Pass the new Honors College and International Center on Normal Street and it may seem unlikely that the building will be operational in roughly two weeks when the fall semester begins. 

Though, according to WKU’s chief of facilities Bryan Russell the building’s interior will be completed by August 24, while admittedly the exterior will still be under construction.

“Interior wise, the heat and air and everything is operational…the elevators and all of that sort of stuff,” Russell said. “It is more of the exterior that we are lagging behind on—topical stuff.  We are struggle on the outside of the building to get all of the things done, and we will not have the outside of the building completed by the start of school.”

A multitude of obstacles have created hindrances in the project’s progress, namely the severe snow and ice this past winter coupled with heavy rain this spring.

“No, we are not where we would like to be, but we are making the steps we need to so we can make the building operational to the University,” Russell said. “We do have—working with the provost office incase not everything is operational—a plan in place to accommodate if the building is not ready before classes begin.” 

The plan—coordinated with Dr. Gordon Emslie, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs—involves a temporary reallocation of class space throughout campus, though it is one Russell does not anticipate having to use.

“The goal right now is for it to be operational on the inside so we can hold classes in the building by the beginning of the semester,” Russell said. “As of now it looks like we are going to be able to reach that goal.”