"Campuses cash in on students' urge to buy"

Parent Cafe
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<p>According to this article, "it's getting harder to tell the difference between the university and the mall". Across the country colleges and universities are wheeling and dealing increasingly sophisticated arrangements with national retailers that allow franchises directly on campus. At the University of Central Florida, "many of the stores set to open in the coming weeks are attached directly to the dorms, across from a basketball arena under construction with its own set of chain stores". Parents may take some solace in the fact that many students recognize the dangers of impulse buying as they traipse across campus from class to dorm. Of course, colleges look at retail on campus and rent income to subsidize operations and attract students. "At UCF, money from the dorms, shops and a pair of parking garages is subsidizing the 10,000-seat basketball arena." </p>

<p>For good and bad, the need to create a fun and engaging "college experience" passes off many of the hidden "costs" of college attendance onto parents and students. At the same time, it is reshaping college campuses, especially at public universities, along the lines of the "New Urbanist movement" predicated on creating traditional communities by intermingling homes, offices and apartments so people can walk everywhere.</p>

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''We're a public university, but we want to adopt some of the best practices of the private sector,'' said Bill Merck, vice president for administration and finance at UCF.</p>

<p>Florida Atlantic University's board of trustees began moving in the same direction Tuesday. Trustees discussed ''Innovation Village,'' a proposed complex of dorms and retail stores designed around a proposed football stadium at the Boca Raton campus.</p>

<p>In a study, administrators learned many students were rejecting FAU to attend UCF, Florida State and the University of Florida -- in part because those schools offer more campus life. And FAU defines that to include a shopping district.</p>

<p>''It is no longer enough for a college or university simply to provide students with four walls and a bed,'' Jill Eckardt, the school's director of housing, said in a report to FAU's board.</p>

<p>Urban schools have a longer tradition of integrating their campuses into downtown retail environments. But even that model has changed. The University of Pennsylvania began aggressively developing the depressed West Philadelphia neighborhood around its campus a decade ago, starting with a $100 million project opened in 1998 that converted a parking lot into a hotel, sporting goods store, Barnes & Noble, Cos</p>

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<p>I think this is a disturbing trend, the "Disney-fication" of college and University campuses. Maybe I'm naive and old-fashioned, but I think that campuses should be about learning and that the library, not a mall, should be the heart and soul of the school community. I can just imagine Wal-Mart trying to muscle their way on to college campuses. At the very least, I would hope that schools would restrict themselves to fair-trade businesses that pay livable wages and don't sell products made by children in sweatshops.</p>

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<p>I think it is a very good idea for UCF. My daughter went there, without a car, and graduated in 2003. The campus is very spread out with major 4 lane highways surrounding the campus. There was shopping nearby but it really did require a car. Either a car or take your life in your hands by crossing the roads. I was frightened for my daughter to do traveling outside the campus, either on foot or in a car. She would call home saying she saw a terrible accident while with her driving friends from time to time. Many kids are just not that experienced drivers to deal with those fast moving multilane highways.</p>

<p>I think it is a fabulous idea to keep the kids more on campus at UCF. And it's nice to see that UCF is keeping true to it's nickname, Under Construction Forever. lol</p>

<p>And by the way, it is also a fabulous idea for Penn to have a complex nearby. I know the neighborhood around Penn and know the statistics. Yes, it's quite important to have the kids safely nearby.</p>

<p>Beth, you need to know the school's campus and the circumstances to see why this is necessary and a relief for parents who send their kids to UCF and Penn. Not all parts of the USA are safe, like one lane road VT !</p>

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<p>
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Maybe I'm naive and old-fashioned, but I think that campuses should be about learning and that the library, not a mall, should be the heart and soul of the school community.

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<p>I think this may be a thing of the past. Thanks to online access to basically everything, students don't need the libraries the way they used to. My son is a college junior. He certainly makes extensive use of the online research resources provided by the library system, but I don't think he has ever been inside a physical library on campus. He may not even know where the libraries are.</p>

<p>I wouldn't mind at all if they put a mall on or next to my son's campus, UMCP. It would improve a bad neighborhood and remove the need to travel to the nearest regular mall, which is in an even worse neighborhood (the kids call it "ghetto mall"). There's already a mall-style food court in the student union at UMCP.</p>

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<p>This may be the difference between larger and smaller schools- however some smaller schools may find that their reference dollars are better spent subscribing to online journals than purchasing them for hard copy use.
My D however- spent many hours in the library- sometimes she didn't even go back to her room to sleep before class & she wasn't unusual- not by half!
Senior year- she had her own lab office ( shared with about 4 others) so she didn't need to live in the library- but that was something we closely considered when deciding on schools</p>

