ely – The Hilltop Monitor

Quiz: Which Jewell residence hall are you?

Christina Kirk — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:00:58 +0000

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Ely soon again to be the place to “b-ely”

Elliott Yoakum — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:00:06 +0000

In an all-campus email sent Feb. 1, William Jewell College President Dr. Elizabeth MacLeod Walls announced that the school would be launching “Phase One of a comprehensive effort to renovate and redesign our first-year residence halls.” The email explains that through a gift from Mark and Karen Mathes, Liberty residents and 1979 and 1980 graduates of Jewell respectively, the College will begin renovations on Ely Hall in March. Plans for an outdoor first-year quad and a new residence hall constitute Phases Two and Three.

The College closed Ely Hall for the 2017-18 academic year to begin these renovations. Last fall, the campus community had few details about the project, but MacLeod Walls’ email provided information on the scope and timeline.

The Monitor sat down with MacLeod Walls for more details on the project, including how the College decided on this project over others, specifics regarding what’s to be done, a rough timeline and how the College will combat low enrollment and keep the newly-renovated spaces occupied.

The decision to renovate first-year housing came from surveys compiled last year by Kurt Bartolich, Brand Internalist founder of GUTS Branding.

“We knew when we did our survey work last year with Kurt Bartolich consistently a theme from the students was, ‘We love Jewell, we wish we had the caliber of living space that we have in terms of our educational space,’” said MacLeod Walls. “This wasn’t news to us, but just the consistency of it was something I realized we needed to pay attention to.”

MacLeod Walls decided that the first-year dorms are the place to start. Upper-class dorms are generally in better shape, particularly Melrose, which went through extensive renovations after the 2003 tornado.

An architect studied what would be possible.

“We looked really closely at all three of those buildings, and at the end of the day, what we realized was that, of those three, Eaton probably has the shortest shelf life for a variety of reasons,” MacLeod Walls said. “It wasn’t really built to be around as long as it has been. Browning is in a similar situation, but it’s 12 years younger than Eaton.”

Jewell’s architect is Gould Evans, and the school has worked with the firm on many quad projects. The school did, however, change construction companies from JE Dunn to McCown Gordon.

“We visited with both of those construction companies and what McCown could offer us was, at the end of the day, more appealing, and they already had a turnkey relationship with our architect,” said MacLeod Walls.

The project, as noted earlier, will consist of three phases. Phase One is a renovation of Ely Hall, which will cost around $3.5 million.

The College constructed Ely in the early 20th century. The most recent renovations to Ely occurred in summer 2016 when the College updated the bathrooms and installed new hall carpet and ceilings on the first and second floors. Ely has always been a favorite among first-years. The hall is community-oriented and according to MacLeod Walls has great resonance on campus and with alumni.

The goal of the Ely renovation includes new HVAC, flooring, walls, furniture and common rooms.

“We’re going to start with about half that and do a deep cosmetic renovation of Ely,” said MacLeod Walls. “So this lead gift that we received…allows us to do that and allows us to get started in March. So we know for sure we’re going to have a renovated space by the time the fall comes around.”

According to Ernie Stufflebean, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life, the Ely renovation will include specifically new wall surfaces, flooring, ceilings and LED lighting, all of which will compliment the renovations done two years ago.

The College continues to pursue donations for the remainder of the project.

For projects in which a single donor provides a majority of the funds there is always the concern that their desires for the space will be put above the needs and desires of the students and the College. MacLeod Walls assures that this is not the case.

“The Mathes’ have not, they are not prescribing any part of this,” she said. “What they have said is, ‘We trust the work that you want to do, here is our gift to you, use it in the best possible way,’ so they are not influencing the decisions we make.”

Phases Two and Three of the first-year commons project do not have a set timeline, but MacLeod Walls hopes to finish fundraising by the start of the 2018-19 school year.

“The long range plan is to do the rest of that work in Ely and also to build a new residence hall where Eaton is,” said MacLeod Walls. “We are in the process of trying to raise money for that too. And there is an outdoor component to that, too, which is around $1 million which would really transform that whole—we call it a triangle right now, but we want to call it a commons—common space.”

One of the main goals of the first-year commons project is to enhance community and “to reflect our philosophy in our living spaces.” In doing this, MacLeod Walls believes that Ely and the new first-year hall will not just be empty space.

“Ely is going to be the hall that our first-year students go into, and then of course the idea would be that for the new hall enrollment is growing and we’re putting students in all three of those spaces,” said MacLeod Walls.

Stufflebean believes that enhancing the quality of first-year residential life will increase enrollment and that the project will raise retention rates.

“Similar to the influence on enrollment, residential facilities and how they’re utilized can build community and foster relationships, which can positively impact student retention rates,” Stufflebean said.

Since the project’s announcement, some student have voiced concerns. At the February Senate Town Hall students asked questions about the possibility of renovations to upper-class dormitories. Questions have also been asked about whether living in Ely post-renovation will cost more and about why Eaton is to be razed instead of Browning.

