By Ericka Pultorak | Observer Contributor
After a decade of rumors, the Mount may only need to wait a few years to see dorms spring up on campus. The delay to see dormitories on the Mount Wachusett Community College Campus is because it has not always been acceptable to have dorms on a community college campus. Mainly, there have not been any laws allowing it. However, thanks to Daniel Asquino, President of MWCC, and others who share his desire to provide the dorm experience, the legislation has changed. Since then, MWCC has moved forward on making plans and goals for the potential dorms.
President Asquino said he wants to set up a small number of rooms to start, with 300 to 400 rooms in a quad format. This would mean four rooms per quad connected by a living room and kitchen. There would be a meal plan but students could make their own food on weekends. The location on campus for the dorms is not yet decided, although President Asquino said he is not worried about it given the Mount has plenty of land. He is estimating that it will take about 2 to 3 years to start seeing results.
President Asquino foresees four-year colleges as a potential problem. They might challenge him, saying that MWCC should not have dorms because they are not part of the Mount’s mission creed. Still, he persists because he knows there are a lot of students in two-year programs that want the “Resident hall experience” but do not get it. He believes that “Everyone should have the opportunity to have that experience if they’d like that experience.” President Asquino said he is confident that the process of getting dorms and establishing them will have its challenges but will overall be a good thing for MWCC.
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