By Tim Cox
tcox@dailystandard.com Student dormitories could someday be available at Wright State University-Lake Campus, but as of yet, no firm plans are in place, the university's president said Thursday.
Kim Goldenberg, president of Wright State's main campus in Dayton, told a crowd gathered for the Lake Campus' annual community report that the housing issue has cropped up many times through the years.
"We've talked on and off through the year, but we haven't come to any firm conclusions at this point," Goldenberg said.
Auglaize County resident Ed Noble, a member of the West Ohio Education Foundation (WOEF) board, which raises and administers scholarship money for college students, asked Goldenberg about the housing issue.
Dormitories or other housing almost definitely would not happen at the Lake Campus without some sort of public-private partnership, Goldenberg said. State money for public education is lacking to fund such a project, he said. Even at the Dayton campus, university officials are looking more and more to public-private partnerships to get things done. "The state is not ready to commit the kind of money needed," Goldenberg said. "Any decision on housing would involve those public-private partnerships ... we can't do large capital projects on public money alone."
Housing is not part of the Lake Campus ongoing $4 million capital campaign to renovate and expand classroom space at the campus. The campaign already has raised $3.8 million toward its goal.
The university has been among the leaders among universities in striking public-private partnerships, Goldenberg said.
"We've done a lot more public-private partnerships than we've ever done in our history," Goldenberg said. "Together we can do more than we can do separately." |
