Massive Problems with Uptown Apartments

[vu84v2]

While this seems to be related more to apartments run by a separate management company, it seems like the University should have engaged more. It is easy to say "not my problem, since it is not our housing", but Valpo is a seeking a pretty high tuition and needs to understand that students' entire experience will reflect on the University.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-uptown-east-apartments-st-0603-story.html

[valpopal]

Not good to have this negative publicity locally and in Chicago at a time the university is trying to secure acceptable enrollment numbers for fall. Also, this article seems unusually long for an issue involving apartment conditions in relation to other newsworthy items. Finally, I would have expected a better and more supportive response from the university than the following:



A university spokeswoman declined a request to speak with Ryan Blevins, assistant dean of students for residential life, for this story. In a March 14, 2009, Post-Tribune story about the university's lease agreement for the buildings, Blevins called the apartments "a marvelous opportunity for our students."


"Valparaiso University does not own the apartments at Uptown East and any questions related to those facilities should be directed to their ownership," Nicole Niemi, assistant vice president for Integrated Marketing and Communications, said in an email.

[FWalum]

Those apartments are relatively "new" if I am thinking of the right places.  How could they be having this much trouble with them already???

[vu72]

Those apartments are relatively "new" if I am thinking of the right places.  How could they be having this much trouble with them already???

I think the article said 2008.  Really bad, cheap construction from the sounds of it.  It  also said the University is sub-letting some of the units as I recall.  If I were the parent I would be on the phone to President Heckler directly.  This is awful publicity.

[FieldGoodie05]

While this seems to be related more to apartments run by a separate management company, it seems like the University should have engaged more. It is easy to say "not my problem, since it is not our housing", but Valpo is a seeking a pretty high tuition and needs to understand that students' entire experience will reflect on the University.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-uptown-east-apartments-st-0603-story.html

Good lord, where is the story here?  Next . . . .

[FieldGoodie05]

While this seems to be related more to apartments run by a separate management company, it seems like the University should have engaged more. It is easy to say "not my problem, since it is not our housing", but Valpo is a seeking a pretty high tuition and needs to understand that students' entire experience will reflect on the University.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-uptown-east-apartments-st-0603-story.html

Good lord, where is the story here?  Next . . . .

And another thing . . . a sub-headline reads "Frost on the windows" . . . .what's next, their view is obscured so they sue for compensation!  Clowns

[crusader05]

Whichever management company took them over was absolutely horrendous. I knew people who lived in the for rent ones last year and it was awful. However, that company is out and they completely renovating the one university students use so hopefully this is completely rectified.

[valpotx]

I don't remember if Brandt Hall had heat when I was in school and lived there my first 2 years, but I do know that there were many problems (1999-2004), and we just sucked it up.  It's a different time lol.

[govalpogo]

Lived in the first two buildings during my junior and senior years.  They were brand new each time, which was very nice, but I would joke with my roommates that they charged so much because they needed to make up their investment in 20 years or less because the buildings weren't going to last that long.  Looks like we were being generous!

[FieldGoodie05]

Lived in the first two buildings during my junior and senior years.  They were brand new each time, which was very nice, but I would joke with my roommates that they charged so much because they needed to make up their investment in 20 years or less because the buildings weren't going to last that long.  Looks like we were being generous!

Low grade construction material or poor workmanship?  Both?  Just curious, what were a few examples?

[govalpogo]

Lived in the first two buildings during my junior and senior years.  They were brand new each time, which was very nice, but I would joke with my roommates that they charged so much because they needed to make up their investment in 20 years or less because the buildings weren't going to last that long.  Looks like we were being generous!

Low grade construction material or poor workmanship?  Both?  Just curious, what were a few examples?

Yes. 

Like many new apartments, they are primarily constructed from a step above particle board.  Early on, we noted large cracks in the foundation and stairwell walls.  Very thin walls (could hear EVERYTHING happening above, below, and adjacent.  Bowing walls in place.  All you had to do was look at the paint to chip/scratch/scuff it.   Our RA loved to tell the story of how a family of 4 was finishing up the painting in building 2 the week of move-in. 

All that said, I enjoyed my time their and didn't have any issues.  Amenities were nice, but it was pretty obvious that the place had a pretty thin veneer of "luxury" with problems looming not far below the surface.   

