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Troy neighborhood protected by University’s land purchase
Published 11:00pm Tuesday, June 19, 2012Troy University has acquired 16 acres of land that should make adjacent property owners very pleased.
The land is contiguous to the university’s Arboretum and near homes on Second Avenue and Woodland Circle.
“There has been considerable opposition from neighborhood residents every time a developer mentions building there,” said Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford. “The streets are not designed to accommodate that high level of traffic.”
Dr. Jim Bookout, the senior vice chancellor for Troy University’s Finance and Business Affairs said the purchase happened about three weeks ago and enhances the school’s opportunity to grow.
“The University purchased it and they can set it aside as wetlands and mitigate future development,” Lunsford explained. “The property has value to them and helps us protect a neighborhood.”
Bookout said the university paid $200,000 for the land from capital improvement funds and the cost was less than the property’s appraised value.
The property, Bookout said, will become a consideration for the university’s 25-year master plan.
It doesn’t really matter what “fund” the land was purchased from or if they got a bargain because they “paid less than the appraised value.” Same old song and dance-they keep gobbling up property and building more buildings, yet they “have” to raise tuition and increase fees to burden the students with because the state appropriations have been decreased. For Heaven’s sake, where is your accountability to the students and their parents who are the taxpayers of this state who help fund your operations? You are biting the very hands that are feeding you in order to gain more land and buildings that the University can’t afford. Protecting the neighborhood is great, but there is considerable doubt that this purchase was made for no other reason than to be greedy by owning even more property and passing the cost off to the students. “Enhances the school’s opportunity to grow…?” What will be the need to grow when you run off the students because they can’t afford to attend school there because you continue to amass debt and pass it off to them in the form of tuition and fee increases?
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I’m pleased the college was able to capture this opportunity, if it was developed into low-cost private apartments or other student-type housing there’s no going back and when TSU needs land, options will be slim to none.
Compare the costs of a TSU Education VS U Alabama or AllBarn, you’ll find TSU is not just compeitive but a real value.
Without TSU, US 231 and a few solid corporate citizens here, Troy would look like Pine level with an intersection folks!
I’m tired of you whiners!!!
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Here’s the comparison:
In-state Tuition/hour:
Alabama $328, Auburn $328(Grad $437), Troy U $235>$249 (Grad $290>$307)
Housing/semester:
Alabama $4050, Auburn $2250>3550, Troy U $1420
Looks to me that TU is a value, even at the newer costs.
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Auburn and Alabama also offer degrees in engineering, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy. What does Troy offer that compares? Band directing? Elementary school teacher? And what kind of research programs does Troy have that compare?
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If they bought it to put in student housing, then why did the mayor state “they can set it aside as wetlands and mitigate future development”? This whole article implies the purchase would prevent future development: “The streets are not designed to accommodate that high level of traffic.”
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Bill what that means is that they can use that land as a set off for developing other land. The lower part of the golf course is still protected under the original agreements when constructed and is designated as outdoor green/recreational space. To develop that land Troy U has to offset with similar acreage and keep it undeveloped. That is the whole deal here. They got the upper part of the golf course by offsetting with the existing land they owned at the same site.
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Bill_OReally sez:
“Auburn and Alabama also offer degrees in engineering, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy. What does Troy offer that compares? Band directing? Elementary school teacher? And what kind of research programs does Troy have that compare?”
The prices/fees/costs are not comparable either. If you aspire to engineering, vet school, etc you chose Auburn, and pay a higher price. Facts will show many top notch educators, Dr.s, business folks, Music Directors etc got their start, or their Masters at Troy.
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And many got their start at junior colleges also. So what? Yes you pay more to get an engineering degree but you also make a lot more money when you graduate. Try to get any job in any scientific field and see who they hire first: an engineer from Alabama or a biology major from Troy. By the way, what doctorate programs does Troy have?
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The point is that AU and UA have very different purposes than a university like Troy. An engineer from UA is going to work with an undergrad degree. A biology major from Troy is likely going to grad school for a masters are above. the biology major saved a ton of money getting the undergrad at Troy and also benefitted from an instructor to student ratio of about 18:1 versus 50:1 at UA. Probably a better underad experience. the biology major also likely to attend AU or UA for the graduate degree. And I believe the only doctorate program at Troy for now is in nursing.
