A Message Regarding the Future of Merriman House

SOURCE: Ripon College
Dear Ripon College Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Students,

As you may be aware, the Ripon College Board of Trustees has approved the recommendation made by college administrators to take Merriman House – longtime home of the Phi Kappa Pi Fraternity – off-line effective May 2010. This decision has understandably struck a dissonant chord with many of you, so I would like to clarify the facts of the matter and respond to some of the common questions that have arisen.

First, a brief history: Merriman House was constructed in 1939 and opened in 1940. While the College has always owned the building, the Merriman Club financed the construction of the building and was responsible for its maintenance. In 1988, another agreement was reached between Merriman Club and Ripon College, superseding the original agreement. This placed the responsibility for maintenance of Merriman House with the College.

While maintenance projects have been completed during the past 69 years, no major
renovations were undertaken. Eventually the need for major repairs and maintenance developed to the point where Merriman no longer meets the standards of a Ripon College residence hall. In deference to the standards of a Ripon education – of which residence life is an inextricable part – we have made the decision to move the Phi Kappa Pi fraternity out of Merriman and into another residence hall.

This decision was not reached lightly. Merriman’s longtime status as a social nexus is acknowledged by all, as is its place in Ripon College history. Some say that Merriman IS Phi Kappa Pi and vice-versa, implying that to take the building off-line is tantamount to taking the fraternity off-line. That is not the case. Furthermore, no decision has been made as to the ultimate fate of Merriman House. Until that time, it will simply be left unoccupied.

I respect the importance of Merriman and its place in some people’s memories of Ripon College. We will be looking for long-term solutions and weighing our options, and hope that we can sustain a positive dialogue during that process.

A brief FAQ follows for any questions/concerns not addressed here. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely yours,
David C. Joyce
President
* Is the condition of Merriman House really that bad? - It is unfit to house the students of a reputable institution.
* Why didn’t the college and/or the fraternity address the deferred-maintenance issues that led to its unusable condition? Who’s to blame? - At some point in the building’s history, the cost of necessary renovations surpassed its fair share of maintenance resources. In other words, to make the necessary repairs to Merriman would have required a disproportionate amount of the funds set aside for deferred maintenance on other, much older campus buildings that are used by all. While deferring too many small repairs for too long may have led to this situation, it falls on us to contend with the results of those decisions. It is not useful to assign blame.
* Why wasn’t a portion of the $20M bond issue used to fully renovate Merriman? - The price tag to renovate the building fully exceeds $1.5M, more than the fair market value of the entire property. Dozens of other deferred maintenance projects existed that were no less pressing, and affected buildings used by the entire student body.
* Was there a dedicated fundraising effort to raise money for Merriman? - Yes. A fundraising effort for building renovations fell far short of its goal.
* Why are you singling out Phi Kappa Pi fraternity? - This decision has nothing to do with the fraternity or its members, nor does it represent any ill will. In our judgment, it is best to vacate the building.
* What is likely to happen to Merriman House going forward? - All we know for certain is that the building must be vacated until we determine the best way to proceed.