MacLeod Walls hears student questions about upper-class housing. She states that it is next in their planning.

“We are hopefully going to do a master plan and we’re talking to JE Dunn about that actually,” said MacLeod Walls. “And if we do a master plan then what would be included in that would be a long range plan for all of our housing. Honestly, Elliott, my interest is to get as creative with that as possible. So, thinking about different kinds of living spaces than what we have now. In a perfect world, we would have apartment style, or it would be more collaborative learning and living spaces. So that’s next, that is absolutely next. But we want to invest in this part of it first.”

Stufflebean echoes MacLeod Walls, and he notes the recent work done to Jones and Semple.

“Jones Hall received quite a bit of work in the past two years,” Stufflebean said. “Work in Jones included new room furniture, new paint, kitchens were renovated, a new lounge was added to the second floor off the northwest kitchen, the laundry room was renovated, new door hardware was installed along with new room numbers and lighting. Prior to work in Jones, Semple Hall received attention as well. Wood laminate flooring was installed in the sleeping rooms of the west and central wings, rooms and hallways were painted and drop ceilings with new LED lighting was installed.”

Both Stufflebean and MacLeod Walls assured that the future of all campus housing will be part of ongoing conversations.

As for Ely costing more, the answer is no. Additionally, Browning is 12 years newer than Eaton, and that is why it will stay for now.

Overall, MacLeod Walls and Stufflebean are enthusiastic about this project and the prospects for enhancing the Jewell experience. The renovations of Ely will start in March, and there will no doubt be further updates about Phases Two and Three of the project as the semester progresses.

Photos by Christina Kirk.

The Ely Project

Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 13:00:02 +0000

Supplementing changing policies and personnel on campus, Ely, a first-year residence building, will undergo significant remodels and renovations. This is the fourth installment in a series of articles highlighting recent changes and additions at William Jewell College.

The basement of Ely houses the Wellness Center and the Nurse Practitioner’s, Campus Safety and Facilities offices. A large building with prominent pillars and an impressive façade, Ely is also an integral fixture of the first-year triangle.

As a dorm, Ely has a reputation for its strong emphasis on community. Former residents can often be seen wearing “Fam-Ely” t-shirts. A popular first-year hang out space, Ely is known for its large lobby where students can almost always be found resting on one of the many oversized poufs or playing ping pong on one of the two available tables.

Ely is also known for its typically small rooms and burlap covered walls.

Caeley Pittman, sophomore physics and Oxbridge Literature and Theory major and former Ely resident commented on the unequal sizing of its rooms.

“Our room was one of the largest, so we were able to have friends over easily, but most of our friends had very small rooms. I think it would be very helpful if the room sizes were to be standardized a bit better such that some people don’t live in closets while others live in big rooms,” said Pittman.

This past summer a series of renovations were commissioned for Ely. Ernie Stufflebean, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life, explained that they will focus on the Ely’s interior and the building’s aesthetic.

“[The Ely renovation plan is for] a lot of just basic cosmetic updates to the building, so, for example on the first and second floors we had gone through and put in new drop ceilings and LED lighting, so we need to get that updated on the third floor. We had also put in carpet on the first and second floor, and getting that updated on the third floor. Then, in the sleeping rooms we’re talking about more of a composite tile rather than carpet, kind of like we’ve done in other buildings that don’t have carpet in the rooms. The wall coverings that’re in Ely, talking about taking those out, replacing it with drywall and encasing some of the pipes that are exposed in rooms. Truly making it more aesthetically pleasing and then obviously repainting everything and getting it up to speed,” said Stufflebean.

This is the second major Ely renovation project in recent years. In the summer of 2016 the shower and restroom facilities were redone and new lighting was installed on the first and second floors.

This year’s project is being led by a committee of college personnel including Dr. Macleod Walls, President; Brian Clemons, Vice President for Finance and Operations and Treasurer; Dr. Anne Dema, Provost; Drew Novak, Student Body President; and Stufflebean.

To finalize renovation plans, this committee is working with Gould Evans, an architecture and interior design company located in Kansas City. McCownGordon Construction, another KC company responsible for the construction of the Flint Hills Discovery Center and several renovations on Kansas State University’s campus, has been contracted to complete the Ely renovations.

These renovations are scheduled to occur throughout this academic year with the goal of reopening the Ely sleeping rooms in the fall of 2018. Until renovations are complete, Ely will be closed as a residence hall. Other building facilities, including the Wellness Center and the Nurse Practitioner’s office, will remain open for student use.

Stufflebean described the Ely renovation project as the first step in a long-term plan for the future of Jewell campus housing.

“We’re also starting a conversation, it’s a much larger conversation, basically putting together a plan for the future of campus housing at Jewell. Now, obviously, we have our Greek facilities, so this is talking more about our first-year residential triangle and then our upper-class triangle. So, it’s kind of more of a long term strategic planning process and we’re just getting it started, so it’s really in its infancy but it started just around making these changes to Ely and then it’s expanded into a much larger conversation, which will be ongoing,” said Stufflebean.

