BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Residents of Hilltopper Hall at Western Kentucky University (WKU) will soon need to find new housing. 

What You Need To Know

  • Students living in Hilltopper Hall at Western Kentucky University (WKU) will need to relocate by Feb. 4 

  • The facility recently sustained structural damage 

  • According to the university, students can stay on campus and receive a housing credit for the Spring 2024 semester or move off campus with no contract termination fee 

  • WKU junior Zachary Wheatley said he was shocked when he first heard the news but is happy to get his money back 

In a campus-wide email sent to Hilltopper Hall residents Jan. 18, the university said some of the exterior masonry work had shifted out of position. After meeting with a team of experts to assess the building’s condition, including an architect and civil engineers, the university’s Student Life Foundation Board of Directors decided to restrict all occupancy within Hilltopper Hall amid the ongoing work.

"We never imagined that this would be the place we would be at right now," said Catherine LaRoche, executive director of WKU Housing and Residence Life. "It was difficult, but I was on a time crunch, so I wanted to get that to students as fast as possible." 

Hilltopper Hall students will need to move out by Feb. 4, 2024. They have two options: move into a different building on campus or move off-campus with no termination fee. (Spectrum News 1/Aaron Dickens)

WKU junior Zachary Wheatley, who lives in Hilltopper Hall, said he was shocked when he first learned he'd have to move.

"I get the email; [my] dad gets the email as well, and he said, 'Are you in the hall that's getting relocated?' And I was like, 'Yeah,'" Wheatley said.

"He was like, 'What are you going to do?' And I was like, 'I have no clue.'"

However, Wheatley said it ended up being a blessing in disguise because of the money he'll get back by moving.

"I was like, 'Oh, I'm getting kicked out of my dorm, but I'm getting this much money back,'" he said. "Realistically, it's a blessing because it'll help me get out of the hole I dug myself into." 

According to the university, WKU Housing and Residence Life will work to move all students by this Sunday, Feb. 4 in the interest of safety. The university is offering residents the following relocation options:

  • Remain on campus in a different hall (at the hall’s rate) and receive a $1,000 housing credit for the Spring 2024 semester. Rooms at McCormack Hall are available, along with a few private rooms at Pearce Ford Tower and Douglas Keen Hall. The university added students with housing accommodations on file have been reserved a space that meets their needs, along with the aforementioned halls being available. 

  • Move off campus. According to the university, all Hilltopper Hall residents will be granted an exemption from the Spring 2024 required housing policy and not charged a contract termination fee.

Students previously received an email and text from WKU Housing and Residence Life to submit their preferred relocation option. WKU Housing and Residence Life also hosted a series of town hall meetings to discuss the relocation process with the university community. 

Updates on the relocation process can be found on WKU Housing’s website. 

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