Investing in Campus Improvements

Kuyper’s campus is both beautiful and functional. To ensure it continues to be so, there is a short- and long-range facilities maintenance and improvement plan in place. Implementing it is a never-ending task for which Ray Thomas, director of campus operations, is responsible. “On a facility the size of Kuyper, site maintenance and improvements never stop,” he said.

Recently, the parking lots have been redone and restriped. In addition, a significant undertaking saw roof replacements taking place in 95% of all campus buildings. At the same time, major HVAC systems and equipment have been replaced and upgraded to provide more efficient cooling and heating and substantial energy savings.

In addition, significant investments have been made to better support students, faculty and staff. For example, the latest in classroom technology and furniture greeted students this fall. So was a vastly improved Wi-Fi network deployed throughout the entire campus and all dorms. A new campus-wide, camera-driven security system was also installed to ensure Kuyper continues to be one of the more secure and safe college campuses in the country.

Finally, dorm rooms have also received a thorough refresh with new workstations, fixtures and mattresses.

The age of COVID-19 has also brought changes to the whole campus cleaning process and completely changed the depth and frequency of cleanings. “Now is not just cleaning,” said Thomas. “It’s the products we use for cleaning, how we’re cleaning, what we’re cleaning, and when we’re cleaning—several times a day.” While Thomas agrees that the recent investments made on campus are physical, he also believes it sends a message to current and potential students. “At Kuyper,” he said, “we will take excellent care of you.”