dorm building being built on State St. It is nice to see that Framingham State is continuing to expand from when I began attending as a freshman in 2006. Within these four years, O’Connor hall has become co-ed, a building of single dorm rooms were opened in Marlboro, the College Center has undergone some dramatic renovations, and what was once a teachers parking on State St. has turned in to the grounds for a new, very up-to-date dorm building. I enjoyed my three years living on the Framingham State campus, and before getting my apartment in senor year, I remember often wishing there was some sort of off-campus housing option available for students who wished to live in a more apartment-style situation, but one that could still be covered by financial aid and loan money. I remember talking to friends at other colleges around the state and being envious that their school had this option for resident students.

It is nice to see that FSU desires to keep the campus up to date and adhere to the fact that its resident student population is expanding, but it seems as though their dorming situation still needs a little more work.

The money being spent to build this massive, “greener” dorm building could also go towards working on some off campus options. Instead of investing so much money in to making the new building so enormous and modern, they could have slightly cut back on that aspect, and put some money towards purchasing a couple apartment buildings or houses for students. By purchasing already built homes or apartments, there is much less work involved, because they would already be built, which would mean much less money for the school to spend. The school could leave the furnishing up to the students and their families.

This idea may or may not have been brought up to the school housing committee before, but it is certainly one that the school should consider in order to keep competing with other schools that offer this option for students. Framingham State does seem to be keeping up with the current trends of other campuses, and now that they are officially a university, and this may be an option that is just around the corner, and I am speaking too soon.