Numerous enhancements across the Howard Payne University campus are in progress or have been recently completed as the institution prepares to welcome students later this week. The slate of projects encompasses improvements to residence facilities, academic buildings, activity spaces and landscaping, with each component contributing to an overall effort to strengthen the student experience.

“We are excited to welcome students back to our campus and are eager for them to see all the upgrades,” said Dr. Cory Hines, HPU president. “Our students, of course, are the reason we’re here and we want them to have great experiences.”

Recent and ongoing enhancements include a renovation of the first floor of Veda Hodge Hall, the women’s residence hall; updates to the Newbury Place Apartments; a wide range of new equipment in the Davidson Music Complex’s piano lab; improvements to the sand volleyball courts; the creation of an esports lounge in Winebrenner Memorial Hall of Science; the addition of a pergola for events at the back of Mims Auditorium; and various upgrades in the Elliston-Cassle Wellness Center. The foundation for the Newbury Family Welcome Center is scheduled to be poured by late September.

Dr. Magen Bunyard, HPU’s vice president for student life and dean of students, expressed her enthusiasm for the projects and how they will improve the campus experience for students.

“It is encouraging to see these special projects underway on campus,” she said. “These improvements are an investment in the holistic learning experiences of our students. We are looking forward to seeing the students’ reactions when they arrive on campus.”

For more information about HPU, visit www.hputx.edu or contact HPU’s Office of Admission at 325-649-8020 or [email protected].