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<p>This is just the next step in the recent trend to outsource the college bookstore/food services to national franchises like Barnes & Noble, Quiznos, et al. It is difficult to say whether the trend is good or bad but it certainly challenges preconceived notions of what a college campus should be. Another trend that is gaining steam is the construction of student only housing by private sector developers. And often this housing has retail commercial space on the ground level like apartment housing elsewhere.</p>

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<p>Having attended college in a small town whose population doubled each August when fall classes began, I can see some benefits in having retail locations on campus. My college somewhat engulfed the the town, so that shopping was always within a moments reach. We never had to drive, catch a bus, or walk through seedy areas to spend some time (not money) shopping, with the occasional purchase. I think, handled correctly, this could prove beneficial to both the students and the retailers.</p>

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<p>Colleges have finally be recognized as the economic beings they are. Having some say over their environment is in their interests and why should they not be involved in capitalizing on the demand they help create?</p>

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<p>I walk through Penn's mini shopping section every time that I go to the grocery store. While I am glad they put the grocery store there (or else I would have nowhere to buy food!), I wish more of it was devoted to actual groceries, instead of having a massive cafeteria-like preprepared food section. Also glad they moved the drugstore closer. I wish the art store would move closer, since it seems sort of dumb to have everyone trek 15-20 blocks up Chestnut St. past empty retail spaces, but I suppose that's just wishful thinking.</p>

<p>But as for the Gap and the Urban Outfitters and the makeup store and whatever other places like that they're adding to the two new areas...it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If I am going to actually go shopping, I'm going to go into center city where they have the same exact stores as they have near Penn, plus a whole lot more. It's like they put just enough stores there to make it feel like you're in a shopping district and not a college campus, but not enough to be of any use if you actually are looking to buy something.</p>

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<p>God I feel old. When I was in college, it was hip to be both poor and anti-chain....</p>

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<p>^ I hear ya' katliamom. It seriously would never have occurred to us to "go shopping."</p>

<p>That said, colleges that are in urban areas can be critical to the viability of those areas. So, if they want to improve their neighborhoods, that's exactly what they should do.</p>

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<p>Are these the same students (and families) who complain about the high cost of college? I too can't understand how students have the time, or the money, or the need, to "hang out at the mall." If they really need to, then I would think that running a bus service to the nearest mall would make more sense than building a mall on campus. And if there's one place that students don't need malls, it's in cities (which are really not so unsafe--see the drinking thread for comparisons.)</p>

<p>But then, I'm an old fogey.</p>

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<p>
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Of course, colleges look at retail on campus and rent income to subsidize operations and attract students. "At UCF, money from the dorms, shops and a pair of parking garages is subsidizing the 10,000-seat basketball arena."

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<p>This could be the real reason? Further subsidize sports? Does it really make sense to "tax" users of the dorms, shops and parking garages to pay for a hoops arena?</p>

<p>Not in my book.</p>

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<p>Your first sentence is telling. yes there is a HUGE disconnect between what kids say and what they do. Many are living better than we ever dreamt of.</p>

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<p>Better than taxing the taxpayers.</p>

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<p>I'd much rather see a school allow for business to come onto campus then have my pay for the new construction out of pocket with higher fees. Plus, it gives the students even more amenities which I found very important in my search.</p>

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<p>I agree. Interesting discussion.</p>

<p>Just to add, I have known several who have set up unique non chain businesses near college campuses and have failed. These were places which were unique and interesting and they survived a year or two or three but that was it. It's not that easy to make a business work and pull a liveable profit. So it's a shame to see the same Gaps and make up stores everywhere but they work and serve the students needs.</p>

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<p>barrons,</p>

<p>so it is OK to tax all students so the alums can have a nice basketball arena? No wonder some parts of the country have so many problems with education. </p>

<p>It's interesting that this same U. does not use the money for the library. Or smaller classes. At least we know what that institution values, not to mention some of our fellow posters.</p>

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<p>You really have to check the stats. Things like basketball areas are usually built by rich donors or the alumni.</p>

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<p>It's all about balance. My school uses no student funding for sports and has great facilities but we have the fans and alum$ to make it work. UCF is trying to build an image and attract students. I think the students should get a vote if they have to pay but otherwise that's why you hire a President. I know the school is growing in many ways and this is just one that was highlighted.</p>

<p>You might want to do some research before you spout--they are moving on many fronts.</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Central_Florida%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Central_Florida&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>