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And a biology major from Troy with a masters degree is still only gonna make half what an engineer makes doing the same job….assuming he can even get hired. That is reality.
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Doctorate in Nursing…….
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I would expect a biology with a masters from Troy would have a hard time finding an engineering job for sure Bill. The biology major is likely going to get the masters and PhD from AU or UA and go into research. Did you read my last post? My bet is that the PhD in biology is going to compare fine to the engineering major. the two fields are not comparable. They both have different career objectives. I can can guarantee you that the person with an accounting degree from Troy is going to be just as sought after as one from AU or UA.
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Tired of the “whining?” The real whiners are those who make a big deal out of decreased state appropriations and use that as an excuse for passing on higher costs to the students, when all the time, they are gobbling up more land and building exorbitant buildings to “recruit” students who it turns out can’t afford to go there because they cant afford it. And speaking of those solid corporate citizens, how do those that own businesses that used to be able to conduct business with the University feel about the fact that many of them have been shut out because they can no longer sell their products or services to the University because of the contracts that have been made with businesses not only outside of Troy, but also the state of Alabama? Again, the students are the main reason for the growth in business and the community, but if they can’t afford to pay the tuition, then they won’t bring any business to Troy. You offer a price comparison for the two bigger Universities, however, you might want to compare prices to the junior colleges who are the real winners in this situation. People’s paychecks are not getting bigger, yet tuition is rising. Do the math.
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Banny in 1960 the state of alabama paid about 80% of the cost of of a degree at Troy. this year that is down to about 30%. Tuition increase is essential to maintain funding. Land acquisitions and new buildings do not come from state appropriations. A college education is not a right. If some cannot afford one they may want to go to a trade school. a plumber or electrician will make more than someone with a 4 year college degree. As for who they do business with, it is called competitive bidding and it is required by state statute. I certainly do not agree with a lot of what Troy U does and I am not a supporter of the Hawkins clan at all but your argument is based on a total lack of understanding about how higher education works and is funded.
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Henri, you have totally misinterpreted my statements because I have never said nor implied that state appropriations are being used to purchase buildings and land. I have made it pretty clear that they are saying that one of the reasons for raising tuition is because state appropriations have decreased. Whether an education is a right or not does not dismiss the fact that if tuition keeps going up, then fewer people will be able to afford to go to Troy, and therefore, fewer dollars will be coming in. Or I guess you could argue that the privileged few that can afford the tuition will be able to pay the increased cost and therefore keep the University in business. I may not know all the ins and outs of the funding of higher education but common sense is common sense. And I cannot tell you how bad it sounds to make a comment like “A college education is not a right.” It may not be, but everyone should have a right to be able to try to get one, not just those who can afford it because they make more money and have a higher status in life.
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Banny I was not implying that you meant that state appropriations were being used for land purchases. I was just stating the fact that they are not used in that way. I apologize for that confusion. As for a right to a college education, there certainly is not one and everyone does have “a right to try and be able to get one”. The fact that the state has chosen not to fund higher education at previous levels has caused tuition to increase. Troy like most other universities have cut expenses and generated other revenue sources for years to try and keep tuition as low as possible. The higher costs are just the nature of the beast. Even at current tuition levels a college education at Troy is still a big bargain. Look at it this way: people will borrow $25 or $30 K for a vehicle that will serve them for 6 to 8 years but complain about borrowing a like amount for an education that will serve them for a lifetime. It just does not make sense.
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Henrimasters sez:
“Look at it this way: people will borrow $25 or $30 K for a vehicle that will serve them for 6 to 8 years but complain about borrowing a like amount for an education that will serve them for a lifetime. It just does not make sense.”
Point well taken. Salud!
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Name one.
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I have a college degree but I still can’t afford a $30,000 car. So tell me exactly who you are talking about. Or are you just making stuff up?
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And nobody complains about paying $30,000 for an education if they get a degree from a university that will actually get them a high paying job! So again, who exactly are you talking about?
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Bill if you got a degree and cannot find an appropriate job maybe you should consider relocating. I doubt that Pike County is going to offer the reward you seek. If you have already tried that and have not been successful maybe some self evaluation is needed.
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