The class of 2029 is entering into a University vastly different from the one prior classes saw. Just after the new Student Health and Wellness building was completed in 2021, the renovations on Edgar Shannon Library began and the Complemplative Commons project broke ground. In 2022, Gaston and Ramazani Houses began construction, as did Shumway Hall for the McIntire School of Commerce. Additionally, the new Ivy Corridor Projects are quickly progressing to finish in 2027. While the renovation of Shannon Library sought to renovate existing space, a tally of these changes sees the scales of growth tip in favor of outward expansion rather than improved utilization. Instead of focusing on outward expansion, the University should focus on internal expansion, specifically by working to utilize existing classroom infrastructure as much as possible.
This rapid expansion of Grounds is driven primarily by a capitalistic growth mindset which seems not to have an educative goal. A drive for more student housing implies a greater capacity for students, which means more tuition money, more research funding and higher prestige within the academic world. A new data school and Commerce hall entices more students to apply towards the same monetary goal. It is debatable that expansion is inherently a bad perspective to approach academia with, as a growing and profitable University does have student benefits — more research opportunities, better faculty and improved student amenities. However, the outwardly physical nature of this expansion is unsustainable and expensive.
Opportunity for physical expansion is inherently limited in a densely populated area like Charlottesville where land costs are high. Plentiful funding is a huge concern for future capital projects, particularly due to the email sent to all University employees informing them of a more conservative approach to funding. While it may often appear from the outside that new expansion projects are donor-funded, lots of the money actually is generated by the University. According to the 2024 Major Capital Plan, a master budget of University construction, most of the donations to physical expansion pale in comparison to the contributions of tax-free bond sales and the University’s own funds. Both situations are drains on the University coffers, and thus alternative, less costly methods of expansion should be pursued…