<p>I'm applying to schools this year and W&M has struck something of a chord with me. I love the emphasis on academic performance and I think the campus is exciting. However, I have heard that the school is in dire financial condition. Some statistics lying around regarding professor pay for instance are somewhat disheartening. I want to know W&M's plan for the future if you will, especially if anything has changed since Virginia passed that new independence legislation that I read somewhere.</p>
<p>Not trying to start a firestorm, but what is the future of W&M.</p>
<p>The College is on a multi-year plan to raise professor salary to the 75th (I believe) percentile among peer institutions. Realize that a school such as W&M, being publics, faces an uphill battle in regards to financial issues when compared to peer institutions, since the majority of the peer institutions are private. We are all disheartened about the professor salary issue. The professors here really care about their students. The administration (led by the new President, who is a great guy) is working hard to remedy this.</p>
<p>W&M is not in dire financial conditions. W&M is currently making huge campus improvements. Integrated Science Center is currently under construction. Library upgrade was finished a couple years ago. New dorms were just completed, and are very nice. New Business school will be started this spring. New facility was completed roughly a year ago for the huge NMR magnet that we have. A new parking deck was just opened for this semester. The biggest dining hall underwent complete renovation a year and a half ago. Our Rec Sports facility (home to the gym/basketball courts/pool/raquetball etc) was completed over the summer, and is very nice. The worst academic bulding is on the list to be replaced.</p>
<p>The new legislation was just passed, so not much has changed yet.</p>
<p>At least apply, you can look more seriously into the other perceived issues that you have in the spring. I'm sure the W&M kids here will try and answer as best they can. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.</p>
<p>There are other plans in the works for capital improvements at W&M with an average expenditure of $55 million a year for the next four years. See:</p>
<p>This has some relevance for faculty retention and recruitment, in that a college can't build outstanding programs without providing first-rate facilities. It's not just about salaries. W&M still has some catching up to do, but they're on top of where they need to go and are progressing very fast.</p>
<p>W&M is about to finish a $500 million campaign and then turn right around and start a $1 Billion dollar campaign. The endowment is at an all-time high and new facilities are coming online in an unprecedented fashion. W&M is increasing its selectivity each year and is among the top 1% of all colleges and universities in the US. W&M is more selective than all but a handful of institutions (even though it is public!). This bodes well for the future which is as bright as W&M's past.</p>
<p>Do endowment and financial resources impact your education? Yes. Does W&M have the resources to give you a world class education? Yes. </p>
<p>Look, the University of Richmond has a higher endowment. Almost double what W&M has. Which school has a stronger undergraduate reputation?</p>
<p>I should have mentioned that, in addition to the improvements mentioned in the second post, major improvements in arts facilities are planned for next four years, including renovation and expansion of Phi Beta Kappa Hall (performance space for music/theater and theater classrooms), renovations of Andrews (art & art history) and Ewell (music) Halls, and construction of an ensemble rehearsal facility.</p>
<p>While WM doesn't have huge music/arts programs, by the nature of the school, the people who are involved in those activities are for the most part quite talented. I'm not really familiar with Andrews, but Ewell definitely needs the upgrade, and it is kinda poor that we don't have a real rehearsal place for ensembles. Glad to see that stuff on the books.</p>
<p>Actually there IS a large end room in Ewell where ensembles rehearse, but it's not an ideal space. Lacks good acoustical treatment. Hopefully the new facility will remedy this.</p>
<p>I agree with dogstreet. One visit to the campus will dispel any doubts about the future of the school. The new Jamestown residence halls are first rate, as is the new fitness center, as is the new parking facility, etc., and those are just the beginning. The new president, Gene Nichol, is a dynamic individual and is already earning the respect and affection of not only the student body, but the alumni as well.</p>
<p>If you go to the college website, you can read all about the new Higher Education Restructuring Act that should attract new money to the school.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman, and he couldn't be happier.</p>
<p>"The worst academic bulding is on the list to be replaced."</p>
<p>Just curious, but what building is that? Also, I'm curious to whether they'll get around to renovating (or better yet, rebuilding) the Botetourt Complex as it is (to my knowledge) the worst set of dorms on campus.</p>
<p>I recently saw the Jamestown Dorms and I was quite impressed, those truly are the envy of the college due not only due to the newness of the dorms but the prime location of them. I can't think of any academic buildings very far from them.</p>
<p>I believe there's concensus that Morton is the most loathed building. Its departure is on a long-term wish list. However, Morton is part of the mix in proposals to reshuffle space when Education and Business move into their new spaces, so don't expect it to come down anytime soon. </p>
<p>The amount allocated to renovating dormitories over the next four years is $8 million, but there's no detail in the capital plan regarding where the money is to be spent.</p>
<p>and as Ninian said, it will have to be kept for a bit, but what I heard is that the subjects in Morton will be relocating to the empty spaces on old campus, as those subjects move into their new space.</p>
<p>The Jamestown dorms are very very nice. You can tell they took student wishes into account when they designed it. And prime location. I would be very happy there... but I'm kinda partial to Ludwell now, and I plan to stay here next year.</p>
<p>The Dilliard Complex (the dorms a couple miles away) is no longer used to house students. 2005-2006 was the last academic year for that place, no one is there this year. The location is still home to the varsity baseball stadium and soccer field.</p>
<p>As someone who practically lived in Morton for 2 years, I'd have to disagree that it's the worst. That "honor" belongs to Millington, in my opinion.</p>