Also interesting that a lot of the issues sound like they stem from HVAC and moisture issues which we never had any trouble with. 

[bbtds]

Not good to have this negative publicity locally and in Chicago at a time the university is trying to secure acceptable enrollment numbers for fall.

Unless I'm mistaken that story ran in the Post Tribune which is owned by the Chicago Tribune. It appears in the Post Tribune section of the Chicago Tribune website so therefore is read by mostly NW Indiana readers and possibly some south suburban readers but mostly ignored by the Chicago readers. Unless, of course, they are looking for stories on VU specifically.

[valpopal]

Not good to have this negative publicity locally and in Chicago at a time the university is trying to secure acceptable enrollment numbers for fall.

Unless I'm mistaken that story ran in the Post Tribune which is owned by the Chicago Tribune. It appears in the Post Tribune section of the Chicago Tribune website so therefore is read by mostly NW Indiana readers and possibly some south suburban readers but mostly ignored by the Chicago readers. Unless, of course, they are looking for stories on VU specifically.

I searched "Valparaiso University" in Google's news category, as prospective students and their families might do to find information; unfortunately, this article appeared as the #1 result. Therefore, anyone researching VU online would be a reader.

[covufan]

Problems with apartments built 10 years ago to house students, and in some cases sublet/leased from University. Scheele hall empty. Law school closed. Recent layoffs of university staff.

What is leadership doing to work towards the common goal of Valparaiso University turning out desired, skilled and degreed professionals? 

I hope we don't become St Joe U north in my lifetime.


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[swiftmutiny]

This doesn't surprise me at all. I lived in Uptown during my senior year, and we had constant issues. For a month and a half there was an electrical outage in one room of the apartment, and it took threatening legal action for them to bother sending a licensed electrician instead of their lazy maintenance guy, who would flip the breakers a couple times, shrug, and leave. When the electrician arrived and opened up the wall, there was melted wiring inside, and he was amazed the place hadn't burned to the ground. It all looks nice at first glance, but it's shoddily built and even more shoddily maintained and managed. I hope the university drops their partnership like a bad habit.

[mj]

Problems with apartments built 10 years ago to house students, and in some cases sublet/leased from University. Scheele hall empty. Law school closed. Recent layoffs of university staff.

What is leadership doing to work towards the common goal of Valparaiso University turning out desired, skilled and degreed professionals? 

I hope we don't become St Joe U north in my lifetime.

I've been saying it for awhile but Valpo is in trouble. Just like Uptown East, things look pretty but the insides are rotten. Heckler has put Valpo in a precarious financial position.

[vu84v2]

While this seems to be related more to apartments run by a separate management company, it seems like the University should have engaged more. It is easy to say "not my problem, since it is not our housing", but Valpo is a seeking a pretty high tuition and needs to understand that students' entire experience will reflect on the University.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-uptown-east-apartments-st-0603-story.html

Good lord, where is the story here?  Next . . . .

Things like this are a big story. Valpo students pay a premium to go to Valpo. Valpo doesn't have to excel or differentiate on every dimension of the student experience, but they must reach parity with the competition (other universities) on all major dimensions of the student experience to be successful. I would be extremely disappointed in the university if they are not intensely engaged with the owners and management company, including threats to destroy their business (via hard warnings to all students) if they do no remedy all issues.

[vu72]

Problems with apartments built 10 years ago to house students, and in some cases sublet/leased from University. Scheele hall empty. Law school closed. Recent layoffs of university staff.

What is leadership doing to work towards the common goal of Valparaiso University turning out desired, skilled and degreed professionals? 

I hope we don't become St Joe U north in my lifetime.









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Holy overreaction Batman!  Yes, this is a serious issue, but one that effects very few students and one that apparently is being reviewed and corrected.  I certainly agree the University should be taking a very aggressive approach to getting this solved as long as ANY VU students are living there.  There are however, dozens of crappy apartments available for students in the community.

As for Scheele being closed, you forgot that Beacon is open, as is the new sorority complex .  As for the law school being closed, so is the medical and dental school.  Demand for law education is way down.  While we have lost the law school, we have added programs like aviation, environmental engineering, logistics and physician assistants programs among others. These are the courses in demand.  Valpo is adjusting to a very difficult environment for higher education in general.

[usc4valpo]

Valpo needs to continue focusing on STEM, as that skill set will be desperately needed worldwide in the next few decades.