January 07, 2026
Over the span of five years, High Point University underwent significant growth and challenges. From opening five major academic buildings to uniting as a campus at the beginning of a global pandemic, HPU rapidly expanded while navigating unexpected obstacles.
An article published in 2016 highlighted the university's newest buildings at the time. According to HPU, additions such as the Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy marked two major milestones in the university’s expansion.
The expansion of HPU has been ongoing. Many faculty members reflect back on the start of their careers at the campus and the various transformations — both positive and negative.
Doug Brown, a theater professor at HPU since 2004, recalls specific changes within the theater program from his perspective.
“The program has grown significantly. When I started, there were two full time faculty and one staff member,” said Brown. “So there was basically a guy that was the head of the department of acting, and then we had this scenic technical theater faculty who would build the sets. We didn't even have costume faculty at that time.”
Brown appreciates the university’s continuous support of the arts over the years. He is grateful for the growth of faculty within the department, which increased from three to eight full-time faculty members since 2015. This deep appreciation is especially rooted in the loss of faculty members within the arts program when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“COVID hit, and everything changed, with a lot of faculty turnover for various reasons,” said Brown. “Some didn't want to teach anymore; some wanted to go to different schools, and it took a while for this department to really reestablish the core group of faculty members.”
Dean Smith, a professor in the School of Communication since 2013, recalled a significant flood in the communications building during Christmas break several years ago.
Smith said the pipes in the ceiling burst, allowing water to run continuously for three days and destroying all of the offices.
“The water went through the walls all the way down to the first floor, and it destroyed the TV studio. There was no salvageable equipment. They were closed for a year,” said Smith.
As heartbreaking as this news was, it ended up being one of the biggest turning points in the School of Communications. Around $2 million was invested in the reconstruction of the TV studio with updated camera equipment in an attempt to attract future students wanting to pursue a career in the field.
“I can't really think of anything on this campus that we've done halfway,” Smith said. “You simply aren't going to be able to have the level of, for example, the equipment that we have, and we are constantly updating that equipment.”
Brown’s and Smith’s experiences represent just two of the many departments transformed during HPU’s 2015-2020 expansion. Across campus, programs navigated continuous growth and challenges as the university evolved.