Elson S. Floyd, Ph.D - 2/12/08
The University and College Hill
According to the map, the College Hill neighborhood is
not part of our Pullman campus. It is, instead, part of
the city of Pullman and under the city’s
jurisdiction.
In reality, however, College Hill is integral to
Washington State University. Fraternities and sororities
are located there. So are many other student housing
units. So, by the way, are some of the most
architecturally interesting houses in Pullman.
I live there, too, in the president’s residence. As
a result, I have seen the problems and opportunities
there up-close. That is why I am interested in exploring
the idea of creating a University District on College
Hill.
The idea would be for the city and university to share
jurisdiction, as is done in many similar college
neighborhoods around the nation. A University District
encourages a truly collaborative approach on basic issues
– including zoning, land use, parking, police
protection -- that are fundamental to the
quality of life in any neighborhood.
In recent years, WSU has completed projects on College
Hill to improve the retail environment and the available
housing there. Ideally, a healthier College Hill will
attract more families and will be a better-balanced
neighborhood. But we still have far to go.
When a parent talks to me about behavior problems on
College Hill, I could simply say that it is not part of
campus and is therefore the city’s concern.
Of course, that is not a suitable answer. The university
must share the responsibility. What happens there
directly impacts the well-being of our students and it
reflects on the university’s reputation.
I am not talking about just a few loud parties. Too
often, police reports from College Hill talk of assaults
and other criminal behavior.
The issues on College Hill are not unique to Pullman. You
see similar ones in college towns nationwide. The city
has been actively involved in finding solutions and will
continue to be. However, city officials have many
neighborhoods to oversee; College Hill is very much a
focal point for us.
The University District idea is just at the talking
stages now. We will have many discussions -- with city
officials, with neighborhood and student groups -- before
it is finalized. One issue would be financial. If the
university were, for example, to take an increased role
in providing police protection in the neighborhood, we
would have to do some budget reallocation to cover those
costs.
When College Hill issues arise, it would be easier for us simply to point to the map and shift responsibility. That will not be our approach. We owe our community and our students a better answer.
