The women, gender and sexuality studies department announced the permanent closure of Hyannis House on Instagram months after they were told it would be temporary due to damage caused by Helene.
“This was a decision made without consulting WGSS, even though we believed we were a key stakeholder in Hyannis House’s future,” the department said through its Instagram page.
The WGSS department played a large part in opening the house in the early 2000s and reopening the space to students in 2023 after COVID-19.
“It started as a student initiative. It was just a group of predominantly queer students who wanted a space on campus,” said MJ Gamlin, a UNCA alum who was one of the students reopening the Hyannis House in 2023.
Though open to everyone, the space was originally for queer students when it opened. The reopening offered the space to more student groups in the name of inclusivity. When Gamlin heard the space was closing, they said they were disappointed but not surprised.
“Both the changes we’ve seen in our government and the trends over recent years when I was a student,” Gamlin said. “I was a drama major and that department no longer exists. I worked in the office of multicultural affairs, which to my understanding no longer exists and now this last community space is being closed for that purpose. It’s something I’ve seen coming and something I was really concerned about when I was leaving UNCA as a staff member.”
Many on campus feel the closure of the Hyannis House is another step in removing DEI from campus operations and classes. Still, a school representative has said the house is closed, and the resources will be moved.
“Even before Hyannis House sustained damage during Helene, its location had raised concerns about accessibility and integration with campus resources. This move will enhance accessibility, improve safety and position students closer to essential support services,” said Meghan Harte Weyant, the vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management.
She said Student Affairs is transitioning the student space from Hyannis House to the Bike Shop, which will be moving to the Student Recreation Center. After being reverted back into a single-family dwelling, the Hyannis House will be used to host campus guests. In the coming fall, the space will be used to house a Fulbright Scholar.
“I am very skeptical because the past few times they’ve said they would relocate things including diversity on this campus, specifically the Black Lives Matter mural and then the banners on the library, they didn’t do that,” said Howie Cable, a departmental assistant for the interdisciplinary department.
Cable also raised concerns about moving the Hyannis House to the current bike shop location for downsizing, inaccessibility, and community outreach. He said there’s a shuttle stop very close to the Hyannis House and a ramp up to the front steps of the one-story house.
“I don’t understand why you’re going to tackle one thing that’s been a wonderful resource to minorities on campus and not tackle everything that’s a big gap disabled students,” Cable said.
Gamlin said there were efforts to ask the school to pave the gravel path leading from campus to the Hyannis House in 2023, but those requests were unmet. They said they knew not everyone knew where the Hyannis House was and that the gravel path was inaccessible, but those problems were difficult to fix without support from the school.
“One of the things that we really tried to push for as we were reopening the Hyannis House was that increased accessibility,” Gamlin said. “We attempted to work with certain campus representatives and campus groups to inquire into paving that gravel path and it was such a fight to try to get signage and things that every other campus building has, except for this dedicated student space.”
Harte Weyant said the student affairs leadership has been and continues to communicate with student organization leaders, though Gamlin and Cable both did not have that experience.
“I wish there was more transparency with community members,” Gamlin said. “I’m an alumni and a former staff member and I didn’t hear anything about this.”
Cable said they and the WGSS department had a similar experience to Gamlin. Cable had talked to Amanda Wray, the WGSS department chair, about the future of the Hyannis House just three days before the department was told the building’s closure would become permanent.
Cable also said the size of the new space, its location on campus and the lack of resources offered in the Hyannis House are concerns for him as they offer fewer opportunities for the campus clubs and departments that were using it before.
“I don’t feel great about that move and I don’t feel great that they didn’t talk to WGSS in the first place,” Cable said.
Cable said the closure of the Hyannis House felt like perfect timing, given the removal of DEI initiatives from the UNC system last spring and the removal of DI and DI-R classes this semester.
“It’s hard not to look at it like a huge slap in the face. For them to say they’re getting rid of DEI because we have to, but we’ll still be a safe space for students, but they’re not showing that.”
Harte Weyant said that if students have any questions regarding the closure of the Hyannis House, they are welcome to contact Megan Pugh, the dean of students, and Kate Johnson, the senior director of student engagement.
