This article was published on April 27, 2016 by High Point University.
The time is now for High Point to ignite change that will lead it to become one of the premier cities in North Carolina for business, tourism and education.
That’s the message Dr. Nido Qubein, High Point University president, charged city leaders with during the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau’s annual meeting, just before he announced another $160 million in construction and expansion on the campus of High Point University.
“At High Point University, we are blessed to do what seems impossible, especially during one of the greatest recessions of our time,” said Qubein, who has led a transformation over the past 11 years that tripled the undergraduate student population and quadrupled the size of campus. “We can do it across our city, too. The university’s success can be replicated all across this city if we move forward together.”
Qubein’s announcement comes on the heels of efforts to create revitalization plans for the city. The $160 million is in addition to $1.5 billion HPU invested already in academic programs, facilities and student life.
“People questioned us,” Qubein said. “They criticized us. But we knew that when you have faith and when you have courage, anything is possible. And today, our institution is poised for continued success and endless opportunity on the horizon.”
Significant strides in academics have been made in the last 11 years, such as establishing the Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, the only pharmacy school in the Triad which will welcome its first cohort in the fall. A $120 million facility to house these programs is currently under construction on campus.
The latest expansion includes academic, community, athletic and residential life facilities that accommodate the university’s enrollment growth, as well as the number of students flocking to HPU to study undergraduate sciences. Biology is the university’s third largest major, and exercise science is the fourth largest major.
In the next three years, HPU will begin:
- Arena and Conference Center – A $70 million Arena and Conference Center will be built on the university’s main campus. The university is finalizing the site location and has hired an architecture firm for the project, set to begin during the 2018-2019 academic year.
The Arena will become the home of HPU’s men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as a venue for major ceremonial events, speakers, concerts, entertainment, other large gatherings, and recreational activities. It will seat 5,000 spectators and include suites, locker rooms, staff offices, concession stands, a merchandising area, media suite, film room, press conference room, weight room, athletic training room, hospitality area, high tech audio and video equipment, ticket office and practice gym.
The Conference Center will provide event space for growing undergraduate and graduate programs, student groups and community organizations. It will seat up to 2,500 individuals and have the ability to be subdivided into smaller venues with lighting, sound and video for state-of-the-art presentations. A fully operational catering kitchen will be included for banquets of up to 1,500 people.
The master plan for the project may include a small, executive hotel, pending approval from the Board of Trustees. It would be located adjacent to the Arena and Conference Center and serve the sport and event management major and a proposed hospitality management program. It would also accommodate a growing number of requests by organizations who specifically want to tour the campus and experience HPU’s unique educational environment and culture. Last year, 120 colleges and universities requested campus visits and meetings with HPU personnel.
Meanwhile, HPU continues to attract more than 100,000 visitors who fill local hotels each year.
2. Undergraduate Sciences Building – A $60 million undergraduate sciences facility will accommodate growth in majors including biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, actuarial science and more. These programs complement HPU’s new graduate programs in physician assistant studies, pharmacy and future physical therapy program. The building will also house a planetarium and may include a conservatory. Construction will begin in spring 2017.
It will be located next to the $120 million Congdon School of Health Sciences and Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, currently under construction.
3. New Residence Hall – A 150,000-square-foot residence hall will accommodate HPU’s growing enrollment. The $23 million facility will house 310 students and be constructed near the new $22 million Cottrell Hall that opened in fall 2015. Construction will begin this summer. It will be the tenth residential facility HPU has added to its campus since 2005.
In addition to the projects above, several million will be spent on site preparation.
Retracing HPU’s Transformation:
Qubein became president of HPU in 2005 and sparked a wave of change on campus.
Since then, more than $280 million has been raised and major academic milestones have been achieved. They include:
- Tripling the number of faculty
- Achieving doctoral degree granting status, with the first doctoral degrees ever bestowed by the university to be granted in May
- Establishing the Piedmont Triad’s only School of Pharmacy, which will welcome its first cohort in the fall
- Welcoming its first Physician Assistant cohort in 2015
- Adding undergraduate majors such as biochemistry, actuarial sciences, international relations, entrepreneurship, sales, mathematical economics, sport and event management and more
- Transitioning to a four-hour credit model, which allows students to invest 25 percent of the course in experiential learning
- Establishing holistic learning programs including a Survey Research Center (HPU Poll), Human Biomechanics and Physiology Laboratory, Success Coach program, Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works, Entrepreneurship Center, Office of Career and Professional Development, and many others.
The numbers tell the story:
| 2005 | 2016 | Growth | |
| Undergraduate Enrollment (Traditional Students) |
1,450 | 4,400 | 203% |
| Fulltime Faculty | 108 | 300 | 178% |
| Campus Size (acres) | 92 | 420 | 357% |
| Square Footage | 740,000 | 4 million | 441% |
| Buildings on Campus (new and acquired) | 22 | 112 | 409% |
| Total Employees | 430 | 1,510 | 251% |
| Economic Impact | $160.3 million | $464.5 million | 190% |
| Operating and Capital Budget | $38 million | $290 million | 663% |
| United Way Giving | $38,000 | $230,000 | 505% |
| Study Abroad Programs | 5 | 64 | 1,180% |
Dr. Nido Qubein is an international speaker and accomplished author on sales, communication, and leadership. He is president of High Point University which has an enrollment of more than 4,400 undergraduate and graduate students. He is also chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company with 220 stores in 43 states.
