East Campus Downfall
Photo courtesy of Chris Estrada
Student demonstrators protested the East Campus Development project during a speech on sustainability from Pescovitz on Oct. 4.
In case you haven’t heard, East Campus Development has been a huge issue on campus lately. For some reason, East Campus Development is an idea that Oakland University wants to invest in. The reason, of course, is profit.
The gist of this project is that OU’S East Campus Development will ruin public lands and lease campus land to private entities for the purpose of a “boutique hotel.”
What could this possibly do for students? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No part of this project is intended for students.
OU is a college, not a strip mall. The purpose of any college should be focusing on the benefit and wellbeing of the students, not to be a playground for the rich. Colleges are intended for students to come and grow and receive an education.
Money and initiatives should be put into the students and their needs, so a project of this caliber that does nothing for students should absolutely not move forward. If anything, this project has the capacity to hurt students. Frankly, it’s unacceptable.
Traffic is bad enough as it is, let alone if OU goes down this path. We’re notorious for horrific traffic and parking issues — that’s how it is now. Imagine what it will look like when there’s a whole flourishing hotel. Have fun getting to class!
Hypocrisy at its finest is on full display here. For a campus that puts so much emphasis on how “sustainable” it is, why invest in this project?
Even discounting the issue of the trees, there’s no way to frame this project as sustainable. It feels like a monetization over sustainability issue.
If everything else wasn’t enough, safety is a big concern. Strangers with zero affiliation to OU will be present on campus.
In a year where on-campus safety seems to be an afterthought, I can’t believe an idea this unsafe is even up for debate. Well, I can believe it — that’s the worst part.
We’re struggling with safety as it is, and campus policies like smoking and firearms won’t even apply to this grand hotel idea. OUPD’s jurisdiction over the leased land will be revoked if the East Campus Development goes through. How does anyone think this is a good idea?
There’s no way that this plan could benefit OU in any form. How is anyone supposed to guarantee the revenue this project could gain would go where it should — to the students?
Students should be the focus of a college campus, but our administration continues to show how little they care. Students are not a priority, and our money is going to the wrong places.
This project cannot go through. There is no benefit to this development. The only thing to come from this project would be harm. Safety, sustainability and everything I’ve talked about would go out the window.
We have to say no to East Campus Development. OU’s Student Congress has started a petition to oppose the project, and I encourage everyone to sign it.
Regina Murray • Nov 14, 2022 at 9:36 PM
Many OU students are not privileged. Keep parking free. We already pay too much for school. The least they can do is have free parking.
Annette Gilson • Nov 11, 2022 at 2:30 PM
Thank you DJ! OU students are the best! We stand with you always.
Staff • Nov 10, 2022 at 2:31 PM
OU could certainly begin charging for parking and designate faculty/staff and student lots. Those funds could support a few jobs to monitor parking.
OUPD has jurisdiction on campus and around campus. They are not campus security, but bonafide police.
A boutique hotel sitting on land owned by OU benefits OU with revenue. Revenue that can be translated in to student services.
StaffStudentAffairs • Nov 11, 2022 at 10:41 AM
OU is a no fee university, I certainly hope they wouldn’t charge for parking. Likewise, why are we going to charge for parking… how is that helping students.
OUPD will not be the enforcers on this part of campus. It will be Oakland County Sheriff, please ask the project head this question.
A boutique hotel is no sure guarantee of money and revenue to be made and given back to students. They can’t even properly fund students with their own tuition dollars, let alone some hotel profit. Also how is it fair to be a governmental entity and also support hotels and condos, doesn’t seem like free market does it?
Critical Thinking • Nov 11, 2022 at 5:02 PM
OU already costs an absurd amount to attend, and your solution is to charge more? Despite OU purportedly being a “no-fee” campus? That’s not going to help retention rates.
OUPD does have jurisdiction of campus as a bonafide police force but it is entirely unclear what will happen if we lease land to private developers. The police chief has even said he doesn’t know what will happen to the land.
A boutique hotel likely will NOT bring in as much revenue as you think. There are many hotels in the area already struggling, there’s not much of a market to tap into. Besides, even if it did generate profit, we know it wouldn’t go to students. The extra money OU gets just goes to $40,000 bonuses for each Vice President of the university.
A good way to actually generate revenue and retain students is invest in student services that make the OU experience more positive. A hotel will not do that.
Humble Alumni • Nov 10, 2022 at 5:54 AM
Truly embarrassing to see students working against progress that will benefit their school by reading clickbait articles not backed in any type of research or truth. The East Campus has been part of OU master plan for nearly 10 years. The “profits” the school seeks from this expansion would directly benefit the school and students. And with sustainability and environment considerations at the forefront of the project planning, it’s silly to see students protesting to keep an empty field used as a parking lot twice a year an empty field instead of something that would attract people to the school who would otherwise pass it by.
informed student • Nov 10, 2022 at 12:43 PM
This is misinformed. The articles and information has been written by people who have met with the project manager. Who have you gotten your information from? A 10 year old master plan??? The master plan is not accurate in terms of what they have planned for this site, and the plan has been changed. Please update your sources.
Student • Nov 11, 2022 at 2:45 PM
“With sustainability and environment considerations at the forefront of the project planning…”
I work for an architecture company and can tell you that building anything is inherently not sustainable.
Besides, I’m not sure why we need to attract people to the school who might ‘otherwise pass it by’. That’s why the argument of safety is brought up.
And if we wanted to attract more strangers to the school anyway, let’s have a discussion about conferences or educational ways rather than a shopping center or hotel.
“The “profits” the school seeks from this expansion would directly benefit the school and students.”
I’m genuinely curious where you got the information from that supports your statement about the profits directly benefiting students.
Goofy • Nov 11, 2022 at 5:06 PM
Who cares if it has always been in the master plan? It’s a bad idea. Building a hotel on campus while student services take a back seat and administrators get fat bonuses is ridiculous. OU already does not dedicate adequate funding towards student services despite having the money, this would not change with the hotel. It would be totally different if they planned to build more academic buildings, affordable student housing, or some other building that would serve the community, but that’s not this. Here, it is purely for the profit of administrators and the privatization of our campus.
Student • Nov 9, 2022 at 9:05 AM
So sad to see that OU would even consider harming the land on East Campus. If they’re not going to leave it alone or build student-centered spaces, what’s the point???