While there are not yet any concrete plans for renovations to residence halls other than Ely, campus officials are already engaged in conversations about this topic.

“There’s no timeline, there’s been nothing set as far as, you know, we don’t have dates or even ideas about what we want to do in other facilities, so that’s part of a much larger conversation from a master planning standpoint. So, there aren’t any definitive dates or anything like that set for any future work outside of Ely at this point. But, I think it’s good for us to sit down and have a conversation so that we have a plan in place as we move forward so that as we make improvements we have a master plan that guides that work,” said Stufflebean.

No budget has yet been set for either the Ely renovations or the larger campus housing project. Stufflebean predicted that this project will be quite expensive and that funding will be sought from donors as well as from Jewell’s own funds. As an example for this method of funding, Stufflebean cited the construction of Shumaker Hall, which was 95 percent funded by donations.

The Ely renovations and ongoing discussions about the future of campus housing are an effort to ensure Jewell’s continual improvement. An emphasis will be placed on completing the Ely renovations before the established fall 2018 reopening in order for the building to be used in prospective student tours.

“I think they are going to be starting here pretty quick. I think what they’re working on now is putting together the projection of cost and everything like that. The scope of the work that we’re intending to do in Ely can easily be done within the time frame that we’re trying to get it done. As a matter of fact, we want to be able to even potentially use the building to show incoming prospective students, especially this spring,” said Stufflebean.

Photos by Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe

Ely Hall to close for renovations

Alexandria Acord — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 16:54:44 +0000

As of this summer, Ely Hall will close for renovations, leaving the First-Year Triangle without one of its cornerstones. While the exact date of Ely’s reopening has not yet been solidified with Student Life, it is expected to last the entire 2017-18 school year. However, this is only the latest in a series of alterations made to the dormitory building throughout the years.

According to Ernie Stufflebean, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life at William Jewell College, Ely has been in a consistent process of renovation for several years. Most notably, the shower and restroom facilities were renovated this past summer, and new lighting systems were recently installed in the first and second floors. Therefore, this latest set of improvements will largely focus on the third floor, but all sleeping rooms will still be impacted.

Most renovations at the College take place in the summertime, making the year-long changes to Ely Hall especially visible for students. Rumors have abounded about the circumstances behind Ely’s closing, and many students have wondered if it is a sign of financial trouble for Jewell. However, even though Jewell’s first-year class will be smaller than usual, Stufflebean sees no potential threats to the College’s standing.

“This is an opportunity to make changes without impacting students,” Stufflebean says.

The smaller class sizes are, in part, what will make the year-long change possible, as Browning and Eaton are currently large enough to accommodate all incoming first-years on their own. In addition, the Ely lobby will still be open to the public and used for first-year events, much like sororities and fraternities are already using it to spread awareness to new students.

Like the summer projects in the past, renovations will be handled in-house by the trained Facilities Management staff at Jewell. However, spreading it out into a year-long process will ensure maximum care, according to Stufflebean. Without the rush to get the residence hall open before students return, multiple changes can be made in a single step rather than spread out over several years. Jones Hall will still be undergoing the normal summer renovations, but improving Ely will be the main focus for the College.

While Ely’s health center, fitness room and offices will stay open throughout the reconstruction, other members of the Ely staff will be relocated to other parts of the College, says Kelley Huff, Ely’s current Resident Director. Their new positions are currently unknown, but they will continue to be a part of the campus community.

The floor, ceiling and lighting in each room will be redone and in some cases completely replaced. Perhaps the largest proposed change to Ely Hall is its flooring, which is currently covered by carpeting. Stufflebean has suggested switching to a laminate-type floor made out of linoleum, similar to the dorms in Semple Hall. Semple’s floors tend to have a positive reception with students, who find them to be relatively low-maintenance since they do not require much upkeep. Students can choose to customize the room with rugs, and the laminate floor reduces the risk of allergens entering the room. While Stufflebean says switching to this variety of flooring will be more expensive, he asserts that it will serve the College better in the long run, since it has a longer life expectancy than carpeting.

In addition, Ely’s interior will be completely repainted, but one of the features that makes it a student favorite will not be changed. The residence hall’s walls, which are covered in a burlap-like material, allow for easy customization of the room—thumbtacks and tape can be used without damaging the wallpaper like in other Jewell dorms. Student Life understands that this is one of the major reasons for Ely’s popularity among first-years, and no plans for switching wall materials have been announced.

“Students appreciate the freedom,” Stufflebean says.

While the Ely project has been on slate for longer than Jewell’s branding operation, it could be likely that these changes will further back Dr. Elizabeth MacLeod Walls’ course of improving the school. Though no huge changes will be coming to Ely—as Stufflebean has dismissed the commonly-spread rumor of a Jacuzzi being installed within the residence hall—it will nevertheless serve as the cornerstone of Jewell’s constant cycle of improvement.