HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 15, 2019 – The High Point University campus is experiencing phenomenal growth in new academic programs, new facilities and the university’s largest total enrollment of 5,400 students as a new academic year begins.
The university will welcome its first cohort of computer engineering majors to the Webb School of Engineering in a completely renovated facility. Students studying the sciences will be welcomed to the new, four-story, state-of-the art Wanek School of Natural Sciences, where community members will also get to enjoy the new Culp Planetarium.
As HPU’s enrollment and academic programs continue to grow, so does the number of faculty positions. This year, HPU created 17 new faculty positions, for a total of 349 faculty. HPU now employees more than 1,900 people across campus.
With $200 million in active construction continuing on campus, additional academic programs, major construction projects and renovated facilities will also open as this academic year kicks off. Below is a snapshot of these efforts.
New academic and student life facilities
**The Wanek School of Natural Sciences is named in honor of Todd Wanek, the CEO of Ashley Furniture, and Karen Wanek, the president of Superior Fresh. This $65 million, 128,000-square-foot academic facility opens next week as the new home to HPU’s flourishing science programs in biology, chemistry, physics, neuroscience and biochemistry.
**The Culp Planetarium is named in honor of Rob and Susan Culp. The three-story, 6,000-square-foot planetarium and lecture room space is located inside of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences. The facility includes 125 seats and a 50-foot dome with a 4k projection screen and a state-of-the-art surround sound system. The facility is equipped with programming to teach astronomy, earth science, anatomy and a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lessons for university students, as well as elementary, middle and high school-age groups in the community.
**Couch Hall, named in honor of David Couch, underwent a total renovation this summer to serve as the home of the Webb School of Engineering. The Webb School of Engineering is named in honor of HPU parents Mark (a 1983 HPU alumnus) and Jerri Webb of Charlotte. It houses HPU’s existing computer science major and newly established majors in computer engineering and electrical engineering. A concentration in cyber security is also available.
**The Mahler Promenade, located between Congdon Hall and Wanek School of Natural Sciences, has been extended to the Plato S. Wilson School of Commerce and the Caine Conservatory. The promenade will include a topiary garden, which will be part of the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. The Mahler Promenade is named in honor of Peter and Mary Mahler, and their daughter Janet Fisher and her husband Wayne, daughter Punkin Parker and her husband Alan, and their grandson Alan A. Parker.
**The Miriam and Steve Kimsey Game and Interactive Media Lab, which was previously one classroom in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, was transformed into three spaces that include a computer lab with 24 stations, a design area for students to work on game conceptualization and game play, and an esports lab area for video game competition play.
**The Charles E. Hayworth Sr. Memorial Chapel received upgrades that include new flooring, seating, painting, lighting and audio-visual enhancements. The funding for the project was made possible through the generosity of David R. Hayworth.
**The Active Learning Center in Norton Hall will provide an engaging classroom environment to students. The new center is in HPU’s School of Art and Design and is intended to support and enhance collaboration, teaming and active learning. All of the furniture will be movable, and walls will be activated with individual whiteboards, permanent whiteboards or glass boards in order to engage the entire class.
**A new parking lot adds 331 parking spaces behind Congdon Hall and Wanek School of Natural Sciences.
The Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena, Conference Center and Hotel is a $120 million facility that will become the home of HPU’s men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as a venue for major events, speakers, concerts, entertainment, academic symposia and recreational activities. The Qubein Arena, Conference Center and Hotel is under construction on HPU’s main campus at the corner of Lexington Avenue and University Parkway. It will include 4,500 arena seats as well as suites, locker rooms, staff offices, concession stands, a merchandising area, media suite, press conference room, weight room, athletic training room, hospitality area, high tech audio and video equipment, ticket office and a practice gym. It is expected to be completed in fall 2020.
The Conference Center will seat 2,500 visitors and will be a space for growing undergraduate and graduate programs, student groups and community organizations and have the ability to be subdivided into smaller venues with lighting, sound and video for state-of-the-art presentations. It will also support the event management major.
A boutique, executive hotel will be located adjacent to the conference center to support a proposed hospitality management program and to accommodate a growing number of requests by organizations who specifically want to tour the campus and experience HPU’s unique educational environment and culture. The hotel will provide 30 residential rooms with dining facilities and meeting rooms.
The Caine Conservatory is a 15,000-square-foot facility that is named after a long-time Triad family, Don and Teresa Caine. The conservatory’s construction continues next to the Wanek School of Natural Sciences. It will provide a space for students and faculty to conduct botanical research and propagate plants for the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. A classroom, working greenhouse, new eatery and planting display space for the community at large will be housed in the facility under an 8,000-square-foot glass roof. This will provide a larger area for students to conduct research. It will be completed this fall.
The intramural sport fields are being resurfaced with artificial turf and new lighting.
New majors and programs
HPU is offering fashion merchandising in the School of Art and Design as a new major. This will prepare students to acquire entry-level positions in the fashion retail sector including jobs in retail management, merchandising and buying.
Students in the Webb School of Engineering will be able to pursue a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering. These programs are housed in the school’s newly created Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. A concentration in cybersecurity is also available.
Expanded career and professional opportunities
- HPU’s Office of Career and Professional Development is introducing a “Professional Life Skills Workshop Series.” As a Premier Life Skills university, HPU is committed to preparing students for life after college. Students will focus on a variety of topics including planning and time management, budgeting basics, retirement planning and college to work transition. These sessions will be available to students the first Monday and Tuesday of each month. This assists HPU students in furthering their life skills development and preparing for life after graduation.
- A “mock interview series” will take place in various locations across HPU’s campus. Students from all majors will take part in 15-minute mock interview sessions where employers from across the state will ask them questions that they ask candidates in a real-world interview setting. Students will have the opportunity to receive feedback after they complete each session.
About the new Class of 2023
HPU’s Class of 2023 hails from 43 states, as well as Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The class also includes citizens from 32 countries.