A committee will explore alternatives to tearing down the Faculty House after its demolition was paused because of a community outcry, WKU President Timothy Caboni announced at the annual Faculty and Staff Convocation on Monday.

The Faculty House, built in the early 1920s by students who cleared its cedar logs from a grove on campus, was headed for a bulldozer under plans announced in May for a $71 million renovation of Cherry Hall, which is adjacent to the historic structure.

Caboni initially said removing the Faculty House was “essential” to carrying out the planned renovations of Cherry Hall, but now a committee will be tasked with developing a plan to achieve a solution to either demolish, renovate or relocate the Faculty House. Caboni said he expects the committee to make recommendations by the end of the year.

If the building is to be saved, Caboni said after the convocation, “I’ve been really clear that if we’re going to do that, we’ve got to have external support and private dollars to help support that activity.”

“It’s crucial for our institution to invest the scarce dollars the General Assembly has given into facilities that support student success and, right now, that facility isn’t one,” he said. “I appreciate its history, its importance to our campus and we’re going to honor that. But we’ve got to make sure we’re taking care of the educational facilities we have available to us.”

WKU commissioned a nationally recognized architecture and design firm, Champlin Architecture/EOP Architects, over the summer to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Faculty House and found numerous issues including extensive foundation and structural concerns, as well as possible code violations. Caboni said another firm, Micro-Analytics, found that the building contains asbestos, a cancer-causing substance commonly used decades ago in buildings.

Caboni said it could cost between $2 million and $4 million to restore or relocate the Faculty House.

Tommy Hines, a board member of the Landmark Trust, a local preservation group that has advocated for saving the Faculty House, said the structure plays an important role in WKU’s history, and that it also has a special place in the hearts of alumni on the Hill.

Hines said that while it’s positive that WKU won’t simply proceed with demolishing the building, there would still be some disappointment from alumni if the Faculty House was relocated rather than demolished.

Hines said when choosing members, the committee should have people on it who understand and work in historic preservation in order to make the best decision for the fate of the Faculty House.

“Alumni like to come back and see things with which they are familiar, things that bring back memories,” Hines said. “We are all nostalgic, the older that we become, and having these special places on Western’s campus are important to those of us who have been to Western in the past.”

Caboni said it’s important as an institution when receiving community critique to take that feedback into account and make sure the university comes to a collective decision.

Caboni announced plans to tear down the Faculty House in May, when WKU unveiled plans for Cherry Hall’s first major renovation in 50 years, funded by $71 million in asset preservation money from the Kentucky General Assembly. Cherry Hall opened in 1937 and is the university’s iconic building.

Caboni said the goal is to restore much of the building’s original features while also better meeting the needs of current and future generations of Hilltopper.

“We take seriously our responsibility to honor the past while also ensuring that this extraordinary building is around for another 90 years,” Caboni said. “I’m also pleased that its renewed functionality will better support our student success efforts, creating intentional spaces within an academic building that helped to build our community.”

Also at the Convocation, Caboni announced:

• If early numbers hold true, WKU will have a freshman-to-sophomore retention rate of 80.3% this fall, the highest in university history.
• Bryson Davis, the director of Student Financial Assistance, was awarded the 2025 “Spirit of WKU” Award.
• Lindy Davidson has been named director of the Mahurin Honors College. Davidson had been an associate dean at the honors college at the University of South Florida.
• The Hub at Jody Richards Hall will open this semester in a former computer lab. The space features solo study nooks, group meeting and collaboration areas, and WKU provided work stations with printer access. The budget for the renovation was $2.3 million, said Jace Lux, university spokesman.
• Planning continues on a new facility to replace the academic complex. Caboni said this was made possible through a $160 million appropriation by the Kentucky General Assembly, which is the largest capital project in WKU’s history.
• WKU is working with the Student Life Foundation and Brailsford and Dunlavey, a planning and development advisory firm at the forefront of large scale successful college housing projects across the nation. The firm will evaluate and consider the right partner for the reconstruction of Housing and Residence Life buildings. Some ideas for phased plans include correcting design and construction flaws in Regents and Normal halls, replacing Hugh Poland and Douglas Keen halls, and replacing McCormack, Rodes Harlin and Gilbert halls in the Valley with a residential village for sophomores, juniors and seniors.
• WKU’s incoming freshman class looks to be among the “most academically talented in our university’s history” with an overall GPA of 3.47, ranking among the highest incoming class GPAs ever at WKU. The newest Hilltoppers represent 33 different states, and 24% of those students will live in one of WKU’s Living Learning Communities.

Every semester, the Herald’s editorial board sits down with WKU President Timothy Caboni with questions to get ready for the upcoming academic session. 

This semester, we want to hear from you. 

If there are any questions you think the Herald should ask Caboni during this semester’s meeting on Thursday, please fill out the attached Google form.