Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College (NPC) hosted a virtual grand opening Tuesday for the new residence hall, Dogwood Hall. NPC Board Chair, Forrest Spicher provided welcome remarks, along with David Braden, vice president of asset management for Servitas, and Dr. John Hogan, NPC president.
Spicher shared about the enthusiasm leading up to the event. “There is so much excitement about this tremendous event. For the first time in its 47 years of National Park College, we will have students living on campus in a residence hall. Students have expressed the need and we have answered and have begun the process to meet their expectations with safe, on-campus, affordable housing.”
“Dogwood Hall, together with our continually transforming campus, will have a profound impact on the local economic development and student success. The Hot Springs metro area needs more higher paying jobs, careers and wages. Our economy and employers are craving higher educated and skilled workers, innovators and entrepreneurs,” Spicher added.
David Braden, vice president of asset management for Servitas discussed the impact residence halls will have on student success. “It’s an exciting time to be at NPC. Just across the bridge is the new Commons building that opened, 17 new transfer degrees have been added, two new science labs are under construction, and the addition of baseball, softball and cross-country show that NPC is a student-centered institution.”
“Research has long suggested that on-campus housing for students also results in higher graduation rates, particularly when the on-campus experience is purposefully structured toward student learning and engagement. NPC is helping to fulfill this gap and provide the students with affordable higher education live-learn environments,” Braden said.
John Hogan, NPC president said, “The thing I am most proud of about NPC is that we do heed that student voice, and our Board and our faculty and administration have the courage to follow that. That’s culminating today in a milestone. After 47 years, as Forest said, we will have students living on our wonderful campus here in Hot Springs.”
Resident assistants Sarah Todd, Allie Shero, Andrew Roberts, and Cassandra Ecker concluded the event with a guided tour for participants. Information about Dogwood Hall is available online at np.edu/reslife.
National Park College was established in 1973 and is located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The College enrolls over 7,500 credit and non-credit students per year. NPC is a comprehensive two-year institution offering associate degrees and certificates as well as continuing education, community services and workforce training.
