Hillsborough College students, faculty and community members spoke out against the Tampa Bay Rays stadium plans for the Dale Mabry campus in Tampa at Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
Several opponents urged college officials to reconsider how construction may impact current students, transportation and the campus community.
Sophomore Justin Yearwood is the Student Government Association’s chief of staff.
He said students are struggling to prepare for the upcoming spring semester since they have not received enough details about the relocation process.
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“We're told the move may happen in March, but we don't know what classes are going to look like," Yearwood said.
He said the lack of information includes shuttle transportation proposed by college officials, which students may need to use to travel between the temporary locations.
"We don't know what routes the buses would be on. We don't know if they're stopping between each of the buildings," Yearwood said.
He also raised concern about the lack of communication from college leadership about the implications of the deal. Many other speakers agreed.
Yearwood said administrators have often offered only repetitive information rather than answering students' concerns.
"I'm hoping they allow for more transparent communication instead of not saying anything because they don't know what's going on," Yearwood said.
HC originally planned to move students into a temporary classroom facility on the Dale Mabry campus called the Nest.
But officials said those plans have changed. Now, most instruction will be moved to two off-campus locations.
The new proposal shows five healthcare programs would move to one of University of South Florida’s centers in downtown Tampa. All other classes would relocate to an office complex called Tampa Bay Park, which is about 1.5 miles from the Dale Mabry campus.
President Ken Atwater said the revisions came after hearing concerns about the original solution.
"There will be some inconvenience for our students,” Atwater said. “We know this, and we've never denied this — but you've got to look at the long-term goal."
He added the new plan would provide a better learning environment, since students can take classes in existing permanent buildings.
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But some students shared that this relocation might destroy the sense of community on campus.
Many said their current campus allows them to interact with classmates, participate in events and develop connections that might be hard to maintain if classes are spread across locations.
Student Terry Sampson told trustees that joining a cybersecurity club helped him make friends and compete with other students.
"My belief is simple: losing our campus will isolate us from each other," Sampson said.
Faculty members agreed that the changes could affect student life, enrollment and students' access to academic resources.
Professor Eric Fisk teaches political science on the Dale Mabry campus. He told trustees a survey of 900 students found roughly 30% would consider relocating campuses, transferring colleges or leaving school altogether.
“Some students will endure it, probably most will, and I think that's what y'all are hoping for,” Fisk said. “Which means in the coming years, the Tampa area will be set to have thousands of fewer college-educated citizens ready to contribute to the community.”
Atwater acknowledged that the relocation could create challenges but said the benefits of rebuilding the campus cannot be overlooked.
Despite the opposition, the Board of Trustees approved the agenda item, meaning administrators can begin the process of relocating campus assets.
While the measure itself does not authorize demolition, administrators said they would return to trustees with "an inventory of disposed items."
